Garb Fail: Share your woeful tales

[gem]

Alas! Oh, lackaday! I have been coveting this beautiful hat for over a year, and thought it might make a lovely (if expensive) upgrade to my much-worn straw hat:



After a year of coveting, and a penny-pinching summer, I finally talked myself into ordering it.

And it's DREADFUL! Completely wrong. As the photo shows, it's beautiful *off,* but the brim is far too wide and kind of heart-shaped--more Southern Belle than 16th. C. chic. *Bigsigh.* It's going directly back. I'll get a refund for the purchase price--but not for the months of longing.

Maybe I'll console myself with some of that laser-cut microsuede I wasn't going to buy.

***
Who else has sorry tales to spin of garb that was not meant to be?

[Rani Zemirah]

I just bought the prettiest "previously loved" burgundy floral brocade Odd Bodkin Maiden bodice... and because of the weight I am already losing I'm afraid I might shrink out of it before I even get a chance to wear it next spring!  I was thinking it would be quite a bit smaller than it is, even for it's size... but I may have miscalculated just a bit.  Oops...

[Ser Niall]

My garb fails are usually in the form of footwear.  I wanted something period looking, but didn't want to pay hundreds of dollars for footwear I use a couple times a year.  I purchased one of those microsuede pairs of costume boots from ebay.  What arrived looked like a cheap pair of glued together plastic shoes, looked pretty ridiculous.  Luckily the seller allowed me to return them.

I bought 2 pairs of period shoes from garb the world, and couldn't be happier.  I was skeptical when they arrived, but they were actually pretty comfy to wear with insoles added, and they look nice.

[Auryn]

Most of my fails are due to my own inability or miscalculations

for example
*my post-apocalyptic cheetara  costume for last year's DragonCon- I thought I was a genius by dying black some white leather that I had- even sealed it.
After a full day of wearing the suit when I took it off in the hotel room, I found my entire upper body dyed in blue black leather dye, along with my bra.

[scarletnyx]

So far, I have had only one garb fail.

I got the same suedeish boots that someone else in this thread mentioned. All was actually pretty fine ( put insoles in them ) until I went to a weekend that was raining and cold, so the green sandals I usually wear in my garb were right out. It took less than two hours for the shoes, and my feet, to be soaked through.

It if was warmer, I wouldn't have cared. I love mud on my feet as much as any other Druid. But it was freezing out, and soon I couldn't feel my feet. I had to change into danes to finish out the day if I recall right.

[PollyPoPo]

So far, I have had only one garb fail.

I got the same suedeish boots that someone else in this thread mentioned. All was actually pretty fine ( put insoles in them ) until I went to a weekend that was raining and cold, so the green sandals I usually wear in my garb were right out. It took less than two hours for the shoes, and my feet, to be soaked through.

It if was warmer, I wouldn't have cared. I love mud on my feet as much as any other Druid. But it was freezing out, and soon I couldn't feel my feet. I had to change into danes to finish out the day if I recall right.

Springtime in Sherwood?

Only faire within a thousand miles where SIL can wear his excellent leather cape all day and still be a bit on the cool/comfortable side.

[Elennare]

Did you know hot glue doesn't really stick to vinyl?  I should have, before I used it to attach the snaps on my Power Armor with it.

And, of course, I didn't find this out until I was at the costume competition trying to put it on.  Thankfully I was able to superglue it together well enough that I could wear it, but man that sucked.  Parts of it just wouldn't sit right because of that.

I will eventually get around to fixing that costume...

[raevyncait]

Moresca Pirate bodice. Looks great all day long from behind, with little/no adjustment. From the front it looks fabulous for about 10 minutes, but the first time I bend over or lean sideways, the girls begin their escape and the cleavage becomes HEAVAGEFROMHELL. It's been rehomed with someone whose girls are better behaved.

[isabelladangelo]

I washed my first piece of garb (which is slightly amusing in itself) with a brand new red silk skirt.  The skirt was fine but the once frosted white silk organza sleeves of my blue dress are forever pink.

