diff --git a/public/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js b/public/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js
index 28deb61463..99fc90164a 100644
--- a/public/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js
+++ b/public/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js
@@ -162,5 +162,10 @@ habitrpg.controller("InventoryCtrl", ['$rootScope', '$scope', 'User', 'API_URL',
       User.set('items.currentMount', (user.items.currentMount == mount) ? '' : mount);
     }
 
+    $scope.equip = function(user, item, costume) {
+      var equipTo = costume ? 'costume' : 'equipped';
+      User.set('items.gear.' +  equipTo + '.' + item.type, item.key);
+    }
+
   }
 ]);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/models/user.js b/src/models/user.js
index d46db203b0..5da8e612d9 100644
--- a/src/models/user.js
+++ b/src/models/user.js
@@ -114,12 +114,18 @@ var UserSchema = new Schema({
           m[v.key]['default'] = true;
       }),
 
-      current: {
+      equipped: {
         weapon: {type: String, 'default': 'weapon_warrior_0'},
         armor: {type: String, 'default': 'armor_warrior_0'},
         head: {type: String, 'default': 'head_warrior_0'},
         shield: {type: String, 'default': 'shield_warrior_0'}
-      }
+      },
+      costume: {
+        weapon: {type: String, 'default': 'weapon_warrior_0'},
+        armor: {type: String, 'default': 'armor_warrior_0'},
+        head: {type: String, 'default': 'head_warrior_0'},
+        shield: {type: String, 'default': 'shield_warrior_0'}
+      },
     },
 
     // -------------- Animals ------------------- 
@@ -209,7 +215,8 @@ var UserSchema = new Schema({
     skin: {type:String, 'default':'white'},
     timezoneOffset: Number,
     language: String,
-    automaticAllocation: Boolean
+    automaticAllocation: Boolean,
+    useCostume: Boolean
   },
   profile: {
     blurb: String,
diff --git a/views/options/inventory/inventory.jade b/views/options/inventory/inventory.jade
index 8547ddfdef..52989257fb 100644
--- a/views/options/inventory/inventory.jade
+++ b/views/options/inventory/inventory.jade
@@ -7,8 +7,16 @@ script(type='text/ng-template', id='partials/options.inventory.inventory.html')
 
         li.customize-menu
           menu.pets-menu(label='Gear')
-            div(ng-repeat='(k,v) in user.items.gear.owned')
-              button.customize-option(popover='{{Items.gear.flat[k].notes}}', popover-title='{{Items.gear.flat[k].text}}', popover-trigger='mouseenter', popover-placement='right', ng-click='equip(v)', class='shop_{{v.key}}')
+            div(ng-repeat='(k,v) in user.items.gear.owned', ng-init='item = Items.gear.flat[k]')
+              button.customize-option(popover='{{item.notes}}', popover-title='{{item.text}}', popover-trigger='mouseenter', popover-placement='right', ng-click='equip(user,item)', class='shop_{{item.key}}')
+        label.checkbox.inline
+          input(type="checkbox", ng-model="user.preferences.costume")
+          | Use Custume 
+          i.icon-question-sign(popover="Show something different on your avatar than the gear you have equipped for battle", popover-trigger='mouseenter', popover-placement='right')
+        li.customize-menu(ng-if='user.preferences.costume')
+          menu.pets-menu(label='Gear')
+            div(ng-repeat='(k,v) in user.items.gear.owned', ng-init='item = Items.gear.flat[k]')
+              button.customize-option(popover='{{item.notes}}', popover-title='{{item.text}}', popover-trigger='mouseenter', popover-placement='right', ng-click='equip(user,item,true)', class='shop_{{item.key}}')
 
         li.customize-menu
           menu.pets-menu(label='Eggs ({{eggCount}})')
diff --git a/views/shared/header/avatar.jade b/views/shared/header/avatar.jade
index e7cc90271b..204dd82ed1 100644
--- a/views/shared/header/avatar.jade
+++ b/views/shared/header/avatar.jade
@@ -8,14 +8,25 @@ figure.herobox(ng-click='spell ? castEnd(profile, "user", $event) : clickMember(
     // Mount Body
     span(ng-if='profile.items.currentMount', class='Mount_Body_{{profile.items.currentMount}}')
 
+    // Avatar
     span(class='skin_{{profile.preferences.skin}}')
-    span(class='{{profile.preferences.size}}_{{profile.items.gear.current.armor}}', ng-show='profile.preferences.showArmor')
+
+    span(class='{{profile.preferences.size}}_{{profile.items.gear.equipped.armor}}', ng-if='!profile.preferences.costume')
+    span(class='{{profile.preferences.size}}_{{profile.items.gear.costume.armor}}', ng-if='profile.preferences.costume')
+
     span(class='head_warrior_0')
     span(class='hair_base_{{profile.preferences.hair.base}}_{{profile.preferences.hair.color}}')
     span(class='hair_bangs_{{profile.preferences.hair.bangs}}_{{profile.preferences.hair.color}}')
-    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.current.head}}', ng-show='profile.preferences.showHelm')
-    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.current.shield}}', ng-show='profile.preferences.showShield')
-    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.current.weapon}}', ng-show='profile.preferences.showWeapon')
+
+    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.equipped.head}}', ng-if='!profile.preferences.costume')
+    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.costume.head}}', ng-if='profile.preferences.costume')
+
+    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.equipped.shield}}', ng-if='!profile.preferences.costume')
+    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.costume.shield}}', ng-if='profile.preferences.costume')
+
+    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.equipped.weapon}}', ng-if='!profile.preferences.costume')
+    span(class='{{profile.items.gear.costume.weapon}}', ng-if='profile.preferences.costume')
+
 
     // Mount Head
     span(ng-if='profile.items.currentMount', class='Mount_Head_{{profile.items.currentMount}}')