When summer starts to roll around, every board game fan starts thinking about one thing: conventions. Where are we going this year? But perhaps more importantly: what are we going to wear?
Top to bottom, lets analyze the perfect gamer outfit.
The Foundation: A Solid Pair of Shoes
What’s more important at a board game convention: style, or comfort?
The correct answer is neither. The correct answer is walkability.
Most board gamers aren’t athletes. Sure, they exist, but our hobby is, by its very nature, sedentary. We tabletop enthusiasts like to sit, and a board game convention like Gen Con or PAX is founded on the idea that we’re on our feet, walking everywhere, all the time. It’s not uncommon for con-goers to discover they’ve logged a few miles by lunchtime, and for people who are not on their feet all that regularly, it’s imperative that you start your outfit with a good pair of shoes.
(actually, put some pants on first so you don’t get arrested. But more on pants later)
Style is less important than comfort, which is less important than sheer walkability. What that means to you is:
- No brand new shoes. Make sure you’ve logged more than a few miles in these before you bring them. This is not the time to try something new and end up with a sock full of blisters.
- No heels, no fashion boots. You want something light, stable, and made for walking.
- No flip flops. I know it’s summer. But it’s summer outside, not in the gaming hall.
Dress for Temperature Swings
Do you know why you’re hot walking to the convention hall? Because game convention season is a summer tradition. I always recommend going outside and eating away from the convention halls for at least one meal. Food is typically a bit cheaper, a bit healthier, has more variety, and shorter wait times for tables or meal delivery.
And maybe the fresh air will do you some good.
You know why you’re cold in the gaming hall? Because the AC is turned up to the max to help dissipate the heat, and let’s face it, once everyone is inside, they’re not leaving, so the outside isn’t getting in.
How to combat this? Wear layers. Carrying a light hoodie or a flannel is a lifesaver. But having the ability to take off the long sleeves is equally important. Just make sure you have a place to put it.
You do have a backpack, right? I wrote an Ultimate Packing List that details a few other things you want to make sure you’re carrying.
Dealer’s Choice: Shirts
Shirts are where you get to show your personality. So let your geek flag fly – these are your people.
And yes, I'm going to suggest a board-game shirt here, because this is a BoardGamingTees article. But there's a reason: you're going to be wearing it for 12 hours, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with other gamers, walking miles around the convention hall, and probably ending the night at a table with people you've never met. You want something comfortable, durable, and—ideally—something that gives another gamer an excuse to say, "Hey, I like that shirt."
At a convention, a good board-game shirt is basically a conversation starter you don't have to start yourself.
Someone recognizes the joke. Someone laughs. Someone asks where you got it. Suddenly you've met another gamer, and maybe even a new friend, without having to awkwardly introduce yourself.
If you're looking for something specifically made for board gamers, check out the BoardGamingTees collection.
One other key tip: pack more shirts than you think you’re going to need. Those pants can be worn twice if needs be. But don’t be the guy who thinks their shirts can. Even our fresh designs will stink if you’re rocking it two days in a row.
This is Your Chance to Be a Little Weird
So just like shirts, let yourself be a little more free with your wardrobe than you would in your everyday life. Board game conventions are one of the few places where you can wear the weird thing you've always wanted to wear and nobody will look twice.
Cowboy hat? Sure.
Ridiculously elaborate hat? Absolutely.
Jewelry shaped like a D20? You're among friends.
A shirt that makes a joke about worker placement that only 14 people on Earth understand? Perfect.
This is your tribe. You don't need to dress like you're going to the office. You’re allowed to look like you belong here.
A Word About Cosplay
I have tremendous respect for cosplay...
But please, please, don’t bring only your cosplay costume.
You’re going to want to sit and play a game. You’re going to walk far more than you think you’re going to. You’re going to eat. You’ll quickly discover that the design that looked so amazing in the mirror at home looks far more ragged after 10 hours wandering a convention hall.
So go to the con as a normie for most of the time, and save the outfit for the cosplay parade and contest. Most good convention organizers hold those events back to back for a reason.
Your fellow gamers – and probably your costume – will thank you.
Conclusion
The perfect board game convention outfit isn't complicated. Comfortable shoes, pants you can actually walk in, a layer for the freezing gaming hall, and a shirt that tells the people around you what kind of gamer you are.
Everything else is optional.
And if you happen to be looking for a shirt that might make another gamer laugh before you've even sat down at the table, take a look at BoardGamingTees. That's kind of what we make them for.
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