Weather or Garb?

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

One of my favorite things to do on this forum is to look at the pictures from all the different faires.  Not just of the people in the pictures (and I do love looking at everyone's garb!), but also at what is occurring in the background.  A recurring thing I've noticed:

In some backgrounds, you can see people snuggled up in jackets, hoods, sweatshirts, etc. obviously not in garb.  Then in the pictures of people wearing garb, you see people in just chemises, sleeveless, etc.  On the other hand, in faires where it's obviously hot - like tank tops, shorts, sandals, I've seen people in full leather armor, leather pants, leather bodices, full fur outfits.

So here's my question.  When you go to faire, whenever it is held, cold or hot weather, do you accommodate for the weather and change your garb accordingly, or do you just wear the garb you want and freeze or sweat?  With so many members, I thought this might be interesting to see what people do.

Here's what I do:  Sometimes I plan to wear something, but then get up and the weather is the opposite what the garb would be comfortable in, so I will then change to something that I can wear to either keep me warmer if it's cold, or wear different garb if the original choice would have me too hot and uncomfortable during the faire.  It's a bummer though when you've already planned out what you want to wear with all the accessories and then wake up on the day and have to change everything in a flash.

[Celtic_Fae]

I wear my regular garb for as long as possible in the heat...and then die. Then again, I also did faire on a broken foot (untreated at the time), so I guess that makes me a bit of a faire-masochist. 

[justsomeguytn]

The first faire I ever went to was Georgia.  It was somewhere between 80 and 90 the day I went.  I saw a guy in full steel armor with chainmail and gamebeson underneath.  I don't know how he did it.  I can only think he had stuck the gamebenson in a freezer before putting the armor on.  I wear a cloak and honestly it's a little warm but I think it makes my garb look a little better.  But I also go to faire in October now so it's a little cooler.

[Noble Dreg]

In years past MNRF (Minnesota) always seemed so cool, but for the past decade it's almost always HOT and HUMID!  I typically wear Noble garb, tights, doublet, cape, tall boots, hat...and sweat til I can't take it no more!  This year I discovered the kilt...

Nothing like going without pants to keep cool! 

[Butch]

I dress in my sailor garb, and always wear wool stockings, canvas slops, muslin shirt, wool jacket, and wool thrum cap.  In the summer, the thrum cap gets very warm!  In cold weather, I also put on a lined wool frock.  I am comfortable in most climates.  I prefer to be warm!

[Lady L]

In MNRF, as Noble Dreg already stated, we can have hot and humid or cold/rainy/windy. The solution for us  is to have light weight linen/cotton garb for when it's hot AND warmer velvet, wool, corduroy, capes etc. garb for when it's cold. Makes sense, doesn't it? Layers are also a good way to go.  

[Lady Rebecca]

I've experienced rain more than any other weather so far, and then I just stick an umbrella in my bag. But if it's warmer, I've done a few things - when I went to Scarby, for instance, I didn't wear tights (just socks), and I took off my gauntlets and pushed up my sleeves. And for when it's colder, I have a short cape (for weather in the 60s, for example), and a long cloak (which I made because of the 32+windchill at Norman, but haven't yet had the occasion to use). I think the cloak could make me comfortable in the teens! (It's wool with flannel lining.

[LadyShadow]

If its hot, then I will alter my garb to not cook me to death in the heat.  When it is cool I will wear my warmer garb and my cloak.  But if it is below 50 then I chicken out with mundane warm clothes and as many as I can put on at once.

[Welsh Wench]

Like Lady L, I layer.

I remember one opening weekend it was so cold I had long underwear and Tweetybird socks on under my garb and those 8-hour heat packs stuck on me under my bodice! Plus a cloak.

Our faire season can start out cold and we always end up with hot weather so a flexible wardrobe is a must.

One thing I watch--if it is raining and muddy here, a dark skirt you don't care so much about is a must. 

[Carl Heinz]

I have hot weather and cool weather costumes.

