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At some point we've all had an experience of being somewhere outside of Faire in garb.
We visited a Faire pretty far from homeone year and stayed in a hotel. As we were going down in a group early Saturday morning we had to pass through the area where the other guests were having the breakfast buffet. Most of them were wearing casual clothes and shorts. As we passed one table with 2 older couples, one of the men commented "Ya'll ain't from around here, are you?"
It was all I could do to keep a straight face.

Do you have a funny story?

This runs in conjunction with stupid things "danes" have said upon encountering people in garb.

While visiting our "Home" Faire only 40 miles away, we stopped to gas up the car on the way to Faire so we wouldn't have to do it on the way back. As I stood there nonchalantly filling the tank in my female Pirate garb a la Maureen O'Hara...a dane stopped and asked "You guys going to the Faire?" Without batting an eye I replied "Naw...we going to try out for "Okalhoma".

This senario has happened a few times so I alter my reply with "A Faire? You guys have a Faire around here? Sah-weet! Next time I'll dress for it...."

It was very early on in our ramblings to Scarby.  I believe we stayed in Ennis that year.  Ennis is only about 20 miles--maybe even less to where Scarby is held.

We stopped in one morning for breakfast at Jack in the Box (or some similar dining establishment) and made the mistake of going inside to eat.

You'd have thought it was Roswell in 1947.  The people looked at us like we had two heads at least!

Capt. Morgan, will you be my scriptwriter?  :)

Okay, warning from the top, mine is kind of naughty, so I apologize (like any of you are easily offended, but just in case...)

We were in St. L for opening weekend this year, and we all went to White Castle in our faire garb after hours.  The place was hopping, until the 7 of us in our pirate garb stepped in.  It got really quiet, and after the usual snickers and rolling eyes, people slowly started to dissipate (the employees were great, and asked us a lot of questions, though!).  Somehow during the course of the meal we got onto the topic of MySpace, and the V**ina game (where you place that word in a movie title to make it funny).  We were not being overly loud, but laughing a lot as we proceeded to state our movie names--then my 13 year old daughter chimes in with Harry V*^na and the Chamber of Secrets, and earned a look of absolute disgust from a woman walking through the door right at that moment.  I am sure she just abhors pirates now.   :D 

Oh and yes, I am a very proud momma, let me tell you!

We were getting gas about 15 minutes away from Scarborough and we were asked if we were going to a polka festival. I was in pirate garb and nothing about it said polka to me.

Quote from: CatAshtrophy on June 05, 2008, 11:58:31 AM
We were getting gas about 15 minutes away from Scarborough and we were asked if we were going to a polka festival. I was in pirate garb and nothing about it said polka to me.

ROTF!

ehehehehehe... This is one of my favourite pastimes. Usually I don't have to say a word. It's enough to pull into a gas station/restaurant/drive through window/bank/school/whatever in full garb with a spinning wheel and a loom strapped into the back of a pickup (when I still had one).

Quote from: CatAshtrophy on June 05, 2008, 11:58:31 AM
We were getting gas about 15 minutes away from Scarborough and we were asked if we were going to a polka festival. I was in pirate garb and nothing about it said polka to me.

In defense of said questioner, there is a Polka Festival in Ennis sometime during Scarborough.  Big Czech population over there.

While it is astonishing to me that there are still large numbers of people who have never been to Scarborough, it kinda freaks me out when folks say they have never heard of it!  But it does give me the Prime Opportunity to brag about Faire and, hopefully, get them interested.

Alright, let's see who remembers this commercial.

I believe it was back in 1989, we were doing a one-weekend festival, the "Wichita Falls Medieval Fantasy Faire".  Exiting the hotel on Sunday morning, we passed by the restaurant area where everyone was having breakfast.  One elderly couple looked on in ever-growing astonishment at the parade of colourfully-garbed performers passing by.  As I was at the end of the line, Gramma poked Grampa repeatedly and pointed at me.

Decked out in my brightest and best, topped off with an enormous golden Imperial Crown, without stopping, I quipped, "Do try the margarine!"

The wave of laughter that rolled across the restaurant!

ohhh man this season when i marched myself into Mcd's to get breakfast to go the look the lady behind the counter had was priceless i was about to ask if i had two heads
ofcourse even funnier was coming home afterward i stop to get gas. I had to go in and pay well since i'm on my way home all i have left on is my dress and my jewlery  and boots I've removed the cape and my bag as well as my sword and hat.  well i get up to the counter and the guy at the counter goes "choir practice"
i could see that if i had not been wearing boots but dressy shoes i go " Nope Renaissance festival" and flounced out

VIII that was PRICELESS!

