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FAQ - Costuming for Renaissance Faires (v.1.1)
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This is *not* an FAQ on historical costuming, please check the FAQs in
<alt.sewing> or <rec.craft.textiles,> if your questions are in that
area. This FAQ is designed to answer questions about how to dress at
Renaissance faires step by step starting with the first question of a
total newbie. Please feel free to advance to a question that fits your
personal needs.
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FAQ 1. I don't have a costume - I want to make one, can you help me?
ANSWER #1: FANTASY COSTUMES
If you want a fantasy costume (elf, wizard, princess), please see
alt.sewing or rec.arts.sf.fandom for more information. Not all faires
are accepting of fantasy costumes, if this is your choice, I'd sound out
the participants at the faire to see if fantasy is ridiculed at the
faire you plan to attend.
ANSWER #2: PUTTING TOGETHER SOMETHING SIMPLE WITH WHAT'S ALREADY IN YOUR
CLOSET
If your intention is to locate a simple "generic rennish outfit"
suitable for passing at most faires, not seeking any amount of
authenticity, please note: Errol Flynn shirts over tights with leather
belt, hat and sturdy shoes (not tennies, please) will suffice for
attendance at most faires. Participants (the performers or workers at
faire) will "know" that you are a guest, but most other patrons probably
won't. Women can wear the same type of shirt with a flowing skirt, and
try to rig up some kind of bodice (unless the faire is set prior to
1400) The bodice looks like a fitted vest that laces up the front.
Again, please wear sturdy shoes and at least a straw hat. The shoes and
hats are suggested for your health. Also bring water to drink; put it in
ceramic mugs, or metal tankards or goblets for that period look.
ANSWER #3: A MORE AUTHENTIC COSTUME
If you're interested in a more authentic costume, start here. If you've
already done one step, go on to the next.
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STEP 1 - Find out the time period of the faire you plan to attend.
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Many Renaissance Faires are set in specific time periods. These periods
span many hundred of years - check the advertising for references to a
year or monarch that will help you determine the period of time and
country for which you need to plan your costume. The staff of the
faire itself might be the people to ask. Once you have a year or
specific time period, go to the next step.
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STEP 2 - Decide on the class of the character you want to represent.
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This can be complicated, you could (for instance) do research at the
local library to determine an actual person to represent; or it can be
as simple as saying, "I think I'll just be a peasant (or farmer,
alderman, Mary Queen of Scots, etc.)
The word class is a modern definition which basically describes
differing economic levels. The three basic levels are: peasant,
merchant, and nobility. There was some movement within each class level
(a plain butcher eventually becoming an important town official, for
example) But there was .00001% movement from class to class, for all
intents and purposes if you were born into a particular class, you
stayed there.
From a faire point of view, peasants don't have to worry about their
manners (get drunk on ale, roll around in the dirt) and their costumes
are the least expensive to make. The merchant class have better manners
(drink beer, don't get drunk, sit on something, don't roll in the dirt)
and their clothing is nearly as expensive as the upper class - but
usually cooler to wear. The nobility has restrained movement (due
mostly to the weight of the costumes) and manners (drink wine politely,
sit on chairs) and the cost of their clothing can be sky-high: of
course, it's the most beautiful clothing, so make your choice.
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STEP 3 - Discover the kind of clothing worn by your class of character
during the time period of your faire.
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Again, this can be a complicated or simple step depending on the amount
of research you are willing to do. Most faires should be willing to
give you the names of reference books or even copies of patterns to help
you. History of costume books usually concentrate on the fashions of
the nobility for a certain time period. If you wish to be a merchant or
peasant, look at the clothing of the nobles 50 to 100 years before the
time of the faire. It usually took that long for the fashionable look
to filter down to the lower classes. (BTW when I refer to merchant
class, I am speaking to the center of that class - "*not* the great
merchant families - whose clothing inspired the sumptuary laws in the
first place)
(MAJOR HINT - Anyone with money looked like it - today if someone has
money you can usually tell by looking at their car - people used to look
at clothing)
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STEP 4 ab&c - General information on the class you might pick.
