Get the look: Shadow Monk

For this new "Get the Look" blog, we want to showcase another DnD-inspired look. This time, we drew inspiration from the Monk class, or more specifically, a Monk of the Way of Shadow.

Monks of the Way of Shadow generally serve as spies or assassins, as their tradition revolves around stealth and deception. They are often compared to ninja's, so for this look, we have mixed elements associated with both monks and ninja's.

Kaito Shadowsong hails from a remote village in the mountains of the Eastern Realms, where a secret order of shadow monks is trained in the ancient arts of stealth and combat. Orphaned at a young age, he was taken in by the order and raised as one of them.

On a fateful night, a powerful artifact was stolen from the order's hidden temple, and Kaito vowed to retrieve it. His quest for the artifact led him through treacherous terrain and into the heart of a dangerous plot threatening the entire realm. 

The garment most people think of when trying to imagine a shadow monk is a type of tunic . How these tunics look exactly varies by country, culture, and associated religion. Since the Shadow Monk is similar to a ninja, we have tried to create a look that resembles the robes worn by Japanese ninja's. This sleeveless tunic has a slit in the front, which aids mobility in a way similar to the wrapped robes that ninja's used to wear. This sleeveless tunic also aids mobility, but if you want to cover your arms, you can easily wear it over a shirt or a tunic-style shirt.

Unfortunately, this particular tunic is no longer part of our collection, but we still have the wool version.

It is not easy to be stealthy, and one of the things you need to be inconspicuous is good freedom of movement. Both ninja's and Shaolin monks, who are skilled in martial arts, wear very wide pants that are wrapped with fabric below the knees. This way, movement is not restricted by too tight pants around the thighs, nor by excess fabric around the lower legs.

This can easily be recreated with wide pants gathered in a band at the knee and leg wraps. Of course, you can also use fully wide pants and wear leg wraps over them.

Completely bare arms increase the risk of injury. This can be due to weapons or climbing rough surfaces. The forearms are particularly susceptible to this type of injury. A quick and easy way to address this is by wearing arm wraps. It also reminds us a bit of a boxer's arm wraps.

Referring to the ninja clothing, ninja garments were actually wrap garments. This means they needed a belt to stay closed. For this, fabric belts were used. Even though we use a closed tunic, using a fabric belt will contribute to the image of a cunning, thief monk. We also used the belt to add a bit of color contrast to the outfit, but you can also choose to let the belt blend in more.

Monks are rarely depicted with heavy shoes. The same applies to ninja's and monks skilled in martial arts. Therefore, we opted for sandals instead of closed shoes or boots. The sandals we chose for this look have studs on the soles to minimize the risk of slipping.

A common weapon in martial arts is the staff, so we decided to equip Kaito with it. A staff is a versatile weapon with a better reach than a sword. It is also much less conspicuous as a weapon when trying to sneak in somewhere in disguise, as it can serve as a walking stick.

Although the previously mentioned staff is a good choice of weapon, it has some disadvantages. Staves are not the most effective against armor and they are difficult to use in narrow corridors or other tight spaces. Therefore, it may be better to choose another weapon for certain missions. A dagger is easy to conceal due to its size and is much easier to use when there is little room to maneuver. It is also a much stealthier weapon than the staff.

If you are trying to sneak in somewhere, you want to be able to hide as much of yourself as possible. Quickly pulling up a hood quickly covers your hair and makes it easier to hide your face when needed. Of course, a large cape would only get in the way, so that's not a great option. A Shadow Monk would be much better off with just a hood that can be added to their clothing. This hood can also be folded down to function as a high collar.

Another way to hide (part of) your face is by wearing a mask. In feudal Japan, the samurai and ninja often wore a mask called Mempo. The Mempo covers the lower part of the face and the nose without causing breathing problems. It is not only intended to hide your face. It was originally introduced to samurai as protective equipment to prevent facial injuries.