Mine was a couple of years ago, as with many others so far here, coming from Scarborough Faire. We stopped for gas about 50 miles north of Austin. My friend Shauna strolled on in to priv and grab a drink - in her chemise and leggings...which had a couple of "Bubba's" looking on from the gas pumps.

I get out of the car, fully garbed, take my sword and baldric, open the trunk and drop 'em in. I fill up the car and start to go inside the store as well. A few steps from the car...I remember, I better ditch some things before going in. The Bubbas are still watching. Pop open the trunk, take a pistol out from the back of my belt, drop it in, remove my derringer and another flint lock pistol, drop it in...pull the flask out of one boot, a dagger here, a dagger there...disarmed, I go inside. The Bubbas still haven't said anything and are standing there trying to figure it out.

Once inside, Shauna and I get our drinks and all - head for the counter - and parents who don't normally keep close tabs on their kids, are holding them close and looking at us like "please - don't do anything wierd! Don't hurt us...". I grinned at one frightened/freaked woman - then looked at her little boy and said "Normally I like the little ones...a lot..." then patted me stomach "but I'm a bit on the full side at th' moment." His eyes turned as big as saucers as he immediately hugged his Mom's leg!

We came out and got in the car...and the Bubbas were still standin' there trying to figure it all out.

the people at the local hooters know that once a year...a group of kids dressed in ren will show up in mass to eat.  so there are all the workers showing off their hooters, and all the girls have their hooters displayed from their corsets

Quote from: CatAshtrophy on June 05, 2008, 11:58:31 AM
We were getting gas about 15 minutes away from Scarborough and we were asked if we were going to a polka festival. I was in pirate garb and nothing about it said polka to me.

Polka? Did you have a "dot" anywhere???!

Nope no dots. It makes alot more sense now that I know there was a polka festival nearby. Thanks VIII!

Hard to even begin the list of places that I got stared at this year during Scarby. Let's just say that they don't see a lot of kilts in DeSoto and Red Oak Supermarkets. And they really don't see many of them at the IH 45 rest area north of Huntsville. I thought some of the young toughs were actually going to attack there.
On the other hand I left faire early on the second to last Sunday to go to a Roller Derby bout, they never even blinked, but I did have to explain that I was wearing shoes and socks several times.

I have a few, but I think my favourite was this past year.  Closing weekend at ORF, also my birthday.  After Faire, we (myself and my two closest female friends) wanted to get something to eat, so, after much deliberation, we settled on Pizza Hut.  Being around 7 pm on a Sunday evening, the place was totally deserted, which was nice.  We got some O.O looks when we walked in, then we were seated.  We heard a little bickering in the back, but, eh, we all bicker with people at work.  We're sitting there, waiting to make our order, and out walks Jimmy.  The pizza boy.  He couldn't have been much more than 16 or 17, and he had this HUGE grin on his face.  (We found out later that our server was supposed to have been a girl, but he won the argument.  XD)  Every five minutes or so, he was coming over to check on us.  Honestly, I've never had better service (except maybe the time my friends and I looked like Survivor castaways after a weekend at a music festival).  As we were getting ready to leave, though, came the crowning bit.  He kept stalling us!  "Here, I'll take your money to the register for you!  Would you like to-go cups?  D'you need another box for the leftovers?"  All the time with this huge grin.  He practically followed us to the car.  It was actually kind of adorable.  XD

There was also a wealthy (and snobby) looking couple coming in with their children as we left.  When the woman thought we were out of earshot, I heard her say "Can you believe that?!  I'll never understand those Mormons."  That made me go "WTF?!"

Last year, we went to the Renaissance Festival at the Amana Colonies in May, where it rained so hard, after 1 hour of standing under a picnic pavilion with about 400 other people, we decided to leave and get some lunch in the downtown tourist area.

Steve had on his pirate garb, and I had on wench garb, with 2 overskirts, hat, pewter mug and pouch hanging from the belt -- the usual.  I was wearing a new bodice and looking rather "fluffy" that day in the "girls" dept.

When I went into the restroom, there was a line, so while standing there, a woman asked if I was Amish.  It was all I could do not to laugh and wet my pants, but I kept a straight face and just said "no."

I went into the Circle K in wenchgarb for coffee and the guy in front of me bought my coffee because I looked 'fluffy'.

