People might see archery from movies such as Robin Hood, Merida from Brave, Katniss from Hunger Game, Legolas from The Lord of The Rings, and others. Some countries even have their own traditional archery like Bhutan, Indonesia, Turkey, Japan, and more. Archers from different places wear different outfits. As movies are more popular, people often get a resemblance of an archer from the movies.

What Is The Right Archery Outfit?

Yet, do archer resemblances from the movies wear the right and proper archery outfit? The answer is both yes and no. Some of their outfits are good for shooting but there are some components of their outfit that need to be avoided for archery. Shooting competitions like Olympic and other national events even have certain rules regarding the outfit.

What Is The Right Archery Outfit?

In general, an archer outfit should be simple and comfortable to wear. Additionally, there are some rules that the archery outfit needs to follow. Those rules aim to ease archers while shooting and to protect them from any possible incidents. Archers should apply those in any shooting occasions whether in a shooting competition or just casual shooting exercises. The rules include:

1. No gown or any long, flowing and loose outfit

Merida from Brave movie gives a wrong resemblance of an archery outfit. The outfit should be simple and not get in the way of the bow or arrows. This rule is intended to avoid outfit stuck or hinder the shoot. Some competitions even prefer sleeveless tops. Sometimes long sleeves are still allowed as long as the sleeves are fitted to the body.

2. No hair down

Katniss from Hunger Game movie always braids or does her hair every time she goes hunting. This is the correct example for girls during shooting. Loose hair is easy to move by wind or body movements. Hence, there is a big chance for hair to get in the way archer sight while anchoring. Long hair is even possible to get stuck in the arrows.

3. No jewelry and accessories

Especially in the field or outdoor shooting, pieces of jewelry such as necklace and earrings are easy to get tangled in wood branches. Some shiny jewelry might attract wild animals. Therefore pieces of jewelry and accessories are recommended to be left at the locker room or home.

4. Wear shoes

Many archery shooting competitions are serious about this rule. Flip flops, sandals, or other open-toe footwear are not allowed in the competitions. Sports shoes, walking shoes, and even skate shoes are allowed as long as they are covering toes. If archers do not have any shoes, bare feet are welcomed.

5. Hats are allowed under circumstances

Hats have many different shapes. Cowboy, pirates, floppy, or other wide hats are not suggested to wear during archery shooting. The wide brim will impede the bowstring during the aiming process. Flat cap, visor, bycocket hat just like Robin Hood’s hat and other short brim hats are good to wear. Hats can also prevent hair from blocking archers’ sight.