News:

Welcome to the Renaissancefestival.com Forums!  Please post an introduction after signing up!

For an updated map of Ren Fests check out The Ren List at http://www.therenlist.com!

The Chat server is now running again, just select chat on the menu!

Main Menu

I think we need a little non-period, non-H/A, fantasy/fairwear love!

Started by gem, June 30, 2009, 12:11:51 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

gem

Who's with me?!

We've had a few threads lately about worrying you won't "fit in" at Fair if you're not period-correct.  So I thought we should celebrate some of our favorite totally "inaccurate" garb--or "Fairwear," those fabulous fashions whose only "period" is 21st century Renaissance Fair! :D

Now, I *do* do H/A, and I love it, but I also love me some Fairwear! 

Still adore my Flaming Orange Chemise:


That bodice is too big for me now, alas!   My current favorite look:



And that bodice reverses to saucy pirate fun!



So shout it with me, folks!  I wear Fairwear, and I'm proud!

sealion

The thing I love about faire is that anything goes! As much as I am enjoying trying to do HA garb for SCA events I love that I was able to go tha a local faire last weekend in what was essentially my underwear! I wore a black hiplength chemise and bloomers with Venise (sp?) lace from Moresca along with a strapless corset with skulls on it, rope sandals, a jingle bell ankle bracelet, and loads of other gaudy jewelry and called myself a pirate! LOL (Sorry, no photo.)
Cindy/Ciana Leonardi di Firenze/Captain Cin

Blue66669

Oh, I'm a faire wear nightmare!!! (I'm the one in the middle with the parasol)


Blaidd Drwg

Auryn

here is my totally NOT HA faire wear from this past faire.

I hope in the future to maybe try my hand at HA. For now, I revel in the fantasy world.
Scissors cuts Paper. Paper covers Rock. Rock crushes Lizard. Lizard? poisons Spock. Spock smashes Scissors. Scissors dec

bellevivre

I am a lapsed-SCAdian (really, I just never 'gelled' with my barony, and when I realized how POLITICAL everything was, kinda killed the 'Dream' for me) and so I like to try (when I am making my own garb) to go kinda period... like, things that are definitely influenced by existing patterns/evidence, but that are perhaps a little more 'wenchy', or a little more innovative... example- one idea I have had is to pat my cartridge pleats with large lampworked beads in between the pleats- very useful when you don't actually have the fabric for a true cartridge pleat!

What I have to always remind myself is that this is FAIRE! Written into the fabric of these events are any number of things that one would NOT have found in mid-16th century England!

1) Pirates (vs. privateers)
2) Huge Swings?
3) Turkey Legs
4) malt beverages (shudder)
5) polyester
6) amplified music
7) Minstrel Boy, Mingulay Boat Song, Siul a Run, The Moose Song, etc
8) Cameras

and so on and so on!

SO: The moral of this story is to have FUN with what you are doing! If you want to come as a Venetian courtesan complete with split skirt and breeches, DO IT. If you want to be 'Lady of the Azure Waters' and show up with a LOTR themed crushed polyester dress- DO IT! By all means, do the research and arm yourself with the merry knowledge that you are NOT H/A- I think sometimes the snarkers are trying to 'help' someone with their garb- if you flat out say- I am fantasy, and I like it! That will stop any naysayers in their tracks!

I know there will be those who feel superior based on their own garb- but I also wonder if they have as much fun?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Belle the Kat

Clan Procrastination's Ambassador to the Seelie & UnSeelie Courts

bellevivre

Oh, and here's a look at some of my garb- see, i go for the italian silhouette, but definitely more cleavage!

Stupid Webshots wont allow me to post the pic- it's here: http://image44.webshots.com/44/7/44/99/295574499zmxtgb_fs.jpg

Though there IS that one Italian Ren portrait of a woman in profile with ample tracts of land (I just can never find it when i want to reference it!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Belle the Kat

Clan Procrastination's Ambassador to the Seelie & UnSeelie Courts

Adriana Rose

Amen to that!

I'll never forget the girl in the metallic red gown telling me that I was not H/A lol



I love my freddy of hollywood bodice... its strechy and it breaths! I am in the sun all freaking day and I need a comfy bodice!

Sitara

None of my garb is HA.

Here I am in warrior grab that would not protect me from ANYTHING



Here is one bellydancer picture.



I would post some of my other outfits but all the photos I can find are centered on my chest for some reason.   ;)
Beer wenches are the best wenches!

Genievea Brookstone

So wrong on soooo many levels! Including cider in a plastic cup!

Genievea Brookstone
Lost child of the Woods

Kate XXXXXX

While I adore period accurate clothing from all eras, the only bit of kit I own that has real street cred (as in I dropped it in the street when I finished my beer!) is my tankard: a HEAVY hand-crafted pewter tankard that is a copy of an extant piece from the 1600's.

I take it to the Sweeps Morris festival every May, and to a few other events during the year.  I'll certainly bring it with me if I ever get the chance to come over for a fair.

bellevivre

I love it! Mine is a 'real' fake... from the 20's, apparently, when swindlers would cart about the country supposedly just back from an English estate sale with fake pewter designs... lol I had it appraised by a pewter group who loved it since it was a 'really good' fake!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Belle the Kat

Clan Procrastination's Ambassador to the Seelie & UnSeelie Courts

Var Greyshadow

I love the fantasy side too!  Var's a Lord of the Rings Ranger after all.  But before I was Var, I went to Four Winds as Eowyn one year:

"All that is gold does not glitter; Not all those who wander are lost..." ~J.R.R. Tolkien "The Fellowship of the Ring"

Elennare

I'm "fairewear" all the way.  Sadly, I somehow don't have any pictures of me in my normal outfit.  I'm a mostly-LoTR inspired elf, so I wear 2 skirts (split, so they don't get in the way when I fight), something that's inbetween a bodice and a corset (sleeveless), and big bell sleeves that aren't attached to my bodice.  I also have bracers, a horn, a bow, and a quiver.  Sometimes I wear a sword as well.  And of course my tall boots! :D

Here's a picture of what I was considering wearing this year, till I found out I won't be able to make it to faire this year. :(



Warhammer Wood Elf!  The accessories from my normal faire clothes got used for this costume too. :)
My (infrequently updated) costume blog: http://manufactorumbrandis.wordpress.com/

Trillium

OMG!!!!  Var with blonde hair and a skirt!!!!!  hee heee......  (you know I love ya! ;))

Gem, I have always loved that orange chemise on you.  It's such a good color on you!

I am most definately faireware and proud of it!  I just can't give up the wings...
I went once last year without my wings, but still in garb and people didn't recognize me at first!
Got faerie dust?

Tygrkat

Here I am in my 'not even remotely H/A' pirate weekend garb ~




This picture is from '07, but I'll be wearing this again for Pirate's Weekend this year, as always. I'm always amazed at how often I get stopped and complimented or asked for a photo...


...I'm sure it's in large part due to how confident I feel, and how happy I am to be at Faire. When the garb goes on (pirate, noble, or otherwise, kinda H/A or not even close) my whole attitude changes  ;D

(I've a sneaking suspicion my *ahem* Huge Tracts of Land may be part of the reason as well - that poor bodice! )
50% Endora, 50% Aunt Clara.