Garb vs Costume

[Sir Michael Geare]

I have a general question.  All of us who have worked faire have heard our clothing referred to by many different names.  The most common is "Garb".  My guild/group considers the word "Garb" a four letter word.  We prefer the calling our faire clothing outfits which they actually are.  I personally don't like to call them costumes because that usually describes the things patrons wear who come into the gate.

Does anyone else have any thoughts or pet peeves about this?  Just wondering.

[Captain Teague]

garb/gärb/
Verb: Dress in distinctive clothes: "garbed in shawls".
Noun: Clothing or dress, esp. of a distinctive or special kind.

I use the word Garb often in Ren references.


I have never liked the usage of costume. Dredges up visions of 10billioncostumesRus.com kinda stuff. 


I used to say "Costumes are for Halloween." But now I have changed that too. I guess on Halloween, "outfit" seems more precise for me.

[Norfolk]

In response to patron who remarks upon our "costumes" (imagine veddy proper, aristocratic British accent, delivered in a mild huff):

"M'Lady!  These are NOT 'costumes'!  This is our clothing!"

[cowgrrl]

To me, 'garb' refers to Ren Faire/Con stuff.  This is the stuff I've found, bought & reworked in order to  put together a specific look.  Its not something that can be found at Wal-Mart or Party City during Halloween.  Its my 'creation' for lack of a better word.  I don't want to look like everyone else.  I like saying 'Oh I got the bodice from Morescas, the shirt from Ren Shirts & the skirts I picked up on eBay'. 

One more quick story that I think illustrates garb vs costume:  For about 6 months my DD has been whining/complaining that she didn't have pirate garb like the rest of the family.  I could have picked up something pre-made online or in stores but I wanted unique.  So I went to our local thrift store & shopped.  For less than $20 she got a one of a kind pirate costume that she loves & can't wait to wear.  She even has a few options so if its hot she can wear it one way or if its cold it can go another way.  I can't call it a costume because there's too much 'in it' IMO.  Its a one of a kind.

Garb is creative/costume is mass-market.

[Zardoz]

Well, let's define stuff;

cos·tume
Noun:
1. A style of dress, including garments, accessories, and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period, or people.
2. An outfit or a disguise worn on Mardi Gras, Halloween, or similar occasions.
3. A set of clothes appropriate for a particular occasion or season.

garb
Noun:
Clothing or dress, esp. of a distinctive or special kind.

So really it sounds like 'garb' is better than clothing, outfit or costume...

Really, I think it depends on your point of view, I refer to faire garb as 'garb' around the renfaire community, but at home I'll say "time to get out the renfaire outfits".  If I'm at the Sci-Fi con and wear my Men In Black outfit, it's a costume, dressing up at cons is generally called 'costuming'. 
But to the general public, any clothing that is outside of their experience is a 'costume'. They don't know where you're coming from, so you could be dressed as King Henry VIII, or Capt. Kirk, it's a costume to them. So I don't get upset at faire if a mundane says "nice costume", any more than I do when some one says it to me while I'm out running errands in a kilt, I just say thanks and move on.

[Lady Rebecca]

I'm a historical costumer, though I started off by doing Ren stuff, so I still call that garb. To me, it just seems more normal for my Ren wear to be garb, though frankly, I more frequently refer to my "doublet gown" or "milkmaid look" than garb. As far as other eras, when not calling each outift by its name, I do refer to it as costume. Not necessarily a costume, though. But 17th century costume, or 18th century costume, for example. And when I do research, it is costume research.

I think there's a lot of difference when using "costume" with or without an article before it.

[DonaCatalina]

Most of the people I know and have been around in the SCA and the Faire community have a distinction between 'garb' and 'costume' that can't be found in a dictionary. The former is something made to withstand the rigors of daily wear as much as your mundane clothing is. Whereas the latter is a mockup that only passes for clothing in poor light and probably will be in seriously bad condition after one or maybe two wearings.
So no, the term 'garb' does not offend me. And when knowless mundanes use the term 'costume' I don't let that offend me either because I understand that they know not whereof they speak.

