Help With Realistic Late Roman Clothing for Starting Out?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

If you're in LA you'll want to talk to Brandon Barnes of Legio VI Victrix, he's currently working on getting a Late Roman detachment together. He has two members, I think, and there's two guys with Legio X Fretensis in the Bay area who are slowly putting together some Late Roman kits.

Baldenheims were invented by the Romans around 450-470 AD, and we start seeing them as imperial gifts to Barbarians around 470-480. So the Romans must have had spangenhelmets earlier, and the arch of Galerius suggests they did. I would say the Spangenhelmet began use in the Roman army around 300 AD but didn't become widespread until after Attila's devastation of the Balkans and the sudden need to completely rebuild over half of the Eastern Roman Army.

Ridge helmets are fine, but several of the Deepeeka ones kind of suck. If you want advice on what to get you can always post here before you purchase.

I'd strongly recommend having a shield made custom, Comitatus can do them, so can Res Bellica, Frabrica Cacti, or several other makers of custom equipment.

If you want to portray a soldier of the Era of Justinian you'll want to talk to Philotas de Toxandrie or Mattia Caprioli (on Facebook). I can help you as well, feel free to send me a friend request (Evan Schultheis) and I can add you to the NA late Roman Reenactors group.