Tribalwear

Tribalwear is the only neolithic item of clothing in RimWorld. It covers both the torso and legs, meaning it is worn in place of a shirt and pants.

Acquisition

Tribalwear can be crafted at a Crafting spot, Hand tailor bench, or Electric tailor bench. Each requires 60 Stuff (Leathery/Fabric) and 1,800 ticks (30 secs) of work.

They can also be bought from tribal traders and faction bases, and are commonly found on almost all kinds of tribal raiders.

Analysis

Tribalwear is one of the primary ways to occupy the skin layer. It is the only option for New Tribes to consider. New Arrivals have access to Complex clothing, and can instead create a t-shirt or button-down shirt with pants.

Compared to wearing both a button-down shirt and pants:

Tribalwear has identical armor values, but does not cover cover the neck, shoulders, and arms (which account for roughly 17% of attacks).
Tribalwear has better insulation from cold (55% vs. 46%)
Tribalwear has much better insulation from hot temperatures (55% vs. 18%)
Tribalwear has a lower material cost (60 vs. 85)
Tribalwear has a lower work cost (1,800 ticks (30 secs) vs. 4,300 ticks (1.19 mins))
A t-shirt costs 5 materials less. It has the same armor and roughly the same insulation as a button-down, but doesn't cover the neck or arms.

The differences are quite small in practice. A duster, jacket, or parka is usually sufficient against extreme temperatures - assuming you can create them. Conversely, the actual protection from a tribalwear/shirt is quite minimal when they are made from early game materials. Thus, tribalwear is good before you have access to outerwear or protective textiles, as it is cheaper and more insulating. It is also an overall economical option to avoid extreme temperatures.

Tribalwear can also be used to "upgrade" from a jacket to a duster; depending on the climate, it might be enough to be comfortable outside. The duster protects everything the tribalwear doesn't, and is much more effective than a mere shirt at doing so. Button-downs are superior if you can wear them and a duster comfortably, or if a parka is required regardless of the inner clothing.

Prisoner Clothing

Tribalwear is ideal for prisoners and non-combat slaves since it offers essential bodily coverage, it's cheap, and it offers less protection than other clothing. This ensures that prisoners can be downed more easily in the event of prison breaks or slave rebellions. As prisoners will often only put on the bare minimum clothing to not be considered naked, the increased insulation over other options also helps prevent issues with extreme temperatures that would otherwise require finagling another insulating item on to the prisoner.

You can force prisoners to wear tribalwear by stripping them, and then ensuring there's a stockpile of tribalwear in their cell/barracks. This also has the benefit of removing their armor, which can be smelted or used to your benefit.

Crafting for Trade

Tribalwear has the highest ratio of "materials" / "work to craft" of all clothing: 60 material for 30 work, so 2:1 (the next highest are t-shirt and pants at 1.5:1). Therefore, if you have a large pile of textiles you would sell — to a bulk goods trader or a base — and a good crafter, and you'd like to convert it into high-quality clothing to increase its value before selling it, then turning it into tribalwear is the fastest way. Tribalwear is also relatively value-dense: it's 60 material per item (and therefore per shelf slot), which is somewhat less than the jacket (70 material), duster, cape, and parka (all 80 material); but it's also much lighter at 0.5 kg, compared to the 1.5 kg jacket, 2 kg cape, 2.2 kg duster, and 4 kg parka, making it convenient for caravanning.