Another day, another stop to Circle K and a guy thought he'd be funny and say, "Hey, I like your tail."
So I turned to look behind me and screamed in a loud, hysterical voice, 'OH MY GOD! THERE'S A TAIL BACK THERE???'

What could he say after that?  ;D

Probably one of my proudest moments was about three weeks ago, before Scarby was over, I had to do a project about Renaissance costuming. So of course, I had to bring in the garb and pull it all on for the spectacle of my friends.
Walking from the bathroom to my English class, I passed a couple freshmen and I swear, their jaws could have dropped to the floor and cracked they stared so hard. I practically struck a pose for one of them, with a great big smile and a swing of my tail. It was amazing.

Quote from: jinx on June 05, 2008, 06:17:54 PM

There was also a wealthy (and snobby) looking couple coming in with their children as we left.  When the woman thought we were out of earshot, I heard her say "Can you believe that?!  I'll never understand those Mormons."  That made me go "WTF?!"

The sad thing is,  while I was in garb I've had people ask me on two separate occasions if I was Mormon....seriously, WTF is right...

Quote from: Deadbishop on June 05, 2008, 08:50:53 PM

Quote from: jinx on June 05, 2008, 06:17:54 PM

There was also a wealthy (and snobby) looking couple coming in with their children as we left.  When the woman thought we were out of earshot, I heard her say "Can you believe that?!  I'll never understand those Mormons."  That made me go "WTF?!"

The sad thing is,  while I was in garb I've had people ask me on two separate occasions if I was Mormon....seriously, WTF is right...

I'm sorry, but that's just friggin funny!  Mormons! 

(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/r_koetter/Smilies/24.gif)  (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/r_koetter/Smilies/24.gif)  (http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b315/r_koetter/Smilies/24.gif)

It never fails, every time I stop somewhere in garb I get asked if 1 - I'm in a play or 2 - If I'm going to the festival. I've used the... "There's a festival!?" reply for number 2 a couple of times... but for number 1 I just tell them all about the faire and hope that they come. I think I like the answer I use for 1 better because hey! That brings more people (and $) to faire! :D

very funny stories here.  I stopped once or twice in garb in New Paltz, NY, on the way to faire, and no one bats an eye. New Paltz is "avant garde" shall we say? and folks just dress differently anyway, all the time.

even at other places here in NY, no one seems to even notice...maybe it is a NY thang! :) LF

We've done the gas station thing, but the best looks, that my evil streak relishes, is loading up the car the night before. Often there are other people in our apartment complex, outside just hanging out, so there are witnesses to the car being loaded for TRF. First the camp gear, which is normal enough, and no one bats an eye. Then the mysterious large plastic boxes, then the sword, hats, and garb comes, which usually halts any chattering, and I get the most puzzled looks. I just wave, smile and continue, and usually by my next trip to the car, no one is around any more.

I must just be weird, if someone waved at me with a sword in their other hand, I'd go ask them where they got the sword!

Quote from: Deadbishop on June 05, 2008, 08:50:53 PM

Quote from: jinx on June 05, 2008, 06:17:54 PM

There was also a wealthy (and snobby) looking couple coming in with their children as we left.  When the woman thought we were out of earshot, I heard her say "Can you believe that?!  I'll never understand those Mormons."  That made me go "WTF?!"

The sad thing is,  while I was in garb I've had people ask me on two separate occasions if I was Mormon....seriously, WTF is right...

O.O

I'm going to make a sign for my car that says "Nope.  Not Mormon.  Try again."

I just don't understand how garb=Mormon.  O.o

On the way home from our last trip to Scarborough Faire, we had to stop by WalMart in Bowie, TX to get something for dinner, as our cupboards were bare.  A little girl in a fairy princess/Barbie outfit kept commenting to her mother how much she liked my dress.  And the women kept staring at the legs of my husband in his kilt.  You don't see many kilted guys in Bowie!  (what a pity!)  When I took his kilt and shirt to the cleaners (also in Bowie), I explained to the lady behind the counter what they were. But when I got them back cleaned and pressed, the bill attached to them read, "skirt and blouse".

Lady Morna

Quote from: VIII on June 05, 2008, 01:31:59 PM
Decked out in my brightest and best, topped off with an enormous golden Imperial Crown, without stopping, I quipped, "Do try the margarine!"
The wave of laughter that rolled across the restaurant!

Bwaahahahaha!!!  That was fantastic!!  ;D It's a good thing so many people got it or you would have gotten even more strange looks.

