Renaissance style clothing

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  • going to Texas Ren Fair and need some good ideas about what to put together for an outfit or outfits. I'm very craft friendly but am working on a bit of a budget for this year, but would also love ideas for long term as well as there is another one in March-ish and next years TRF.

  • I have a few ideas! I'll try to put links to images c:
    1: Faun/Satyr - half goat half human
    2: Three piece wench - This includes a corset, something to go under it (those shirts a wench would wear underneath her corset, no idea what its called...) and the skirt.
    3: Simple woodland elf - same shirt the wench would wear, a belt around your waist, some natural color pants, and your ears! Also, old, fantasy looking jewelry!

    1: [url]http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/013/6/7/Afternoon_of_the_Faun_by_TheLadyNerd.jpg[/url]

    2: [url]http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=65308829[/url]

    Cant find anything for three :(

  • Many pattern companies have Renaissance patterns, especially now since Halloween is coming up. If there's a Joann's or Hancock near you, wait until they have patterns on sale for 1 or 2 dollars each. (Which is every few weeks, lol.)

    What you wear also depends what you're going for. What time period of the Renaissance? Do you want to dress as a man or a woman? A commoner or royalty/nobility? What occupation? (A blacksmith will dress differently than a soldier, a milkmaid will dress differently than a prostitute. Even a lord/lady will dress a little differently than a prince/princess.)

  • The fad has died down but the Mary of Hungary gown is a super friendly easy to adjust to any figure and easy to adapt to a range of styles, works with plain or patterned fabrics:
    [url]http://www.virtue.to/guest_authors/hungarian.html[/url]

    It's more bang for buck than any other style as you get a really huge hem with only four drops of fabric (waist to hem, time four for each quarter), very little sewing (only the hem and CF and CB seam if you have full width fabric) and generally possible to hand sew. The sleeves and bodice can be made from the scraps of off cuts from the skirt.
    it's time like this I wish my old site was still up, but wordpress is great for somethings, not for backing up a gallery of thumbnails to original files...)

    So hooray for wikicommons? [url]http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Portraits_by_Lucas_Cranach_(I[/url])
    The gown is easily adapted in to the Saxon or Swiss styles as well :) And you'll see a lot of Landsknecht costumes at faire :)

  • Also there is the other gambit of Renn Garb that being of the Germanic Tribes, The Scots so going for that loo is fun mainly allot of leather work but if you can hand sew then you should have no problem making a few different costumes. Don't forget the Renn period was just part of a larger period of time that went from basically 6th Century AD to the middle 15 Century AD.

    I personally o Scottish Warriors from 800-100 AD, but it's up to you do some research on what you want to do. See if there is a Dagorhir Group or Amtgard Group in your area or a SCA chapter they can help you out on costume styles and construction

  • I love camping on site and I'm not a stickler for historical accuracy so I have my standard wench garb for faire. It includes the standard wench shirt, a bodice that is reversable, and skirts. I started out with Simplicity 9966 ([url]http://sewing.patternreview.com/Patterns/2450)[/url], and have modified it so that the bodice only laces on the two sides, have made it reversable, made the shirt without the huge ruffle at the wrist, and totaly made my own skirt pattern because the skirt in this pattern isn't full enough for me. Basically if it weren't for the bodice, you wouldn't know I used the pattern at all.

    I constantly am keeping an eye out for cheap fabric. My last big conquest was a cheap cotton plaid at $1.50 a yard at Wally World. I also suggest hitting the upholstery fabric area for bodice construction. I don't want any stretch in my bodice fabric, and the heavier weight gives you that extra umph that you are going to need after a full day at faire and then drum circle. I can usually find something inexpensive in the remnant pile.

    I don't know what your long term goals are but if you are looking to be historically accurate, (HA), the best thing you can do is to save up some money and get a nice linen fabric at the proper weight to make a shift. I love looking at this site ([url]http://www.elizabethancostume.net/[/url]) when I start toying with the idea of going HA. I've done this one ([url]http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/blog/your-first-garb-the-chemise.html[/url]) and love that they even suggest a HA fabric. It's not really Ren but it's easy to make and seeing how you will see Storm Troopers and Dr. Who at TRF, you're safe. Oh and don't forget to check on what theme will be going on the weekend you attend! : )

  • i like a lot of the suggestions. i get hot easy so i might hold back on some of the heavy costumes. i made a couple full skirts for first weekend and got my hands on a corset (to big on me sadly) my next concern is pirate weekend as im just camping till then. i have a body wrap for the top and thinking one of my skirts may pass but unsure what else

  • Warning this is gonna be long so read at your own risk. I know it's last minute seeing how pirate weekend is literally a day or two away, but here is what I do.

    [url]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7519/15656036221_2e3446a34a.jpg[/url]

    Ok so in this upside down poorly lit pic, (sorry 'bout that), I have on the left two skirts, the one that looks black is actually a blue and green plaid cotton blend that was $1 a yard at Walmart and a solid grey cotton blend that was also $1 a yard. Both are extremely light weight and layer well. In the center are my standard muslin poufy shirt and reversable bodice. On the left is a pair of teal pantaloons that are some sort of cotton crepe material.

    [url]https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8640/15656074471_5ba16c8a1a.jpg[/url]

    These are some of my accessories, and a furry friend. Again sorry about the poor quality of the pic, just can't get the lighting right. Going clockwise from the white cresent shaped thing which is called a bum roll. I have a scarf from Target, a hunter green leather hat, a pair of red and black striped hose, a red and white striped long rectangular piece of fabric with chain mail on top of that and a purple belly dancer scarf. In the center is my black uber long leather belt, and ribbons I use to lace my bodice. I change out the color of my lacings to go with my outfits.

    Here is how I play pirate... I put on the striped hose with the teal pantaloons and wear my mid calf black granny boots. I combine the muslin shirt, grey bodice and grey skirt. Over the bodice I tie the red and white striped fabric, knot it, and then put the black belt over that. I pull the grey skirt up through the belt. I don't have a pirate hat yet, (I have borrowed one from a friend a time or two), but in the past I have used the same red and white striped fabric to tie a scarf around my head. It's very colorful, but you could go with darker colors. You could do without the hose seeing how you get hot, and sub out socks, but do go with some sort of boot.

    I go with the plaid skirt and hunter green leather cap for celtic weekend. I reverse the bodice to the flowered side, wear a feather hair wreath, and a brown skirt I made out of a square of velvet burnout fabric that is midi length when I want a more fairy/hippy look. On those days I go bare legged with flip flops. I also will use the grey side of the bodice with the teal pantaloons, tie the purple belly dancer scarf around my waist and will get a belly dancer/gypsy vibe. On days I'm feeling more like a lady, bodice, skirts, (no hitching), the bum roll, a scarf to cover my hair, (girl with a pearl earring style), and a little basket over my arm because I am going to market after all.

    You can literally do thousands of things with just a few skirts, one top, a reversable bodice or two, and accessories. I go with flamboyant color combos, but you can tone down your pirate by changing to darker more traditional colors like going with maroon pantaloons, black and grey scarves, etc. I can tell you that you will do best with something that is easy to wash, throw in the duffel bag and go if you are anything like me. I am happiest at being a wench, looking for my next cup of mead and meeting new people.