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Step 4a - Peasants (reality)
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The medival or renaissance peasant was dirt poor, had little or
no cash income, lived at a basic subsistance level using barter to
obtain the few items he was unable to produce on his own. (A wealthy
peasant is a contradiction in terms, please find another character to
be) A peasant's clothes were worn until they *had* to be replaced. One
piece of clothing was frequently *cut down* (a shirt made from an old
skirt, for example) to make another. Patches were used where needed.
The cloth was usually hand spun, but not woven at home. The peasant
would take his own spun wool/flax to a local weaver and bring home
finished cloth for his wife to turn into clothing for the entire
family. She sewed the clothes using bone needles or *very* dull iron
needles (expensive) and a awl (also expensive).
Any designs on the fabric had to be done by hand (embroidered or
embroidered and applicqued). PRINTED FABRICS DIDN'T EXIST (disclaimer
will follow end of section for those interested) until after the
industrial revolution. Designs painted on fabric became popular for the
upper classes after the English Civil War (the last one that occurred in
the mid 1650's) Leather was a common choice for outer garments because
it was a by-product of food production. Cotton was imported and
expensive.
Knitting for clothing was just coming into vogue. Caps and stockings
were the most commonly knitted items.
The dyes available to peasants were natural, mainly yellow, rust red,
blues, grays and brown. Black, bright red, and purple were very
expensive.
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Peasants (for faires)
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If it LOOKS like it fits into the above image, use it. Rough open
weaves look more handmade to the modern eye. Cotton is cheaper than
linen or leather - call it flax if anybody asks you. Make certain that
a stripe or plaid is the same on both sides. Please avoid knits or
non-natural fibers (the natural fiber has a different glint in sunlight
than the non-natural one, it will breathe better and be more comfortable
on a very hot day - and warmer on a very cold day) Get leather if you
can afford it, but only on outer garments. Leather had too many other
uses (it was the "plastic" of its time) to be used for shirts, skirts or
trows (pants) - the normal peasant didn't own that many cows. Avoid
"bright" or pastel colors; they don't read as natural. Tea or coffee can
be used as a dye to darken an unacceptable color and make it read
correctly.
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Step 4b - Merchant Class (reality)
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The merchant class lived mostly in villages or towns, farmed small plots
and kept small animals for food. They had small cash incomes and could
afford some of the less expensive luxury items. This doesn't refer to
the great merchants - but they were few and far between, and usually
stayed in the great cities. The village merchant usually could afford
to send their children to school (boys went to grammar schools and girls
went to dame schools), particularly after the Protestant reformation
(1540 or so). Shakespeare was the son of a merchant (a butcher) and
only went to grammar school. Their clothes were more substantial and
followed the trends of the nobility as closely as their incomes would
permit. "Sumptuary taxes" (Luxury taxes in modern parlance) on *very*
expensive items, as well as certain laws, prohibited the merchant class
from dressing the same as the nobility. The taxes and restrictions vary
from country to country. For everyday dress, a merchant would most
likely be dressed to perform his job. (i.e. a butcher would have a large
leather apron - a miller would have thick gloves - a blacksmith a huge
hammer). There were provisions in the laws of most countries that people
who engaged in certain employment or special groups of people *had* to
dress
in a certain fashion (for example, Jews and doctors were restricted to
particular types of headgear in most countries)
The wives of merchants had more freedom than most other women of these
times. They could usually read and write, they had authority over all
apprentices and servants in their household, some learned their
husbands' trade in order to work by his side. There are records in
England that many a widow of a merchant ran her late husband's business;
some widows were even accepted into the late husband's guild. Because
of this the wife of a merchant had more freedom to dress in a
fashionable style of clothing. An extremely successful merchant might
have a "good" outfit to be worn at special ocassions. The most
successful merchants *might* have become town alderman (English term)
and might have entered into the local governing of their town or even
parliament (or its continental equivalent) But the restrictions on
jewels, metallic trims, certain fabrics or colors were universal on the
garments of the merchant class throughout Europe. (The restricted
colors and fabrics changed from country to country; research would be
necessary to determine what was allowed where and when.) By the end of
the renaissance, after the protestant reformation, the color of garments
also proclaimed the religious reference of the wearer. Natural subdued
tones were used by the Protestants. By the time of Charles I (of
England) black was the color of choice for protestants because one, it
showed their religious preference and two, it was expensive and
displayed that their God had favored their choice of religion with
fiscal blessings. The "great" merchants generally paid the fines
involved and wore what the nobility did, where the law didn't outlaw it
altogether.