Material table

Material	Sharp	Blunt	Heat	Item HP	Insulation - Cold	Insulation - Heat	Market Value
Bearskin Tribalwear	22.4%	4.8%	30%	130	-11 °C (-19.8 °F)	+11 °C (19.8 °F)	210
Birdskin Tribalwear	13.4%	2.8%	30%	100	-5.5 °C (-9.9 °F)	+5.5 °C (9.9 °F)	115
Bluefur Tribalwear	16.2%	4.8%	30%	130	-11 °C (-19.8 °F)	+8.8 °C (15.8 °F)	145
Camelhide Tribalwear	16.2%	4.8%	30%	130	-8.8 °C (-15.8 °F)	+13.2 °C (23.8 °F)	145
Chinchilla fur Tribalwear	13.4%	2.8%	30%	100	-16.5 °C (-29.7 °F)	+8.8 °C (15.8 °F)	395
Dog leather Tribalwear	16.2%	4.8%	30%	130	-7.7 °C (-13.9 °F)	+8.8 °C (15.8 °F)	127
Dread leather Tribalwear	25.4%	4.8%	30%	135	-11 °C (-19.8 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	215
Elephant leather Tribalwear	22.4%	4.8%	30%	150	-7.7 °C (-13.9 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	152
Foxfur Tribalwear	16.2%	4.2%	30%	100	-11 °C (-19.8 °F)	+8.8 °C (15.8 °F)	215
Guinea pig fur Tribalwear	13.4%	2.8%	30%	60	-20.9 °C (-37.6 °F)	+9.9 °C (17.8 °F)	305
Heavy fur Tribalwear	24.8%	4.8%	30%	150	-16.5 °C (-29.7 °F)	+7.7 °C (13.9 °F)	205
Human leather Tribalwear	12.8%	4.8%	30%	130	-6.6 °C (-11.9 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	260
Lightleather Tribalwear	10.8%	2.8%	30%	100	-6.6 °C (-11.9 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	121
Lizardskin Tribalwear	16.2%	5.4%	30%	100	-6.6 °C (-11.9 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	133
Panthera fur Tribalwear	18.6%	4.8%	30%	130	-8.8 °C (-15.8 °F)	+13.2 °C (23.8 °F)	187
Patchleather Tribalwear	9%	3.8%	18%	100	-4.95 °C (-8.9 °F)	+4.95 °C (8.9 °F)	97
Pigskin Tribalwear	12.8%	4.8%	30%	130	-6.6 °C (-11.9 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	121
Plainleather Tribalwear	16.2%	4.8%	30%	130	-8.8 °C (-15.8 °F)	+8.8 °C (15.8 °F)	133
Rhinoceros leather Tribalwear	25.8%	4.8%	30%	150	-7.7 °C (-13.9 °F)	+7.7 °C (13.9 °F)	260
Thrumbofur Tribalwear	41.6%	7.2%	30%	200	-18.7 °C (-33.7 °F)	+12.1 °C (21.8 °F)	845
Wolfskin Tribalwear	20.4%	4.8%	30%	130	-13.2 °C (-23.8 °F)	+8.8 °C (15.8 °F)	187
Alpaca wool Tribalwear	7.2%	0%	22%	100	-16.5 °C (-29.7 °F)	+8.8 °C (15.8 °F)	235
Bison wool Tribalwear	7.2%	0%	22%	100	-14.3 °C (-25.7 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	169
Cloth Tribalwear	7.2%	0%	3.6%	100	-9.9 °C (-17.8 °F)	+9.9 °C (17.8 °F)	97
Devilstrand Tribalwear	28%	7.2%	60%	130	-11 °C (-19.8 °F)	+13.2 °C (23.8 °F)	335
Hyperweave Tribalwear	40%	10.8%	57.6%	240	-14.3 °C (-25.7 °F)	+14.3 °C (25.7 °F)	545
Megasloth wool Tribalwear	16%	0%	22%	100	-18.7 °C (-33.7 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	169
Muffalo wool Tribalwear	7.2%	0%	22%	100	-15.4 °C (-27.7 °F)	+6.6 °C (11.9 °F)	169
Sheep wool Tribalwear	7.2%	0%	22%	100	-14.3 °C (-25.7 °F)	+5.5 °C (9.9 °F)	169
Synthread Tribalwear	18.8%	5.2%	18%	130	-12.1 °C (-21.8 °F)	+12.1 °C (21.8 °F)	245

^{Assuming Normal quality, for the effect of other qualities, see Quality.}

Version history

Alpha 7: -10% work speed, -10% move speed penalties added.
???: -10% work speed, -10% move speed penalties removed.
Beta 19/1.0: colonists can now wear armor vests with tribalwear.

Apparel

Torso | Clothing: Button-down shirt • T-shirt (Kid ) • Tribalwear (Kid )
: Corset • Eltex shirt • Eltex vest • Formal vest • Formal shirt
: Slave collar
: Sash • Kid romper
Armor: Flak vest
Legs | Clothing: Pants (Kid )
Armor: Flak pants
Shell | Clothing: Duster • Jacket • Parka (Kid )
: Cape • Eltex robe • Prestige robe
: Burka • Robe • Slave body strap
: Heavy bandolier
Armor: Flak jacket • Marine armor (Prestige , Grenadier ) • Plate armor • Recon armor (Prestige , Locust , Mechlord ) • Cataphract armor (Prestige , Phoenix )
Head | Clothing: Bowler hat • Cowboy hat • Hood • Psychic foil helmet • Tuque • Tribal headdress • Veil • War mask
: Beret • Coronet • Crown • Eltex helmet • Eltex skullcap • Ladies hat • Stellic crown • Top hat
: Authority cap • Blindfold • Broadwrap • Flophat • Headwrap • Shadecone • Slicecap • Tailcap • Torture crown • Visage mask
: Airwire headset • Array headset • Gas mask • Face mask
: Ceremonial hood
Armor: Flak helmet • Marine helmet (Prestige/Samurai helmet ) • Recon helmet (Prestige , Mechlord ) • Simple helmet (Kid ) • Cataphract helmet (Prestige ) • Gunlink • Integrator headset • Mechcommander helmet