Quote from: Welsh Wench on June 05, 2008, 06:36:08 PM
Another day, another stop to Circle K and a guy thought he'd be funny and say, "Hey, I like your tail."
So I turned to look behind me and screamed in a loud, hysterical voice, 'OH MY GOD! THERE'S A TAIL BACK THERE???'
What could he say after that?  ;D

Oh geez, I almost just made coffee come out my nose! That was great!  ;D

the town I live in boasts we are the "Halloween capital of the world!" I work at a costuming shop over this time to help out. I usually where my ren garb (Usually pirate). On my breaks I walk around main street to get something to eat. Now people from around here dont mind. But I get really strange looks standing at a corner waiting to cross the street and I just wave to everyone. Nuttin like a pirate walking around the town. I start work beginning of October so for four weeks I get to do this, its so much fun.

I also like to wear my kilt on my days off (Utilikilt). I love the looks I get.

While I don't have a mundane story pertaining to faire.. I go to Anime conventions often and we use the same terms. This past year I was in toronto (just back on memorial day accually) and me and my friends were starving. We decided instead of living off of candy, soda, and fast food we'd go somewhere a little nicer. So we went to Jack Astors (in canada this place is much much much nicer than our version). We walk in fully dressed up and are waiting to be seated...apparently either no one or not many other convention attendees went there for food because the place quieted down and everyone stared. So we get seated and after the waitress stares at us for a bit takes our drink order. Everyone is still staring, so one of my outgoing and loud friends with no shame stands up ON the table and says "Don't worry everyone its OK, we aren't here to hurt you, we are just going to exorcize some demons, starting with that family over there" then he continues to point to small family in the corner.

Shortly after the manager came out and asked us to leave....

Also we were dressed all in long black and white outfits, our characters were exorcists.

Normally I don't do stuff like that but I thought it was pretty funny, yet I was fairly embarassed...and needless to say we ended up having fast food lol

Quote from: Clereon Swiftarrow on June 09, 2008, 06:32:45 AM
While I don't have a mundane story pertaining to faire.. I go to Anime conventions often and we use the same terms. This past year I was in toronto (just back on memorial day accually) and me and my friends were starving. We decided instead of living off of candy, soda, and fast food we'd go somewhere a little nicer. So we went to Jack Astors (in canada this place is much much much nicer than our version). We walk in fully dressed up and are waiting to be seated...apparently either no one or not many other convention attendees went there for food because the place quieted down and everyone stared. So we get seated and after the waitress stares at us for a bit takes our drink order. Everyone is still staring, so one of my outgoing and loud friends with no shame stands up ON the table and says "Don't worry everyone its OK, we aren't here to hurt you, we are just going to exorcize some demons, starting with that family over there" then he continues to point to small family in the corner.

Shortly after the manager came out and asked us to leave....

Also we were dressed all in long black and white outfits, our characters were exorcists.

Normally I don't do stuff like that but I thought it was pretty funny, yet I was fairly embarassed...and needless to say we ended up having fast food lol

Crap! how rude of the staff and paytrons there..
next time have some alka-seltzer handy, for that foaming at the mouth effect!LOL!

Al-Nimer & I were at the Lawton Ren Festival today & went into Lawton for dinner.  Al-Nimer was wearing his kilt & oh the looks & comments we got!!  A few hightlights:

Teenage girl:  'That's just freaky'
A group of middle-aged people just staring at him with this look of 'What is he wearing?!'
A Dad & little girl walking by & the little girls just stares!!


It was a great social experiment to stand back & watch!

Given that there are so many kilts out there, especially during Faire season, it's pretty amazing just how few people actually know what they are.   :D  (Even here, although the place abounds with pipe bands.)

I found out today that, sometimes, you don't even have to be in garb to freak the mundanes out a little.  All you have to do is mention Faire.

We have two managers at work that I've never really gotten to talk to, as one used to be third shift, and the other is brand new.  When I went out for my last cigarette break, they were both outside, and we just started chatting.  One of my other co-workers came up and asked if my new bodice had arrived yet, which brought up the subject of Faire. 

One of the managers said "What are you talking about?"  Since I'm always prepared and more than willing to gush about Faire, I reply "Oh, the Renaissance Festival."  In return, I get two looks of mixed confusion and horror, so I just stare back until one of them says "I had no idea you were one of -those- kinds of people."  Now, as this is the first time I've ever really gotten this type of reaction, I ask "What do you mean?"  Between the two of them, they stammered out the general Rennie stereotypes--pot-smoking hippies, stuck in fantasy, weird, mildly insane, out of touch with reality, horny, drunkards--basically a lot of rubbish (well, -some- of it could be accurate for me, but y'know.  xD).  I quickly corrected them, and generally let them know that stereotypes were not welcome, and that perhaps they should actually attend a Faire and see how horribly wrong they were.  They quickly left.  I had a good laugh over it, though.  Some people just don't -get- it.