Jewels and jewelry would be used in limited amounts, after all, if the
nobility knew you had it, they would tax it. If you had coin enough for
jewelry you would have it melted down and made into spoons or plate -
usable until you needed to melt it back into currency. That's why
silver and gold smiths were so important, they were the bankers of their
time. Even the nobility did this.
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Merchant class (for faire)
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It would be difficult to determine what any individual faire would
accept as merchant class, but generally they "ought" to accept basic
noble patterns with fabric changes. Again, a cotton weave could be
substituted for a linen or wool - observing the same qualifications
against non-natural fabics as were outlined for the peasants. A heavier
"look" would be appropriate as the merchant class could afford
professionally made fabric from professionally spun fibers. (not the
rough homespun fibers of the peasants) intricate weaves would be
appropriate also (corduroy, twill, tweeds etc.) There was a possibility
that a tailor would have made the garments.
Trimmings and ribbons would have to be appropriate to the income level
of the character. Anyone with pretensions would avoid looking like a
peasant, which means that every garment would be decorated with at least
ruching (strips of cloth gathered and then sewn on), or strips of cloth
sewn on as ribbons. If you have time, embroidered or beribboned trim
would be appropriate. Avoid the color co-ordinated look unless you can
justify your character having the money to afford it. And please avoid
color co-ordinating with someone else in your group. (A couple in
matching outfits, no matter how well made, screams modern
interpretation).
Apprentices were well known for trying to dress above their station.
As a general rule, most faires don't object to merchants wearing jewelry
especially if the jewelry worn is available for purchase on the faire
site - free advertising. Avoid attaching jewels directly on your
garments - avoid all gems except in their natural state, or rounded and
smooth. Some gems and metals that are common and cheap today were rare
in Renaissance Europe (amethyst and aluminum, for example).
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Step 4c- nobility (reality)
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During the renaissance period, clothes *were* the man (or woman). A
poor nobleman would leave all of his debts unpaid, rather then run the
risk of being dressed poorly (particularly if he had access to the
court). If a nobleman were too poor to afford jewels on his clothing, he
bought false jewels and used those. Appearance was *everything* (Queen
Elizabeth I's records indicate that *she* paid a penny each for false
pearls). The nobility's appearance was calculated to strike awe into
the hearts of the common people and to emphasise their superiority over
the masses. Items subject to sumptuary taxes were the items of choice
for clothing for nobility. (The items taxed changed from country to
country depending on local availability; generally, imported luxury
items were heavily taxed). In many cases, the nobility didn't have to
pay the sumptuary taxes, they were exempted. The bigger, fancier the
outfit, the bigger, fancier the sword, the more money it cost, the more
important it was to the noble to wear. (Again, equate the clothes with
today's attitude towards cars. A nobleman wore his Ferrari on his back
(many a nobleman's sleeve represented an entire year's income for 10 to
20 villages.)
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Nobility (faire)
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The most difficult part of dressing noble is (a) affording the fabric
and trim and (b) finding ways of looking period, without dying of the
heat. Most European court dress was designed to provide warmth, because
the buildings didn't. If you plan on dressing in noble garb - please
check with the "court" of the faire you plan to attend. For theatrical
reasons, the faire might wish you to avoid many colors or styles. This
even has historical precedent - Queen Elizabeth I forced her
ladies-in-waiting to wear silver and white so that QEI would look more
fantastic in comparision. Nearly all costume books concentrate on the
look of the nobility. Generally, the more trim the better, but that
depends greatly on the time period of the faire.
Cotton velveteen is cheaper than silk velvet. Pin wale corduroy gives
the appearance of velvet from a distance, but not close up. *Very* thin
(transparent) materials were available to be used as veils. Many period
garments used cheaper fabric underneath, and expensive material where it
could be seen, so do the same thing. Older garments were frequently
taken apart and the fabric re-used whenever possible.
Gold and silver trims frequently made many appearances on different
outfits.
Generally leather was reserved for outdoor garments. Complete outfits
of leather (for men) were usually hunting outfits, great idea for an
outdoor faire, but remember that leather was also available to the
peasants and merchants, so if leather were worn by the upper classes it
was slashed (to show the expensive fabric underneath), decorated, or
ornamented to diguise the fact that it was leather.
