If someone was dressed like this what would you think?

[backtoschoolagainagain]

This is for an event where you wear costumes.

What would you think they'd come as / were trying to look like?

(Having a slight disagreement with DS!)

Thanks :)

A steampunk pirate

I would think they played warhammer.

The 40k tech priest might be a good alternative. Still got the steam punk vibe, but not the military overtones. It's much more obviously a fantasy costume to the casual observer.

Nazi Pirate

It’s clearly not a genuine WW2 Nazi outfit.

However, the person who designed it clearly took inspiration from WW2 Nazi imagery. Lots of designers do, it’s a very easy shorthand for Imperialism. But it generally plays very badly, regardless of intention (look at the fuss over Nicki Minaj’s “Only” lyric vid).

And as somebody else said, the home-made equivalent is going to end up being much more reminiscent of an SS outfit, because the braiding, red lining and tailoring is going to be hard to reproduce, leaving you with a black greatcoat, boots, gas mask and eagle soldier’s cap. I wouldn’t wear it.

DH loves Warhammer (geek)

He wanted to get a tattoo of the insignia of the tribe or whatever it is that he plays but it looks so much like the Nazi eagle that I forbade it. I had visions of spending the rest of my life apologising for him and saying "He's not a Nazi - honestly - it's Warhammer"

Or I suggested he would have to get another tattoo directly under it saying the same thing

@backtoschoolagainagain

The costume guidelines for the event say:

If your cosplay is deemed to be offensive to the casual observer, it will not be allowed inside the event.

• In accordance with our Anti-Harassment Policy, any reference or symbol relating to a body that insights violence, hatred or discrimination in any form is strictly forbidden.

• Consider the "social media" test. If you were photographed and the image went viral, would the general public be offended by your outfit? If the answer is yes, then please do not bring your costume to the event.

It's his choice to go dressed like that if he has read these guidelines and understands he might not get in.

There are definite Nazi connotations to that outfit, he might not think so but there are enough people on here interpreting it that way that it's borderline.

If he cares enough to risk it then let him - as long as he has a plan for what he will do if they don't let him in!

I can see why he likes them, the Death Korps in the new kill team are very cool looking, they all have a ww1/steampunk style.

If it’s for a geek convention I’m sure a lot of people will be able to tell what he is supposed to be.
It should be fairly easy to cobble together too.

@backtoschoolagainagain

DS has sent this one to me. What do you think?

Less nazi or still a nazi?

Neither look ‘Nazi’!

My first thought was Zodiac Mindwarp. Is your son a Sex Fuhrer or a Love Dictator?

Steampunk Nazi-ish. I wouldn't go for it, sorry. Too easy to mistake.

Steampunk with Nazi vibes. I personally think it's unsuitable for an event.

Bizarre thread!
I think lots of people don't actually know what a Nazi looks like; they didn't wear Crimean era hussars jackets, nor huge napoleonic-looking epaulettes. Nor did they wear red and grey coats.
The whole outfit is based on 19th century military uniforms.

Not bizarre - if you glimpsed someone wearing this, it is possible to think they look like a nazi. You are unlikely to look in detail if you are just seeing them at a distwncen

DISTANCE

And where did the Nazis gather much of their symbolism?

Asking for a non gamer friend...

Not read the whole thread but if someone didnt say Cheryl Cole Tribute Act i will be very disappointed!

@Tana433

Not read the whole thread but if someone didnt say Cheryl Cole Tribute Act i will be very disappointed!

You win

@LukeEvansWife

Not bizarre - if you glimpsed someone wearing this, it is possible to think they look like a nazi. You are unlikely to look in detail if you are just seeing them at a distwncen

Sure, if you think anything military = Nazi looking, but the "uniform" pieces in this picture are based on 19th century military uniform.

It’s military futuristic imperialist vibes to me with weird ww2 vibes (gasmasks) and nazi vibe (hat esp). It doesn’t matter it’s not an exact replicating a nazi uniform it the “feel” it gives and was probably designed to give that feel for the game.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with wearing it to the actual event as such - it’s a costume from war hammer people will recognise or understand what he’s come as if they are all into similar things. The problem is would the average person recognise this if they saw him or would they get weird vibes of imperialism etc. I think the latter and for that reason I wouldn’t let him wear it. Imagine ten years time and an employer looks him up and sees a picture of him with just that costume and I context for it - they’d likely get odd vibes from it. I wouldn’t risk it coming back to haunt him in the future however innocent the actual costume is.

@Changechangychange

It’s clearly not a genuine WW2 Nazi outfit.

However, the person who designed it clearly took inspiration from WW2 Nazi imagery. Lots of designers do, it’s a very easy shorthand for Imperialism. But it generally plays very badly, regardless of intention (look at the fuss over Nicki Minaj’s “Only” lyric vid).

And as somebody else said, the home-made equivalent is going to end up being much more reminiscent of an SS outfit, because the braiding, red lining and tailoring is going to be hard to reproduce, leaving you with a black greatcoat, boots, gas mask and eagle soldier’s cap. I wouldn’t wear it.

I agree. Of course it is not an exact replica of a Nazi uniform but there are enough touches that make it Nazi-like. The number of posters on this thread who have said it reminds them of Nazis shows this.

Of course it is not an exact replica of a Nazi uniform but there are enough touches that make it Nazi-like

It's actually not remotely Nazi-like and not even trying to replicate it.
The hat is like the large Napoleonic era Russian grenadier cap with its large eagle, not the flatter nazi cap which had a small eagle/swastika insignia. The whole costume is inspired by Russian/French/British Napoleonic and Crimean era uniform, but perhaps mostly Russian.
And as this character is called "Commissar" that should give an idea of which area the inspiration is coming from.

Again, Hitler absorbed all sorts of symbolism into Nazi regalia - Napoloenic included!

Yes, but that doesn't make everything Napoleonic suggestive of Nazism, does it? Where did Nazis have the gold brocade/frogging of the hussar jacket? Or large fringed epaulettes? They're not Nazi-like at all.

The swastika was an ancient Asian religious symbol, so that does make everything Asian suggestive of Nazism too?

The reason I had nazi vines were - cumulative
Jackboots
Length of coat and pocket flaps weirdly
Shape of hat (front but only) badge on hat

I first mistook gas mask fir white skull so was already slightly thinking of death
Gas mask - definite ww2 vibe here I think this may actually have made me think directly of Nazi atrocities fir a split second

Taking all of this I had a maybe 30% Prussian general ore 1820 ish 40% pirate and 30% Nazi ish vibe breakdown. The Nazi vibe was too big to be ignored or explained away and it was kind of more worrying that Prussian/pirate had been overlaid with Nazi feel.
As if alluding to it, as if more would not be acceptable, as if any is acceptable.