Quote from: jinx on June 15, 2008, 03:23:33 PM
I found out today that, sometimes, you don't even have to be in garb to freak the mundanes out a little.  All you have to do is mention Faire.

We have two managers at work that I've never really gotten to talk to, as one used to be third shift, and the other is brand new.  When I went out for my last cigarette break, they were both outside, and we just started chatting.  One of my other co-workers came up and asked if my new bodice had arrived yet, which brought up the subject of Faire. 

One of the managers said "What are you talking about?"  Since I'm always prepared and more than willing to gush about Faire, I reply "Oh, the Renaissance Festival."  In return, I get two looks of mixed confusion and horror, so I just stare back until one of them says "I had no idea you were one of -those- kinds of people."  Now, as this is the first time I've ever really gotten this type of reaction, I ask "What do you mean?"  Between the two of them, they stammered out the general Rennie stereotypes--pot-smoking hippies, stuck in fantasy, weird, mildly insane, out of touch with reality, horny, drunkards--basically a lot of rubbish (well, -some- of it could be accurate for me, but y'know.  xD).  I quickly corrected them, and generally let them know that stereotypes were not welcome, and that perhaps they should actually attend a Faire and see how horribly wrong they were.  They quickly left.  I had a good laugh over it, though.  Some people just don't -get- it.

Wow, I've never heard THAT sort of reaction before.  The standard reaction I get is, "What's a RenFaire?"  Which is usually the point at which I start attempting to gain another convert to Faire.   :D

Quote from: AnyuBoo on June 15, 2008, 09:56:49 AM
Given that there are so many kilts out there, especially during Faire season, it's pretty amazing just how few people actually know what they are.   :D  (Even here, although the place abounds with pipe bands.)

Well, to be fair, I don't know that I saw a real person (not in a book, TV, etc) in a kilt until I went to Faire 4 years ago.  Also, while Lawton is not a small town (Army base & a university there) lots of smaller towns surround it & some people in those towns 'don't get out much'! (I grew up in a 'go out to the middle-of-nowhere, take a right' town so I grew up with people like those of which I speak!!)

It's gotten to the point that we just don't freak anyone out anymore.  There was a group of us that would hit Ihop early morning on the way to faire for TRF, and we wind up with the same server that recognises us and knows where we're heading.

My newest freak out story was this past year with my captain after Scarby.  He was rather ... happy (read: drunk) and we stopped in the Pizza Hut at 287 and 77 to pick up a pizza.  Now we didn't order before hand so we had to wait.  And he took advantage of the time to extol the virtues of faire to the fairly freaked out mundanes also waiting for their order.  Whether he converted them or caused them to run screaming from the store I'm not sure.

OK, so I'm standing outside the men's room at a Flying J while Falcone is using it and I'm in this garb:
(http://a5.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/106/l_1357f8d74d7e24a30ff6d3395b5492e4.jpg)

This 'dane comes up to me with a concerned look on her face and says:
"Are you a cossack?"

I looked at her and, adopting a thick Scottish brogue, said "What?  Ye think I be Russian?"

She looked at me, cocked her head, then said "whew... I thought the Russians were invading," and left.

I STILL don't know what that was all about... but it's kinda funny.

Every year before heading out to faire, I walk over to the local store to purchase any last minute necessities prior to leaving.

Two or three years ago, while standing in line in full wench garb, the clerk asked me (after staring at me and mustering her courage):

"So, are you from Little House on the Prairie or what?"

wench bodice= Laura Ingalls Wilder?  ???

For the past few years now, I've been allowed to dress in garb at work during the Catskill Mountain Ren Fest, as I work in the local resort.  I had on an apron over my garb, my hair in a snood.

I noticed one couple staring at me through the open window in one of the rooms I was cleaning. Thinking it was the room they were going in to, I stepped to the door and told them the room would be ready in a few minutes. They walked away and I went back to cleaning the room.

A while later, I was just finishing my last room, when I noticed the same couple staring at me through THAT window. As I picked up my cleaning supplies, they walked in to the room and said "You Amish people really do know how to clean, don't you?"

All I could do was drop a curtsy and go to my linen room.