It's also frequently worth going to look at drapery/interior design
fabric - it's usually heavier, and more likely to have appropriate
patterns (especially for nobility) Don't get the rubberized kind,
though.
A cotton batiste is usually light and fine enough to pass for good
linen. Remember that using lots of different fabric was another way of
showing how rich you were.
Disclaimer on printed and painted fabrics - these were available from
the orient - usually silk - woodblock printing - painting also on silk -
limited to the upper reaches of society and also limited to certain
areas at certain times. The Turks and Portugese controlled the silk
trade at various times during the renaissance - making it unavailable
for the lower orders - embroidery is by far the most common form of
decorated fabric during this 1000 year period, to the extent that some
European museums don't even *have* examples of printed or painted fabric
from this period in their collections.
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STEP 5 - What accessories would you recommend?
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BELTS - leather w/plain simple buckles - unless you are upper class -
then you will have to research the proper belt for your costume and
period. Tandy leather sells good strong, long belts and simple buckles
for under $15.00. You will use your belt to hang your other accessories
around your waist.
POUCHES - also called purses. Common in the lower orders. The nobility
had pages, squires or servants who followed tham around and carried the
money. When a noble wanted something, the item was either delivered to
the noble's abode, at which time the merchant was paid, or the noble
told his/her servant to pay the merchant for the item. Hence, most
nobles didn't bother carrying money or keys, their servants did it for
them. However, the lower classes who needed to carry things around with
them often put them into pouches and hung them from their belts.
Pouches could be made from leather or cloth. (they are ideal for hiding
modern necessities from the prying eyes of the public) In England, the
pouch was generally called a pocket. During the early Tudor period
sailors discovered that pockets hanging from their belts could be
dangerous when climbing the rigging, so they had their "pockets" sewn
into their clothing.
WARNING: cut-purses (the pickpockets of their day) are still to be
found at faires. Keep your pouches close to your belt. Women
eventually carried a pouch under their upper skirt and had a slit put
into the upper skirt so that they could reach it - this and the ideas of
the sailors eventually led to internal pockets on clothing.
KEYS were a symbol of power - and they were carried proudly. Usually
hung on a ring and then hung from the belt - The key meant that the
wearer was trusted by their masters (so the upper class did not wear
them, unless they were the servant to a superior ranked person) Many a
merchant's wife was trusted with the keys to the strongbox and she would
have declared this trust by wearing the keys visibly. The "skeleton"
key, the ones with a hole at the end are the most authentic, they had
holes in the tip because of the way locks were made during the
renaissance.
HATS - Keep your head covered - In England, there was a law (though it
was
rarely enforced) that on Sundays everyone had to wear a wool hat to
encourage growth in the wool trade. Generally, people were in the habit
of keeping their heads covered; it was thought to be healthy to keep the
head warm. It was also considered unseemly for a woman to have an
uncovered head. Braided hair could hang out from under a cap, but it
never hung loose, and most mature and respectable women wore theirs up.
KNIVES - Most people carried a knife of some sort, both for defense and
for eating. There are any number of merchants at faires that sell
knives that are appropriate to the period. Make sure it can hang from a
belt and be peace-bonded.
DRINKING VESSELS - During the entire renaissance millenium drinking and
eating vessels were shared by people of all ranks. Only the highest of
the high (the king and perhaps the queen) had separate vessels. In
fact, drinking vessels of the period were often made with two or three
handles to facilitate use by the entire group. The wooden plate of the
day - a trencher - was a flat piece of wood with a large piece of bread
placed on it to catch the juices and was shared by trenchermates.
Because of modern knowledge about disease, separate drinking and eating
vessels for each person are encouraged. Pottery would have been the
most common material, followed by wood, then leather and then metal. If
you can find a leather or wooden mug, they're by far the best choice.
Pottery tends to break easily, and metal gets really hot or cold. A
deep wooden bowl with a handle can serve as both a drinking and eating
vessel. All of these items could be found at SCA events, faires, thrift
stores or Pier One Import Stores, look around.
A SCARF - or an apron-like piece of cloth just hung over the belt. Make
sure it follows the costuming guildlines. (No cowboy bandanas, please)
Use it for wiping your face, or cleaning your eating and drinking
vessels. Very practical, looks period.
