As a cosplayer and historian (I have a Medieval History degree), Lorica Clothing’s unique spin on athleisure wear caught my eye as soon as it popped up in my inbox.
Let’s get the important facts about Lorica out of the way first. Lorica Clothing is a female-owned business
(Elena Hutchinson is the owner and designer) that produces leggings, shorts, swimsuits, and dresses in plus sizes and in women’s and men’s fit for most styles. In addition, the garments are made in the USA with fabrics derived from recycled bottles. And as if that weren’t all enough, the coolest thing about Lorica Clothing is that most of the designs are based on actual historical armor! Top all of that off with a slate of diverse models on their site, and Lorica is definitely a company worth supporting.
Hutchinson was a D&D fan from an early age and was inspired not only by the armor there but real historical armor, like that of King Henry VIII. Her goal with Lorica was to take armor and designs that were traditionally icons of male authority and power and adapt them for women. And just look at that dress! Yes, it has pockets! Not to mention the sustainable fabric is super soft and comfy. It’s hard not to feel comfortable wearing this amazing armor.
In addition to the skater dress, Heather also got the Yumi Skirmisher Tank. Its design is based on a 19th-century Japanese cuirass that is also at the Met. The design is really cool, bold, and the tank fit has soft, well-fitted neck and arm bands that make it super comfortable to wear.
Lastly, because I didn’t want to be left out of the Lorica love despite wanting to focus on empowering women, I also got some leggings for myself. I chose the Augsburg leggings, which aren’t based on a specific set of armor as much as inspired by Gothic plate armor. They are easily the most comfortable leg coverings I own—no wonder so many folx wear leggings all the time! Also, they look pretty badass. I threw on a tunic we made for wearing under foam armor and then had to take up one of our swords to pose because I felt so powerful!
If you like athleisure wear and enjoy armor or costuming at all, I cannot recommend Lorica Clothing enough. Check out their entire collection!
Note: We were sent these samples of Lorica’s clothing, but no money changed hands for this review and all thoughts and opinions above are my own.