And then there was the time the rings in my 1560's Italian gown decided to pop.   Luckily, I always keep a sewing kit with me.  Still, I've pretty much given up on rings in favor of eyelets for this reason. 

[scarletnyx]

So far, I have had only one garb fail.

I got the same suedeish boots that someone else in this thread mentioned. All was actually pretty fine ( put insoles in them ) until I went to a weekend that was raining and cold, so the green sandals I usually wear in my garb were right out. It took less than two hours for the shoes, and my feet, to be soaked through.

It if was warmer, I wouldn't have cared. I love mud on my feet as much as any other Druid. But it was freezing out, and soon I couldn't feel my feet. I had to change into danes to finish out the day if I recall right.

Springtime in Sherwood?

Only faire within a thousand miles where SIL can wear his excellent leather cape all day and still be a bit on the cool/comfortable side.

Of course.. This year, I may actually just bite the bullet and get some shoes made. My feet have never been that cold or wet in my life!

[RenFestHQ]

We had 2 garb fails this year
We bought a pair of boots for the queens guard from Tudor Shoppe and after 3 days the soles came apart. So we tried a more expensive pair only to have the shoes come unglued within 1 day of use

[raevyncait]

We had 2 garb fails this year
We bought a pair of boots for the queens guard from Tudor Shoppe and after 3 days the soles came apart. So we tried a more expensive pair only to have the shoes come unglued within 1 day of use

Barge Glue is what a friend who used to work for Medieval Moccasins once told me to use.

[gem]

Barge Glue is what a friend who used to work for Medieval Moccasins once told me to use.

Can't beat advice straight from the cobbler's mouth, but if you have trouble finding it, we've had excellent results with Shoe Goo (which you can get just about anywhere). Used it on a pair of mundane snow boots who lost their soles after 10 years of faithful wear--and then made it another 2 after the repair! And we also used it on a pair of Fair boots from Museum Replicas whose heels popped off during the first wearing (at Fair, naturally!) back in 2010. Milord walked carefully the rest of that day, and we came home and broke out the Shoe Goo, and that repair has stood up to three full fair seasons of daily wear!

[Adriana Rose]

Mines not a purchased garb fail.

I make some of my skirts from old sheets, some I liberated from the lodge I used to clean and others from the second hand store. 

I had made a skirt out of the sheets, dyed it a very nice green. First problem I tried to make it for both my mom and I. Mom has maybe 3 inches on me so the skirt is a touch too long for me so I just pick it up in spots with safety pins. No problem right?
Being made of older sheets the fabric is oh so soft and well this one was very tearable. I had yanked little holes in it all day that I had worn it, no sweat I can fix those in a jiff. Until I picked up my son, his shoe caught one of the pins that was higher up than the others on the front. You can see where this is going right? His boot took the pin and opened a hand size tear right about where a lady doesnt want a tear.. yeeeah it was a good thing we were at my shop where I could grab a spare skirt..
So the moral of the story is always have a spare and safteypins can be a very bad idea at times!

[Elennare]

Barge Glue is what a friend who used to work for Medieval Moccasins once told me to use.

Can't beat advice straight from the cobbler's mouth, but if you have trouble finding it, we've had excellent results with Shoe Goo (which you can get just about anywhere). Used it on a pair of mundane snow boots who lost their soles after 10 years of faithful wear--and then made it another 2 after the repair! And we also used it on a pair of Fair boots from Museum Replicas whose heels popped off during the first wearing (at Fair, naturally!) back in 2010. Milord walked carefully the rest of that day, and we came home and broke out the Shoe Goo, and that repair has stood up to three full fair seasons of daily wear!

Shoe Goo might be great for re-attaching soles, but don't try to make new soles with it!  I made that mistake. (It really is great for sticking soles back on, and for patching holes, though!)

Had a pair of boots I wore for faire and also as snow boots.  They had plastic soles, so I had glued rubber over them, which worked great.  Until the plastic soles cracked all the way across the ball of the foot.