The next morning, my boss at the time told me that one of my guests complimented her for hiring that "really nice Amish lady."  ::)

I have the habit of going to the store or bank before or after the faire so I earned my share of stares and comments from "Are you working to Medieval Times?" to "Are you an actress?". But my all time favorite is "Are you working for a circus?" from a little one, no more than 6 or so. I was ready to ask him how he got to that conclusion when I realized he was petting my fox pelt hanging at my belt.
The guys at the supermarket across the street from me don't bat an eye when they see me. Usually they ask what faire I'm going this time.
Funny, one time a guy asked me if I work for Hooters. I told him No and he said "You should".

On the way to VARF last Sunday morning, we stopped in garb at McDonald's for breakfast, where a young lady (of Hispanic origin) who worked there asked if we were Polish?   :o We just smiled and thanked her for allowing us visit her beautiful country.

"The next morning, my boss at the time told me that one of my guests complimented her for hiring that "really nice Amish lady." "

Trying to form the mental picture of an Amish woman floofing.  Owwwwwwww!!!!!!!!! :o

Dayna

rofl pooor mundanes they just don't get it do they.

Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on June 05, 2008, 06:30:43 PM
Last year, we went to the Renaissance Festival at the Amana Colonies in May, where it rained so hard, after 1 hour of standing under a picnic pavilion with about 400 other people, we decided to leave and get some lunch in the downtown tourist area.

Steve had on his pirate garb, and I had on wench garb, with 2 overskirts, hat, pewter mug and pouch hanging from the belt -- the usual.  I was wearing a new bodice and looking rather "fluffy" that day in the "girls" dept.

When I went into the restroom, there was a line, so while standing there, a woman asked if I was Amish.  It was all I could do not to laugh and wet my pants, but I kept a straight face and just said "no."

I thought it was the Mennonites who were known for their fluffy girls?  Hmm.. people confuse them with the Amish all the time.  LOL.  Funny story!

I have two.  Morwyn and I had gotten lost en route to a faire once so we stopped at a small ma & pa gas station/convenience store to ask directions.  Of course everyone stared at us.  Only one old man had the nerve to say something as we paid for purchases at the cash register.  He asked, dead serious, "What are you two?  Witches?" 

The other episode happened just a few  weeks ago on our way to VARF.  We (me and Morwyn again) stopped at a Starbucks on the highway and a male customer asked if we were going to a German festival.   I told him yes, that we we the Saint Pauly girls. 

Just before going to a Ren wedding My D/H and I went to a Wal-mart in garb.... two young children asked what movie set we just came from. Our response "Braveheart II"

There must have been another festival in the VARF area on the last weekend.......We had stopped in a Macdonalds for breakfast on the way to faire........

Now think on this......

All the men are in Green Kilt and Saffron Shirts and the women are all in similar colored attire befitting the garb of the Clan M'Crack.....

So while getting a group picture with the Ronald Macdonald on the bench in the childs playroom...(that is a whole other forum topic story)  ......a women came up to us and asked...

"Are you all going to the Polish festival"

nough said.........

Quote from: Lairde Guardn MCrack on June 19, 2008, 10:21:14 AM
"Are you all going to the Polish festival"

OMG ... I would of had to say ... Are you? Followed by, I take that Super Sized please!

TNRF last year at Motel 6--the morning clerk was an old Southern gentleman.
As I was getting coffee, he said, "Are y'all goin' ta that thar Ren-AY-sance Fest'val?

I looked up with a pleading look in my eyes and said, "PLEASE don't tell my mother I ran off and joined the festival."

Rofl Welsh thats hillarious i would not have been able to say that with a straight face

It comes with being a drama queen..... ;)

Not to mention it comes with being Welsh!   :-*

Dayna Thomas

Let's just say the tellers were a little edgy when I strolled into the bank lobby.  Hey, they should keep their ATM in proper working order!  ;D

Quote from: Mad Jack Wolfe on June 19, 2008, 07:50:42 PM
Let's just say the tellers were a little edgy when I strolled into the bank lobby.  Hey, they should keep their ATM in proper working order!  ;D

I wish I'd been a fly on the wall to see their faces...  :D 
We haven't actually "freaked" any mundanes so far, but we've gotten plenty of stares.

The Saturday morning before Twig (in MN) our group went to breakfast at this charming little eatery run by all sisters and seniors (whole 'nother story about them!  Very cute!), anyway...  I was later in arriving so the rest of the group was already in the other room, seated.  I was wearing your basic wench garb (long sleeve chemise, 2 skirts, bodice, hat, etc), fluffed but not obscene, when an older chap looks at me and says,

"Whoa there!  Where's your canoe?"

