No more pasty white skins!

[Robert Vermaat]

Or.. you can go Late Roman and wear proper long-sleeved tunics plus.. trousers.

I must say my hands and arms are tanned enough (I never go sunbathing), but my lower legs never seem to lose their skinny-white colour... maybe it's a good thing that I'm doing LR anyway. :wink:

[AuxArcher]

I have to agree with the stay out of the sun and use precautions camp. I had skin cancer on my nose, and the procedure was not exactly fun. Besides, I've never heard a visitor remark on the tone of our skin.

Dane

[M. Demetrius]

They only whisper it behind your back, Dane. They don't want to hurt your feelings. :lol: :wink:

[Dan from Britannia]

I'm British... it takes me a week on holiday just to go white in the sun!!!!

[Doc]

What Brian said is exactly what I was trying to point out. The outdoors does give you a different look than someone who stays in the house all day or someone who is always covered up.

[Pieter]

Thanks Doc and Paolo! Exactly what the point is. Try to look like you spend some time outdoors!
Pieter

[AuxArcher]

They only whisper it behind your back, Dane. They don't want to hurt your feelings. :lol: :wink:

I laugh at their jabs, lol. I'm proud of my creamy alabaster complextion.

Actually, I dont tan at all. In boot camp, I was mocked for having skin as pale as typing paper by the southern boys. But, I mocked their incessant spitting of tobacco juice in an empty soda can. I think I came out ahead.

[Lýsandros]

I was thinking about this sort of thread for some time now. White skin and thin legs (made in office ™) are really destroying the impression of otherwise perfectly equipped reenactors, at least for me. I have seen tons roman group (and not only roman, applies to other periods as well) photos where you could only see these skinny blue-white legs sticking from underneath their beautiful costumes. Sorry, I am not going to be liked for this, but to me it looks a bit pathetic.

The costume alone does not represent the whole impression. Especially when it comes to front rankers who suppsoedly endured a life-long training and are hardened by battles, you would expect at least a bit of leg and arm musculature and some tan (ok, units posted in britain have an exception on the tan part )

[AuxArcher]

So, how does someone from the 21st century try to appear like a veteran soldier from 2000 years ago, or anyone living in a primarily agricultural society in the classical world. That kind of wear and tear really can't be achieved without actually living just as a miles from the 1st century would have. That includes gruesome scars, disfigurments, missing parts, and so on. Maybe we should chop each other up a bit during the off season?

You also have the look that is hard to really put your finger on of a combat veteran. Just a glace at a photo of a man who has seen combat and a solider or recruit who never got shot at is different, even equipped identically. I loath the term "thousand yard stare" but it is there.

[Doc]

Well,

You do not have to get chopped up during the off season. :wink:

One could do some calf raises with ankle weights provided that physically it is possible for an individual. However, if someone is willing to put on all that armor and walk around for several hours either in the hot sun or cold snow/rain, then a few weighed calf raises should not be a problem. The tanned look is a little difficult to achieve especially in areas where the winter is always snowy but at least the leg situation can be remedied. However, doing outside activity, as Brian pointed out, on and off, will give a different color for sure.

One idea would be to rub dirt on the lower half of the leg. I am sure that Roman soldiers were not tanned, muscular, and pretty. Otherwise it would be the sequel to 300 (the holloywood version).

I think that the musculature can be achieved by push-ups, sit-ups and running. This would give a similar shape to outdoor labor. It is not the organized "Golds Gym" weight training session.

[Lýsandros]

Of course, bodybuilding is not a good way to go. What I am hitting at is a more athletic look than a look of mr. olympia. While we can be sure that a common roman legionaire didnt have excessive musculature, you can definitely see that he uses his legs for other things aside from the acceleration pedal Some bicycling and running will do the job just fine.

[M. Demetrius]

At the same time all of this is said, it should also be realized that we will NEVER look like the Romans we're portraying, odds are, just because of all the reasons already stated. We are at best a simulation. Some better than others. Anyone with a paunch is ruled out, as their lifestyle wouldn't allow that to happen, especially soldiers in the field. No one with wedding rings, or surgical scars of the modern sort, moustaches and beards (in most of the time periods we portray), anyone with foam insoles in his caligae, dents in the bridge of his nose from wearing eyeglasses, etc., etc., could be in the ranks of soldiers.

We can make things so exclusive that the hobby shrinks, or we can allow for some discrepancies and recognize that we only do this a few days a year, and can't really expect it to look like what we are not. Having said that, I doubt there are many of us who wouldn't benefit from a little more exercise, a little less food, and more time in the outdoors. I suspect that the majority of the public realizes we aren't "real" Roman soldiers, and makes the allowance for that. If not, oh well, so it goes. Believe me, if I could shed thirty years and spend more time in the gym, I would.

[John Conyard]

During the re-enactment season, even in northern Britain, I soon tan a deep brown. Sometimes it's wind burn, but the effect is the same.

It was the same when did a lot of sailing and surfing. An outdoor life changes the way you look.

[Sutoris]

As 15th century shoemaker this is not a problem, but in a tunica it looks :oops:
Twenty years of caving didn't help much
Started with "studio tan" in April , once a week for 6 min.
I did this 10 times just to break the white.
After work only shorts and sandals, no socks, watch or rings, doing lot of things outdoor.
Reading the news paper outdoor can give you a tan to :wink:

I look very different now after five months.

[kevair464]

An interesting observation about the physical fitness and "paunches" on most reenactors is that most of the equipment seems to be made for heavier individuals. I am athletic and thin as I am both blessed with a fast metabolism and exercise (being 27 helps) and I had a hell of a time finding a hamata and segmentata that fit me, had to get both as custom jobs since the off the shelf seggy looked like a hoola hoop on me, ironic since we are talking about trying to have everyone in better physical shape. But that said, it is hard to get that perfect legionary look, i for one am 6-3 thus would be a giant among ancient people, and i can't make myself shorter in stature. The biggest thing (in my opinion) that really ruins an otherwise great looking kit is not white legs or frumpy bodies, but long beards, long hair, pony tails, ect. Yes we all have lives where moden hair styles are required, but seeing someone in a coolus with hair pouring out down to thier shoulders is a little rediculous looking, and shaving or getting a hair cut is something ALL of us can do before events without any detriment to our health. As far as physical fitness goes, thats just a good idea anyway, wearing 50 lbs of kit in the hot sun and walking all day is strenuous to the body, and there are times that I worry about some guys who are doing such and are completely out of shape, its dangerous.