catholic cardinal

[Master James]

All right the guantlet has been thrown!  I'm going to have to find a good one!

[CapnFayeCutler]

*snicker* I've got mine! Now to just make it happen!

[ItsTheBishop]

Cardinals actually don't wear cassocks. Cardinals and bishops wear the simar, which is like a cassock but with a shoulder cape. Since we're working in a time period before Paul VI's reforms, your simar should have double sleeves.

Is your Cardinal going to be English or Continental? For headwear, you'll want to consider either a Roman Biretta, a zuchetto, or a Canterbury cap (I'm not sure it's HA for cardinals to wear these, even in England).

The cape worn with the simar is called a ferraiolo. However, you should be able to get away with any cape pattern.

I don't remember if your shoes were required to have buckles, but you'll probably want to invest in red socks. I have a contact at a very traditional ecclesiastical tailor in Rome who still sells these for about 12 Euro per pair.

[operafantomet]

Cardinals actually don't wear cassocks. Cardinals and bishops wear the simar, which is like a cassock but with a shoulder cape. Since we're working in a time period before Paul VI's reforms, your simar should have double sleeves.

They wear both, depending on the situation. The simar is usually worn for formal, non-liturgical purposes, and has a shoulder cape without buttons. It's very often what the pope is depicted in.

The cassock can also have a shoulder cape, but it has buttons in front, and the outfit is reserved for liturgical purposes. You can also wear it without this cape, unlike to the simar.

SIMAR: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Simar_Gamarelli_20050412.jpg
CASSOCK: http://www.nd.edu/~ndethics/about/images/cardinal.jpg

(latter picture also shows the white surplus with laces, plus the biretta hat, as Richelieu was depicted with:
http://www.philippedechampaigne.org/Cardinal-Richelieu-(1585-1642)-1636.jpg
)

[ItsTheBishop]

You're correct. The cassock isn't generally worn outside of liturgical occasions, however. IMO, at a ren faire, you're better off with the simar versus the cassock.

The ranks of the episcopate generally only wear the cassock in choir dress and it's usually combined with a rochet (maybe a surplice post V-II) and a mozzetta along with the pectoral cross on a liturgical cord.

At a ren faire, the most correct garb to wear would be the simar, provided you're not at a stage where you're fulfilling a liturgical role of some sort. The simar is the sort of thing you'd wear if you were walking around, sitting in an office, etc.

It's entirely possible that in the Tudor era, a Cardinal might get away with wearing all red like the picture of Peter O'Toole. One of the privileges of Cardinals was to dress like the Pope, at least until the Pope started wearing white.

There are also some odd rules about wearing the stole when traveling. One of the earlier Popes created quite a ruckus by leaving Rome without his stole and traditional red  shoes, but I don't remember if that rule also applied to bishops or when it stopped being common.

Edit:

Also, Cardinal George is wearing choir dress. Cross on cord, mozzetta, what should be a rochet but might be a surplice, cassock, and biretta. You'd wear that garb if you were attending a liturgical function that was not eucharistic or if you  weren't a celebrant at a eucharist.

[ItsTheBishop]

You're probably better off just ordering the attire from somewhere like C.M. Almy or Gammareli. Depending on how authentic you want to go, it could cost you anywhere from $300-$3000.

Otherwise, just find a pattern for a cassock, or matrix style robe and trim it with scarlet piping.

[BLAKDUKE]

Now I may be off the wall here, but potraying a Catholic Cardinal in Protestant England could have some dire consequences.

Now they can be played with, but keep in mind according to Catholics at the time QE I was a heretic, so a Catholic Cardinal would be walking a severe tight rope at court.