WTH?!  What that meant I don't know since I didn't respond, but smiled and walked away.   He was a senior citizen so we're just going to leave it at that.

Marietta he was more than likely confusing you with the fur trappers and rendezvous things that we celebrate farther North.

I managed to freak out a mundane at my hubbies coffee shop with a drawing that I was working on. It was the face of a green man and the person that saw it said, "Wow its a tree with a face in it", as he looked at his friend and said, "that is just creepy!"  I tried to explain the green man to him, afterwards his friend and him were looking at me like I had horns growing out the side of head, I gave up at that point.

Quote from: Mad Jack Wolfe on June 19, 2008, 07:50:42 PM
Let's just say the tellers were a little edgy when I strolled into the bank lobby.  Hey, they should keep their ATM in proper working order!  ;D

Oh, now HOW funny would it have been to have one of the tellers start playing off your attire?

"For the last time, Mad Jack... this be a 'bank'... not ye personal booty stash!"

While in Garb, I mostly get asked if I am going to a "Faire or a play or something..."

My usual answer is "no, why do you ask?"

The locals around TRF all know about the faire, and most of them lament the fact that they can't go b/c they are working.  But growing up in the New Orleans area, we would go to a lot of Sci Fi conventions.  One year, a bunch of us kids went across the street to a McDonalds in typical D&D character-type costumes (tunic, cloak, boots).  We apparently scared the cashier enough for him to call the manager over, who made us take off the cloaks before they would take our order.  I guess they thought we were going to hold up the restaurant.  I mean, our weapons were peace tied!

Quote from: DonaCatalina on June 05, 2008, 08:18:37 AM
At some point we've all had an experience of being somewhere outside of Faire in garb.
We visited a Faire pretty far from homeone year and stayed in a hotel. As we were going down in a group early Saturday morning we had to pass through the area where the other guests were having the breakfast buffet. Most of them were wearing casual clothes and shorts. As we passed one table with 2 older couples, one of the men commented "Ya'll ain't from around here, are you?"
It was all I could do to keep a straight face.

Do you have a funny story?

Well not quite that, but similar experiences.

I was part of a 20ish member science team that had arrived the night before to work on the beach and that night, the storm came in to blow us off, cause us to retreat the next morning. Other people in the morning in the tourist trap restaurant were wondering about this group, somewhat surprised to find out we were a science team. Come to think of it, most of the places we went, were rather surprised.

Another time, I was at a psychology conference and as I was checking out of the hotel, a "The Nutcracker" cast came in, in and out of costumes, complete with their mice heads.

Finally, one summer, I had been working out at the gym at noon and leaving the gym, I encountered this sight that would make one wonder if they were suffereing from sun stroke. Giant Mice, Dogs walking upright, Cats right next to them. Hallucinations out of Alice in Wonderland?...............no, the mascots from various visiting cheerleader squads going into the gym for a workshop.

Getting prepped for TN last season, I stopped at Wal Mart on the way there and was half-in-garb
tights were on, black ones... and boots, but not the breeches over them yet
I had a black Superman shirt on
I'm not sure what anyone thought, didn't care, but the looks were priceless.

Going into the drug store on Rockville Pike in tabard, fluffy, and hose and getting the cashier realizing oh yeah, faire is this weekend, when I was on invasion at MD.

Here's one I just did - freaking Danes while dressed as one.

Most who know me, know of my Didgerido distraction. I was walking through a relatively empty Home Depot the other night. As I walked past the pvc pipe section, I noticed the 2" diameter pvc pipes where about shoulder level with me...

looking around to be sure the coast was clear, I pulled one of the long sections of pipe out toward me a bit...and proceeded to blow a deep drone on it!

It was surprisingly loud & echoed a bit in the store! So I slipped it back and ducked around the corner and waited. Nothing. So I peek back out...nothing's happening...so back I go and do it again. This time I did some cheek popping and a few vocals before seeing some sales associates walking around - looking, trying to find the sound. I played like I was looking at the pipe as they passed...and just as they passed the end of the pipe - I fired off a nice, loud drone and bark!

I thought they were going to jump out of their skin!!! We all got a huge laugh out of it.

That's me Pyrate...heehee  ;D  ok really that one deserves a lol so LOL!

I love it.

Give it to them Molden.

Effing awesome. Molden, I'd have bought a ticket to see that! 

But I'll raise a glass of Yellowtail Merlot to ye, instead! ;D

OK next faire we are both at we are going to home depot!

