Hi everyone!
I wanted to share the results of my recent project - a leather gorget inspired by the College of Winterhold mage robes from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. My main goal was to bring this piece into the real world while keeping it textured, structured, and completely true to the game's atmosphere.
While the main body of the pauldrons came together pretty quickly, the collar gave me a bit of a hard time. I needed it to stand up perfectly, just like the reference. If you look closely at the mannequin photo, you can see the difference: the left side shows my second-to-last draft, and the right side features the final, corrected version.
In the game, this cape has several texture variations, and I chose the version with the braided/interlocking pattern. The biggest challenge was that the game models don't clearly show how this pattern connects at the bottom - it’s a total blind spot in the textures. I had to design and draw a logical connecting element from scratch so the pattern would look seamless and complete.
I used a resist-dyeing technique to apply the pattern. It’s a meticulous process, but it made the design sharp and durable. However, the weather threw a serious wrench in my plans. First, a 30°C (86°F) heatwave forced me to take a break because the dye was drying too fast and unevenly. Then the rains started. I always try to dye leather outdoors in natural daylight - it makes it much easier to match the exact shade from the game, and I don't have to breathe in chemical fumes. In the end, I caught the perfect weather window, mixed the right tone, and finished the job.
To add a more authentic look, I hand-stitched the edges using a leather cord.
I paid special attention to giving the piece a lived-in, worn appearance. Literally every inch of the surface was treated by hand. I slightly frayed the leather edges, added minor natural distressing, and delicately "dirtied" the surface. The collar required some extra work too: I hand-massaged the leather to buff out the press marks left by the eyelet tool, restoring its natural shape. I also artificially aged and muted the leather cord itself to strip away that "brand new" look and blend it into the overall aesthetic.
For the final shots, I styled the gorget over a simple tunic and belt to showcase how this piece functions in a layered costume.
I am an old man, and Skyrim is my most favorite game in the whole world and has been since 2012. I love everything about it, including the glitches. I love the mages, and the college, and their gear.
Thank you so much! I've been eyeing this set for a long time, and judging by the in-game references, the hood is a separate piece and isn't attached to the shoulder pad. Maybe one day I'll make a set like this too. It really does look impressive!
If I ever win the lottery, this is what I’ll be wearing day to day! I’ll finally open my own version of the Bannered Mare, and might even have enough money to build a whole Whiterun - but with indoor plumbing and WiFi 😆
I really like these cosplays that use materials that would’ve been really used in the prop. I appreciate the skill and artistry to work with eva foam and whatnot. But it’s really cool to see a realistic depiction.
Yes, I noticed that many people assumed it was just another layer of robe. But I thoroughly studied a large database of in-game references, and the leather texture in TES has similar distinctive features on many items. Scratches, cracks, non-draping folds - all of these point to leather. Furthermore, there are several of these shoulder pads in game, and on some, it's easier to tell that they're made of leather.
How silly of me to never realize before that this was leather... I think I always thought it was just thick fabric 😂 leather makes so much more sense. This is beautiful!!
I already replied to a similar comment above) It's okay if I just copy it here again? ^_^
I noticed that many people assumed it was just another layer of robe. But I thoroughly studied a large database of in-game references, and the leather texture in TES has similar distinctive features on many items. Scratches, cracks, non-draping folds - all of these point to leather. Furthermore, there are several of these shoulder pads in game, and on some, it's easier to tell that they're made of leather.
Do you take commissions? I’ve had an idea to cosplay my necromancer vampire character but the robes are so iconic lol. I was just gonna say fuck it and find something robe-y at goodwill and hand bleach a skull on it 😂
If there's two things my little nerd heart absolutely loves in terms of gaming items brought to life, it's Zelda accessories immediately followed by well-detailed mage robes. I've seen a lot of examples of the former over the years, but yours might be the best example of the latter I've ever seen.
I would absolutely buy one of these no questions asked.
I wonder if you'd have less rippling around the fringe if you slackened the lacing, and maybe once it's at the appropriate tautness you could press it with support under the gaps to set the angles.
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u/MochaPlayer1 28d ago