How does one hide a brace?

[Breandan]

Courtesy of the incompetence of a particular NCO, I wound up with severely damaged knees back in February. Well, I can walk again (after four months of the craptastic medical care in IAH at Knox... bastages), but I still require leg braces. While I am hoping the treatment I have been getting will allow me to ditch the damned things by the end of June, since I feel like some sort of freakish cyborg, the doctor has forewarned me that I will probably need them again if I stand for more than a few hours. Thankfully I no longer have to wear the hip-to-ankle leg immobilizers, but the current braces are from mid-thigh to mid-calf, and have bulky hinged bars on the sides that stick out about an inch on either side (yeah, I waddle, first one that laughs gets hit with a pie  )

So, this presents me with a problem- how do I wear the braces while working in the blacksmith shop, conceal them, but not layer up so much that overheating becomes a problem? I was thinking thin harem pants or the like, but I would be worried that the inevitable ejecta of flaming coal, slag, embers, apprentice-flung clinkers, etc. would turn them into smoldering confetti rather quickly. Thoughts?

[Celtic Lady]

Well since you mentioned working in the blacksmith area, what about some leather coverings? I'm not sure if it would be H/A but perhaps it could work. What do you think?

[act2redux]

I saw someone at our home fair that was using big strips of muslin to cover her shoes...must have needed to wear like tennis shoes - she looked like she had just wrapped her feet -sort of that "begger" thing happening!

[limey_tech]

When I had to wear a knee brace this year after developing burcitis, I loosened the top part of the leather boots and wore then completely flipped up.  I could check with Thorvik, the blacksmith at the St. Louis Faire and see what he suggests if you want me to.

[Adriana Rose]

I wear a knee brace alot at fair and I cover it up with a silk scarf if it shows but I have the adavantage of wearing a long skirt..

Maybe you could put your braces under your pants? Ya know get a pair of cheap pajama pants and cut them up and wear the chopped pant legs under the brace, so you dont chafe the peas out of your legs, and you can still wear your fair pants..

Hope your legs feel better soon!

[gem]

I was thinking thin harem pants or the like, but I would be worried that the inevitable ejecta of flaming coal, slag, embers, apprentice-flung clinkers, etc. would turn them into smoldering confetti rather quickly. Thoughts?

Well, wool and leather would be options, since both should withstand sparks.  Leather might be too hot; you can find lightweight wools but I'm not sure if wool's fireproof-ness is affected by its weight.

[Kate XXXXXX]

It is, but so long as it's tightly woven, a lighter one would still work in that it might smoulder rather than go up in flames!

Personally I'd go for what's safe and comfortable on the legs and ignore the braces showing.  You have sound medical reasons for wearing them, so the fair cannot complain.  The only folk who are likely to comment are the sympathetic, kids (along the lines of Coo!  What happened?), and the incredibly rude, who you can safely ignore.

[RenRobin]

I do not think anyone would laugh at you.  I thank you for your service to our country.

I know there is a spray that you can purchase that makes fabric fire retardant, but can not for the life of me remember where we purchased it.  I was a co-chair for a gala here in Austin and we hung a cloth back drop, which were near flood lights.  During the fire marshal's inspection he said we had to spray the fabric, in order for it to pass instection.  He even went as far as to test the stuff by holding a flame up to it.  I bet you could call your local fire marshall and find out what the stuff is called and where to get it.  If memory serves me correctly it was way stinky and possibly toxic during the application process and respirators were needed.

[Marietta Graziella]

Perhaps I'm being too simplistic about this but...

As a blacksmith, don't you wear a leather apron, anyway?  Wear thin pants, then your braces, then another pair of thin harem or wrap style pants to cover them (if you feel that's really necessary).  Your apron should cover sufficiently to protect you from going up in flames.  Which, I think we're all in agreement, would be bad.   

[KeeperoftheBar]

I have worn something similar but they refered to it as a "Knee Cage".  I wore a pair of cheap baggy black sweat pants over it which disguised it.   You might also consider lining the inside of the brace with a suede or something because if yours is like mine the leather slides when it gets a little sweaty.  And around a forge, it will get sweaty.

[LadyShadow]

I hated having to wear those braces as well.  Evil, horrid things.  When need be I had always cut a small strip of fabric to put where the braces landed and then would put my normal clothes over it.  It still bulged a bit in places if I moved just right.  But for the most part they couldnt be seen.

[Baroness de Vale]

I would try to contact escherblacksmith, member and blacksmith here on our forum. He might have some ideas.

