Newbie

[rah3214]

just getting into fairs, i made a costume and it turned out great. i want to make more.
what colors are right for men? i found a large piece of brocade fabric but it is rose colored and im afraid i'll look like a pink pirate so i may save it for something else

[isabelladangelo]

I know we have a whole thread on pink somewhere.  Men did wear pink, a lot of it.  The idea of colors being restricted to only male or female is somewhat of an Edwardian notion (which is when the pink for girls idea came into being).  Color was restricted by class, not by sex.   Men wore pink.  Women wore blue -there is some evidence that blue was considered to be a "women's" color due to it's association with the Virgin Mary but men wore it quite readily too; also possibly in honor of the Virgin. 

What I'd be far more concerned on is what is the brocade made out of?   Acetate, polyester, and nylon are all fabrics that are common in most brocades you get at Joanns but can be downright dangerous to wear -from being a fire hazard to the inability of the fabric to breathe.   Now, that's not to say not to wear them, but just to acknowledge what you are wearing so you can be careful.

Always wear a natural fabric (linen or cotton, preferably) next to your skin.   This is simply because most faires are HOT and you want your body to cool itself off naturally.  Wearing a plastic bag (acetate, polyester, ect) right next to your skin will only cause you to go into heat exhaustion.   It's really best to avoid the synthetic materials as much as possible but you can use them is you know what you are doing and drink lots of water.

It use to be at certain events I attend, that the emergency/emt folks would point out who is likely to fall by the end of the day.   Most of the time, the people that did fall victim to the heat were the ones not wearing natural fibers.  You'd almost never see an Elizabethan lady with heat exhaustion, despite them being at the Faire, but you'd almost always see one of the belly bunnies -because many of the belly dancing outfits are made from nylon and polyester.  The Elizabethan ones are typically cotton, linen, and/or tropical weight wool.

[operafantomet]

just getting into fairs, i made a costume and it turned out great. i want to make more.
what colors are right for men? i found a large piece of brocade fabric but it is rose colored and im afraid i'll look like a pink pirate so i may save it for something else

Period men had a different idea of colours than what we have today. Reason being this:

Colours were usually not called by how they looked, but by what substance were used to dye them. A colour name like kermes (chermisi) can mean both bright pink, blood red and even purplish red. The more intense the colour was, the more expensive it was. The first fabrics to go into the dye got these deep jewel colours which was much sought after, while the fabrics that went last in got paler (sometimes even pastel like) nuances. These were inexpensive.

In period bright pink would be considered red, and worn by both men and women. There are some good examples in this thread, as well as a general discussion about pink, plus a super yummy portrait:
http://www.renaissancefestival.com/forums/index.php?topic=10760.0
http://realmofvenus.renaissanceitaly.net/wardrobe/men/MoroniGentlemanPink.jpg

That is not to say the modern view is a bit different. We today consider pink a colour for girls, and blue a colour for boys. Like Isabella pointed out, that is a modern phenomenon which definitely not applies to to fashion before the 19th century. But most important still is how YOU feel about it. Would you wear pink brocade with pride? If so, go for it. I think men looks awesome in "period pink", and would like to push you into it. But if you're not quite up for it yourself, there's no point. Rule number one is to make something you like and would want to wear!

[rah3214]

Thanks for the imput, im not sure what the fabric i have is made of, it looks silky but i will have to check, most likely i will only be wearing it from time to time since i will be selling and it would be a bit dressy it think for a merchant to wear a doublet (not sure on that either, got a lot to learn) i do think the pink with black or brown hat and pants would look good.

[isabelladangelo]

Actually, everyone wore a doublet (I think a few ere found in the Mary Rose dig) - it's the fabrics that make the class distinction.  If you are merchant class, you can get away with some really wild colors and fabrics.  You would wear a doublet -most likely wool or silk- but it could be in a wild color or otherwise exaggerated in appearance, if you want. 

[gem]

You could always post a picture of the fabric and let us help you decide!

[DonaCatalina]

just getting into fairs, i made a costume and it turned out great. i want to make more.
what colors are right for men? i found a large piece of brocade fabric but it is rose colored and im afraid i'll look like a pink pirate so i may save it for something else

I think the Pink Pirate is rather dashing myself. But I understand wanting your own look. Master James and Lord Paulet are both men on this forum who sew their own garb.
I believe Lord Paulet favors pinks and greens; but wear whatever color your are comfortable in.
The only importasnt piece of advice you need to start is be aware that synthetic fabrics make for really, really hot garb so check the fabric content.

[rah3214]

Thanks ,
Ill try an post a picture, i didnt know there was someone called the pink pirate, i sure dont want to step on toes, learing a lot

[DonaCatalina]

Thanks ,
Ill try an post a picture, i didnt know there was someone called the pink pirate, i sure dont want to step on toes, learing a lot

Well, his actual name is Jean Flamingo. lol.
Looking forward to seeing pics.

[Rosamundi]

Hello and welcome! I'm sort of "into" pink right now, so I'm all for it.  Right now I'm planning outfits that feature pink/grey, pink/black, and pink/green. So I would love to see a pic of your fabric too!