Renaissance Faire costuming

[firrantello]

Ok, I'll come out of the dark... I'm a rennie at heart biggrin
So here's a question: How many of you go in garb? If so, do you make your stuff, buy it, do a combination... what?
I love talking about garb, so hit me with your best shot *starts humming that tune*


Oh yeah, another question if you do make/buy garb... are you a stickler for historically accurate period dress or do you let stuff slip by?  

[midara the happy banshee]

I'm a total rennie too. blaugh I always go in garb, and I'm a total stickler for historical accuracy, even though some of the less accurate costuming is sometimes prettier. The place I always buy my stuff is http://www.sofisstitches.com/ . The garb is accurate and really well made.  

[spacekitten]

Yay a fellow Faire-goer! My fiance and his family and friends have a Ren. Faire Wardrobe. And I know for a fact its a complete, well-used wardrobe, I mended and cleaned the whole thing last summer stressed

My current costume involves a handmade corset (which I made MYSELF kthx), a purchased tiered skirt (which I didn't purchace for the sake of my costume but it worked its way in there), boots, a wand (with sheath!), and a walking staff (high heel boots are a b*tch). I tend to go for the fantasy/mage/witch angle, I guess b/c I'm trying to stand out from my usual crowd of hunters, crusadors, celtic wenches, and pirates. Oh, but occasionally I'll dress in the "Black Queen" outfit my fiance's mother made (black brocade dress w/ hoop skirt and long belled sleeves).

As far as historically accurate, well, no one but the actors at my local faire are accurate. Ours is currently in Elizabethan Times, almost EVERYONE runs around with a tail or wings on, and my fiance dresses as a Paladin/Crusador (14th century, NOT Ellizabethan in the slightest), so, yeah, not historically accurate.  

[LadyAnubis]

crying I've never been to the faire, though I've always wanted to go. I would like to try my hand at the costumes, but I hate to sew (the exception being the kimono I made).  

[anneadeline]

I remember going when I was younger, but I haven't been for a while.
I really want to get some Ren. Faire clothes though! I was thinking of sewing my own, though I would need a little help with it.
Do any of you know good patterns?  

[firrantello]

If you're not worried about being historically accurate, go to a store that sells patterns and check in the Halloween costume pattern section. There's usually some stuff that'll work. I can't remember the pattern numbers or anything, but my skirts are made from a Scottish kilt/skirt pattern and I think my chemise is from the same as well, but I can't remember.  

[Lychee Fruit]

My family stopped going to the Ren aire's when too many women in their late 40s started walking around in nothing but loose chain mail underwear. It disturbed my nine-year old mind greatly. stare When I started college we went to one or two, but the naked people were still everywhere. I was mature enough not to make loud comments... when my mother could hear. (>D)

My sister is very fond of SCA events, so she makes a lot of garb for those. She's obsessed with historical accuracy, and buys really heavy drapery fabric for a lot of the dresses she makes. Usually after one or two events, she'll sell her latest dress or give it to a friend and make herself a new one (when I lived with her, she'd keep me up at all hours of the day embroidering over eyelets. ~_~) I hope someday she'll teach me her uber magical sewing secrets! *,*  

[Lee Kushrenada]

last year a friend and I went, we went in cowboy boots, jenes, and clloak's we made from blankets. redface xp
come to think of it, that's kind of what sarted me sowing and such, I wanted to go the next year in cool stuff I made.
the next one is in June, so I'll have to start working on some stuff for that soon, mrgreen now that I know I can.  

[kamiyra]

*waves* Casual Rennie. I always go in garb, but I always sport peasant garb, which luckily isn't too picky, since it was simple and in whatever colors, cut, and styles worked best for the ones wearing it. I usually buy my bodices, but I make my shirts and skirts. I'm actually due to make some new garb, because I've been using my mum's old peasant top from when she was a teenager after my old shirt went missing. ^^;;; I might even have a picture floating around somewhere.

With peasant garb, the important thing is that the skirt starts up beneath the bodice, so you can't see the waist, and continues down to your feet. And your colors don't necessarily have to match very well, but they shouldn't be too vivid, so no purples or good solid reds, because practically no one had access to those colors. I usually make my shirts out of muslin or linen. 3nodding Most people who go to RennFaire don't care much about accuracy, as long as you're not appalling (the costume nazis were shot down for the most part back in the 90s, at least at mine), as shown by the cretins in Conan type outfits. xp

Definitely, making your own with some costuming patterns you like is the cheapest way to go, and buying at Faire is the worst thing you can do, because it's so expensive. Best thing to do if you don't want to make them is hunt up someone who makes them for SCA, because they tend to be pretty fairly priced, overall.  

[enlith]

I always go in something fun, though not always garb and certainly not always accurate. I borrow Firrantello's skirts from time to time when I'm trying to approximate accuracy. I heart faires. And I've never been to one where people walked around nude or in chain mail and nothing else. Though I have seen women who need to think of something better to put under their corsets/consider a different style of corset.  

[firrantello]

enlith

I always go in something fun, though not always garb and certainly not always accurate. I borrow Firrantello's skirts from time to time when I'm trying to approximate accuracy. I heart faires. And I've never been to one where people walked around nude or in chain mail and nothing else. Though I have seen women who need to think of something better to put under their corsets/consider a different style of corset.

pfft, my skirts are totally not accurate biggrin
you haven't been to NCRF halloween fest. not this year but next, after i can legally drink, we should go. or wait one more year and then take alex. lol.  

[jbeth]

I love going to renfest and watching everyone in costume. *_* they're so neat! I've never worn a costume there, but I've had friends who did. one of them runs a business (www.maidmarians.com) now where you can order some gorgeous dresses to wear to renfest. I really want some of those wings. x_X  

[Lee Kushrenada]

so guess what... I'm going to one for my 18 birthday!
the one over here is on the 3ed and my B-day is one the 2 so I though why not.  

[kochi~mochi]

I've always -wanted- to go, i'd probably go muchly the same way the kami does. 3nodding She's my sister and can help me make that, for one thing.  

[Padmasana]

I'm a casual rennie myself...I'm part of a LARP (Dagorhir Battlegames), so we're a little more relaxed about costuming requirements. For whoever was asking about period patterns, I've seen some nice-looking ones on www.renstore.com ; they have Middle Eastern patterns as well as European ones.

Some of my stuff is made, but most of it is purchased....some friends have a knack for picking up stuff at thrift stores that are "almost" period looking and altering them until they are.