Which I of course discovered by stepping in a puddle.


Well, no problem, I've got some Shoe Goo, I can glue the cracks back together.  And, while I'm at it, I'll just coat the whole bottom of the shoe with it, so they have some more traction and I don't have to worry about gluing on rubber.

Turns out, Shoe Goo is SUPER slippery on ice!  Might as well as have put glass soles on my boots!  And, sadly, it was not up to the task of holding the cracked soles together either.


Still have those boots in the back of my closet, because I like them so much, but I can't wear them now, and have no idea what I can do to save them.

[Butch]

The soles are cracked on the inside?  If so, take off the rubber you have shoe-gooed onto the outside of the soles, and fill the cracked plastic up with shoe goo.  Then, add a new insert to the inside.  Then, glue a piece of leather onto the outside, and finally a new rubber sole on the very outside.  It may seem like a lot of work, but you obviously wish to keep those boots!

Incidentally, I've had tremendous luck with contact cement (Barges or otherwise) when glueing soles onto the outsides of shoes!

Good luck!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

The Garb fails I have had in the past have been mostly the Decorative belts I wear. One is being repaired, the other is falling apart. I plan to make a new one befofre next season with a stronger fishing line.

AS for actual garb itself, I have not had fails other than losing an Aglet or a few pearls.

[LadyFae]

The Garb fails I have had in the past have been mostly the Decorative belts I wear. One is being repaired, the other is falling apart. I plan to make a new one befofre next season with a stronger fishing line.

AS for actual garb itself, I have not had fails other than losing an Aglet or a few pearls.

Instead of fishing line try wire!

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

I have done wire as well with little luck.

[isabelladangelo]

Even if you pre-wash and pre-shrink wool.... it'll still shrink.  (I have a lovely grey wool cotehardie that is now about 4" too short and *mumble mumble* inches too small for me in my closet...)

There is a way to deal with that but right after you've washed it.   Stretch it out yourself along a table.  Hold the shoulders and the hem with weights and let it dry overnight.  (put a cloth/towel/something fabricy beneath it while it dries)  After 12 hours, hang it up and make sure to stretch it again. Let it dry completely now.  It's a pain but after a couple of times, the wool should stop shrinking and it won't warp the outfit.  (I have to do this with my sweaters!)

However, just washing the wool five times before cutting it out works really well too.  ;-)

[Elennare]

The soles are cracked on the inside?  If so, take off the rubber you have shoe-gooed onto the outside of the soles, and fill the cracked plastic up with shoe goo.  Then, add a new insert to the inside.  Then, glue a piece of leather onto the outside, and finally a new rubber sole on the very outside.  It may seem like a lot of work, but you obviously wish to keep those boots!

Incidentally, I've had tremendous luck with contact cement (Barges or otherwise) when glueing soles onto the outsides of shoes!

Good luck!

No, actually, they're cracked on the outside.  The outer, plastic sole has cracked all the way through, in a whole bunch of little cracks, right across the ball of the foot where it flexes the most.  The inside is fine.

And, alas, filling up the cracks with shoe goo did not work.  The splits won't open up enough to really get the shoe goo in there, and what I was able to get in there just came apart when I tried to wear them.  (Currently there is no rubber glued over the sole, I tried to use the shoe goo instead in this go-round)

I hadn't thought about trying to put leather over them first, though.  I'll have to give that a try. Might make them wearable again, if not waterproof.  Thanks for the thought!

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Here's what happened when I cut out the pattern based on the size I thought I was:





Here is the final product after my sewing friend helped me tailor it to fit:

[PollyPoPo]

Lady Renee,

That is such a delightful looking outfit.

Just made for kicking up your heels.

Polly

[Elennare]

Well, awesome for being half the size you thought you were?

[lys1022]

Still have those boots in the back of my closet, because I like them so much, but I can't wear them now, and have no idea what I can do to save them.

Take them to a cobbler and have them re-soled?