...and yes, I make all of the faire clothing that his lordship and I wear.

[maeven]

I usually just go with garb. There's something about the word "costume" that makes me think of bad plastic material. Either one is fine, but I usually end up going with the first one.

[Norfolk]

...and yes, I make all of the faire clothing that his lordship and I wear.

And 'tis a wondrous job you do, DC!

[Aiacha]

Most of the people I know and have been around in the SCA and the Faire community have a distinction between 'garb' and 'costume' that can't be found in a dictionary. The former is something made to withstand the rigors of daily wear as much as your mundane clothing is. Whereas the latter is a mockup that only passes for clothing in poor light and probably will be in seriously bad condition after one or maybe two wearings.

You're definition of "garb" is very similar to mine.  Most of ren faire pieces are made to essentially be everyday clothing (which they are in August).  I'm perfectly happy not changing into mundane clothing in the campground after a day in faire, and there are pictures of me cooking in my garb.

My definition of "costume", while similar, also encompasses pieces that are just worn for dress-up.  It's not my Magenta garb, but my Magenta costume.  To me a costume can be well made and constructed, and live up to many wearings, but are just worn for pretend or dress-up.

Where it gets hazy is with my Jedi clothing.  I go back and fourth between garb and costume, since in the context of the Star Wars movies, it might be considered garb, however I may have used a costume solution to fix issues (clear plastic snaps to keep tabards up, paint instead of actual embroidery).

[ArielCallista]

I use garb to refer to a subset of my wardrobe. Articles of clothing and accessories that can be worn in various combinations to create different outfits. Costumes to me are more like when you have a specific set of clothing articles used exclusively for one outfit. Like when you buy or make a costume of an anime character or something, with no intention of wearing the costume parts with anything else. For example I have a Sailor Jupiter costume. I do not and will not ever wear that dress or tiara with anything else, because its a costume...they go together and only together. Costumes also refer (to me) to stage costumes and movie costumes. An intentionally selected outfit for that character that cannot/will not be worn in any other arrangement. So even those of us Rennie with certain characters we like to portray who have pretty specific outfits, you make have a few shirt choices, or accessories you choose from...that is more like garb to me, because you are likely to wear that same bodice with totally different skirts and stuff to be a different style of character.

[Lady De Rue Rue]

I do use the term "garb" to define my ren faire items, I am not a playtron nor a patron but, a ren faire enthusiast.  The word "costume" is what I hear a lot from patrons.  "Did you make your costume?"  "Where did you buy your "costume"?"

I also think of the word "garb" as a derivation from word garment - this is just my personal take whether it is correct or not correct it's just the way I see things.

Because when I worked in couture sales in retail you never ever allowed to use the word "clothing", the word we were allowed to say was "garment or garments".  Wedding dresses were not called "wedding dresses" but, "wedding gowns" and so forth.

[Nighthawk]

My one pet peeve is when I'm out and about in perfectly mundane clothes, and someone calls what I'm wearing a "Scottish guy costume" because I happen to be wearing a kilt. So William Wallace wore an Iron Maiden tour shirt and black work boots with his kilt? Really? Can people not see the rest of me?  It annoys me because it underscores the complete lack of attention that people actually pay to one another.

[Jay Byrd]

people used to say to me, "Nice costume."  My ex would always reply that's not a costume that's his everyday wear.

I agree that costume conjures up visions of thin polyester stuff you get at party city.  And yes I will wear my garb/ren/pirate clothes out, especially the boots.

Jay Byrd

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

If someone is nice enough to make a comment about what I'm wearing, I couldn't care less what they call it.  It doesn't bother me in the least whether it's garb, costume, outfit, clothing.  They paid me a compliment, and I am honored that they shared their feelings with me. I smile and say thank you, and it makes my day!   

There is too much else in this world to worry about, and I'm at faire to have fun, not to obsess over what is the proper term for it.

Call it what you want, I'm wearing it because I like it and if you (generalization, not a specific person) like it too, thank you for your compliment.  And if you don't like it and are snarky, I don't really care, because I like it and that's good enough for me!