Cool weather can include a cloak, schaub, doublet, trousers (all in wool) warm stockings and a linen shirt.  More can be added if really necessary.

Wife and sister have cold  weather costumes that can include cloaks and shawls.  They have similar costumes for hot days in lighter fabrics.

Hot weather is cotton trousers, jerkin, and cotton shirt.  On really hot days, staff declares a "jerkin off" day and the jerkin comes off.

Rain is a rarity, by if it looks likely, ye olde golf umbrellas magically appear.

Costume parts tend to accumulate over the years so it's fairly easy to dress for the weather.

There are a lot more peasants and lower middle class on hot days than on cold days.

[RSLeask]

Only been with garb for a few years, so I only have two different outfits at this point in time.  Neither is really warm or cold weather, though the first one I'd gotten, being black primarily in color, I hate wearing in full sun on a hot day.  The outfit in my picture is my main outfit these days, and doesn't overheat me.  I still tend to avoid direct sunlight, but that's more because too much of it (coupled with alcohol) tends to give my heart more strain and force me to leave early.  When the weather turns cooler, I've got a full-length Half Moon that I can throw on and keeps me pretty well insulated and dry (even during a tropical storm that hit the area last year), and leather gauntlets that do a very good job of keeping my fingers from freezing.  Even once I do expand the outfit selection though, I'm more one for comfort than style.  If the weather is particularly brutal to one extreme or the other, I'd likely change my planned outfit to suit it better throughout the entire day.  Sure, the daytime might be predicted to be 70 and sunny, but if the evening forecast drops into the 40s, better believe I'll have the cloak on, and folded back over my shoulders.

There are also times when the weather is warm, I'll still toss the cloak on when there's a good chance of rain for the better part of the day.  Scattered showers, ok, not so much.  But a good solid few hours?  Yep.  People look at me odd sometimes, I've even had comments about rain being in the spirit of faire and all that.  But what I've come to realize is... we men, on cold or rainy days, are nothing more than walking, talking cloak racks for the ladies.  And I've had more than a few times of receiving an appreciative kiss, after rescuing a damsel from the elements.  I've lent the cloak to friends when they've had to walk to the car in the rain or cold.  I've played an umbrella a couple times, holding one side of my cloak over someone as we hurried ourselves back to the tavern when a downpour started.  I've even had one of the cast stop me as I walked in on a particularly cold morning, with a slight drizzle going on, inquiring about the cloak and how well it held up.  I offered to let her slip it on for a moment to try it out, but she had to decline (meet and greet of the masses, and all).  Sure, she had a stylish cloak on, but it was obvious that it didn't hold back the elements any.

All in all, though, even when you're dressed for the weather, garb is garb.  You can't go wrong, either way.

[Trillium]

Mine varies with the weather, although sometimes I still get it wrong.  Mother nature can be tricky!  Fall weather in TX can vary by 30 or 40 degrees from one day to the next.  If its going to be hot, i have short sleeves, short faerie skirt, and sandals.  If its going to be cold, long sleeves, long skirt, boots, knee high socks, and striped tights.  I can't imagine going ungarbed anymore, but don't want to be miserable in my garb either!
 

[Lord Elessar]

 I normally wear the same garb.. which in Florida can be very warm.  I am able to make a few adjustments if weather is unusually hot.  Leather in the rain, is no fun, that is for sure!

[Adriana Rose]

The weather at the Colorado Festival can go from cool enough to see your breath and then to high 90's into the 100's!

You have to vary unless you want to freeze or to pass out with heat exaustion.

I have heavier garb, bloomers and super warm socks and boots that I pull out when it gets cold. And when it gets hotter than Hades I go more with the lighter fabrics and half bodices

No one wants a grumpy garland girl so I have to adjust

[sealion]

I vary the number of layers I wear according to the weather. And all of my clothing is made from fabrics that can stand up to a downpour without colors running and can go in the washer to get out the mud! lol