A PRAYERBOOK or BIBLE - Any book can be covered with leather and called
a bible or a prayerbook - that is if you feel the need to bring a book
to faire.
ROSARIES - If your faire takes place in a catholic country, or if you
play a catholic character you would definitely have a rosary. If you
are in a protestant country, chances are you would have a cross. A
catholic character in a protestant country would likely have a rosary,
but keep it hidden. The protestant reformation started in the early
1500's (1517 to be exact) and was most heavily felt in the northern
parts of Europe particularly, many German States, the low countries,
northern France, Scotland and England.
CLOAKS - the lower classes oftern wore cloaks or capes that were really
nothing more than a blanket-shaped piece of material pinned at one
shoulder, leaving one side open and the other side of the body
completely covered. This was less common in the later renaissance, but
during the earlier periods (600 - 1100) even the nobility wore this type
of cloak. The pin reflected the class of the wearer, the lowest class
tied it closed.
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STEP 6 - Finding information about the costume you want to make.
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Short answer - SCA - Library - College costuming classes
For more information read the sections below:
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SCA
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A good source for costuming information is the SCA, Society for Creative
Anachronism. The avowed purpose of the SCA is the study and recreation
of "the parts of the European Middle Ages that appeal to us" -- its
crafts, sciences, arts, traditions, literature, etc. (leaving out such
things as plagues and religious persecutions...) The SCA "period" is
defined to be 600 AD to 1600 AD, concentrating on the Western European
High Middle Ages. Some members extend the period from 450 AD to about
1650 AD.
Most members of the SCA make and wear period costumes. Furthermore,
most Kingdoms have active costumers guilds. The SCA also hosts collegia
(classes) on all aspects of the historical period, including costume.
You can find SCA members in the newsgroup <rec.org.sca>. If you post
there, be sure to mention your city and state so that those who respond
can suggest local SCA groups and sources. If you wish to contact the SCA
national headquarters you can write to:
The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. Office of the
Registry
P.O. Box 360743 Milpitas, CA 95036-0743
Publications of the Society from the national office include "The Known
World Handbook" and "The Complete Anachronist". The Handbook is a
general information book about all aspects of the Society's activities.
It has a few sections on costume, and has some patterns drawn on a graph
paper grid that can be enlarged. The Anachronist is a series of
pamphlets on a single subject each. The national newsletter,
Tournaments Illuminated, has occasional articles on specific aspects of
costume.
Note: The third edition of The Knowne Worlde Handboke is available as of
January 1994 for $15. Membership in the SCA includes a subscription to
Tournaments Illuminated.
There are two documents that make a good introduction to the SCA in
general: "Come on in -- the water's fine" (by Hal Ravn
<whheydt@pacbell.com> ) and "Life in the Current Middle Ages." (by Arval
Benicour <mittle@panix.com> )
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Mail lists via internet:
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HISTORIC COSTUME MAILING LIST
Contact: send a message to majordomo@world.std.com with 'subscribe
h-costume your-first-name your-last-name' in the body.
Purpose: This list concentrates on recreating period clothing,
from the Bronze age to the mid-20th Century. Its emphasis is
on accurate historical reproduction of clothing, historical
techniques for garment construction, and the application of
those techniques in modern clothing design. Other topics
appropriate for discussion include adapting historical
clothing for the modern figure, clothing evolution, t
heatrical costumes, patterns, materials, books, and
sources for supplies.
COSTUMERS GUILD
Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild ("Dreamers of Decadence")
5214-F Diamond Heights, Suite 320
San Francisco, CA 94131
415/974-9333 (VoiceMail)
Membership: $20/year (includes ICG membership)
Subscription to monthly newsletter: $10/year
Helpful people - full of information
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STEP 7 - Where can I find sources of historical costuming patterns
and supplies, or books that would help me?
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Look in the Suppliers-FAQ listed separately.
Compiled by Gaylene Keene-Bartlett who is responsible for its content,
and who got help and comments from many people including Lara Allen and
her FAQ for the rec.crafts.textile.* newsgroups, Anneli, Rose, Georgia,
Judy and last, but not least, Cat Okita.
write to gaylene@netcom.com with comments, additions or corrections
©©©©©©©©©© Copyright 1995 Gaylene Keene-Bartlett ©©©©©©©©©©©
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