[Breandan]

Got some good ideas to work with, thanks everyone 

And Marietta, I only wear an apron when doing forge-welding due to the occasional slag-spittle if I tap it too hard. Usually wear a sleeveless leather jerkin, which protects from sparks while still looking somewhat sexy 

[Gwen aka Punstergal]

My suggestion would be to go with the harem pants for the light weight/not too hot option, but to try and pick up a piece of cheap leather somewhere and fashion a knee length apron to wear as an accessory. The leather apron IS historically accurate, will help protect your britches from the smolders in front of you, And, can look damn sexy, on the right fellow (hell, any man in a apron will get most gals excited )

Whatever you decide to do, I hope it works out for you, and best wishes on being brace-free as soon as possible!  (Send them to me, imo, I need a good knee brace to destroy in the interest of steampunk costumery, hehe)

[Trillium]

Another style option instead of harem pants could be gi pants (karate pants).  Being open on the bottom would help bring in a little more air circulation and less possibly less fuss with the elastic getting stuck on the braces.

[gem]

Hey, did anyone mention a kilt?  It won't cover them fully, but it will be cool, and fireproof, and won't have a risk of tangling with the braces (is that a risk?).  Is there any way the braces could fit over a snug-fitting pair of tall boots?

[Bonny Pearl]

Breandan, do what is necessary safety wise.

If that means they don't get covered up in a garb fashion, you can create a story: you can say that Merlin has come up with these magical contraptions for ya to wear for helpin' in healin' your wounds from a fierce battle, etc.  The kids would probably love a story like that.

[Breandan]

kilt?  nuh uh! Mark wears one while smithing, and I have seen what can happen when slag ricochets upwards off of the anvil stump
>.<

Got some great ideas here, so I have a lot of options to work with :-)

[Dragonlord]

It would be cool if you could somehow cover your lower leg so that it looked like metal.  Then come up with a story of how you lost a leg (fighting off a dragon or such) so you had to forge yourself a new leg and the brace is holding it on.

[RumbaRue]

Seeing a number of people at events with various braces and such, many if on the legs are using baggy pants, much like sailors type. If female skirts are the best cover.
I've also seen casts and such above the mid-section covered with strips of muslin or similar.

P.S. If anyone uses a scooter like I have and would like ideas to decorate your ride give me a PM. You won't be 'period' but then you can go the other route as I did and go as 'hysterically correct'.

[HollyAtFairyEffects]

Hey Breandan,

Sorry to hear about your knees.  Hope you don't need the braces for too much longer.  Have you tried wrap pants?  My husband wears them.  Because they wrap, they are completely adjustable for sizing, and fit.  They can be as tight or as loose as you want them.  And they would either tie at your ankles or tuck into boots.

[Breandan]

you secretly plot to see me run by your shop engulfed in flames so you can chase me with marshmallows on a stick, don't ya? 

Considering wrap pants, but I'd need to get a pure cotton to minimize the chances of spontaneously engaging in my best imitation of a tiki torch  I also like the idea- inspired by Bonnie Pearl- of claiming it to be a Da Vinci apparatus 

[HollyAtFairyEffects]

you secretly plot to see me run by your shop engulfed in flames so you can chase me with marshmallows on a stick, don't ya? 

Welllll...If by some chance you do happen to catch on fire, can you do it early on a Sunday morning, so it won't be as crowded?  That way when you run by the booth, we will have a much better view of your flaming pants?  It would be much more entertaining that way  .  Don't worry, we'll keep a bucket of water at the door for you. 

[WindChime]

 I am a vendor at a faire and  I wear a brace on my ankle and I don't cover it up. I wear long or short skirts with my brace showing. I know it isn't historically correct but I have a medical problem and I do not care if it bothers anyone. I also have a sever spinal condition and use a walking staff to walk around with. Patrons need to understand that yes we are reenacting a certain time period but we still have modern medical issue to deal with. That's just my opinion

[Adriana Rose]

or you could just wear what you usualy wear and say screw it to every thing..

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

I don't think the average person going to a Renaissance faire, whether patron or mundane, really thinks that everything there will be historically accurate.  I can't imagine anyone remarking on your brace, because they obviously know that they didn't have them during that time period, and that you wear it for a reason.

If I saw you wearing a brace while working at your blacksmith shop, my most likely reaction would be to glance at it, and then pay attention to what you were doing and not think another thing about it.  So my suggestion is to wear what's comfortable for you, forget about the brace, and concentrate on your work.  That's what visitors will remember most - what you demonstrate to them, what they learn from you, not what's on your leg.