When I worked at Starbucks, I headed there after Faire closing one night to check my schedule and found the place in an uproar.
A couple of barista's called in sick, so there was two people working.
I jumped on the shift.
(Thankfully they had a spare apron.)
I was working the front bar as fast as I could. After about an hour a nice lady who had been sitting and reading her paper came over to compliment me.
"That was really nice of them to let you help. I just love this place! All sorts of religions can work here!"
Apparently, I had left my peasant's hat on (wear it all day, you forget it's on your head. Like sunglasses) and I was indeed still in a chemise (with bra) and my Ophelia bloomers.

I had to pause and wonder.. what sort of religion dresses like that?

Quote from: lilaney on July 03, 2008, 03:47:36 PM

I had to pause and wonder.. what sort of religion dresses like that?

I think some people must live in a cave somewhere, where they listen to conservative music and are only provided with certain clothing.  Either that, or they consider Faire a religion.

Quote from: tigrlily64 on July 03, 2008, 04:26:33 PM

Quote from: lilaney on July 03, 2008, 03:47:36 PM

I had to pause and wonder.. what sort of religion dresses like that?

... Either that, or they consider Faire a religion.

You mean it isn't?

I know this is an old thread...

I went to CRF this year on Nov. 1st...in my faery outfit that I'd made for Halloween. So, first thing in the morn (7:30am) I go into the local gas station and the clerk gives me this odd look, then finally asked if I'd forgotten to go home. I guess that's a reasonable reaction, but still funny to me.

On our way home, we stopped at the Chik-fil-a in Charlotte...me as a faery without wings, my friend and dad in normal clothes...I got some strange looks.

Quote from: Emma on November 13, 2008, 01:34:19 AM


I went to CRF this year on Nov. 1st...in my faery outfit that I'd made for Halloween. So, first thing in the morn (7:30am) I go into the local gas station and the clerk gives me this odd look, then finally asked if I'd forgotten to go home. I guess that's a reasonable reaction, but still funny to me.

That's a good one. Going to faire the morning after Halloween doesn't happen very often.  ;D

Hehe.  That's funny. :)

I have another Halloween related one.  Happened a few years ago.  A group of my friends and I had just finished performing at a haunted house.  It was the start of October, so, Halloween season but still early for people in costumes.  On the way home, one of my friends decided she really needed something to drink.  On a lark, all of us, still in our costumes, decided to go into the gas station mini-mart.  I have no idea what the clerk was thinking, but he sure had a strange look on his face as his store filled up with vampires, zombies, and demons.  *evil grin*

So this year at Scarby, we stayed at my moms house about 1hr north of the faire.  She works at a hospital and wanted us to come by and meet her new co-workers there before heading down to fair (we also had to drop off her house key).  This day my twin sister and I dressed in our fairy garb with our giant wings and all on...  Upon entering the front we were stopped by the front desk and given directions to the childrens floor at which we said we were actually just there to see our mom.  Quite a few times though we saw children around the hospital and their parents proceeded to explain to them that we were real fairies and a few asked for pics with us....  No one seemed all that surprised even and every just played along like we were supposed to be in garb at a hospital... THAT was VERY weird for sure!!!

That would have been awesome if it was a different sort of hospital.   ;D

I just thought of another one.. so many you know!

This past weekend we were at LARF and a few of us wanted to go out to dinner.  My sister and I had already changed into our belly dancer garb and really had nothing else to wear anyhow, so we went to dinner in that.  When we got there, we went straight to the restrooms and as we were leaving there were 3 16 year old girls coming in with very fancy dresses on.  The looks on their faces was priceless... I swear we caused some of them to pee their pants.  Upon leaving, we heard someone talking about prom and so it all clicked for us. These poor girls were out at their nicest local restaurant and just couldn't figure out what these jingling strange woman were doing there also!!!  When we left, we also had the WHOLE restaurant staring at us with quite horrified looks.  Oh and on another note, our waitress was a hoot.  She was probably 18 or so, and we were trying to explain our garb to her, that in the evening we like to dress a little more bawdy than during the day... She was so confused and said "what's bawdy?"  So we said it's like "it's like risque"... she said "I don't know what risque is"... then the 4 of us start blurting out all the synoyms we could think of  "lewd, vulgar, raunchy..."  and she still is standing there with this puzzled look...  We gave up at that point!!!  We held back from telling her to try reading sometime, it might do her some good, what DO they teach kids these days??

Quote from: LadyElizabeth on November 13, 2008, 11:48:11 AM
I just thought of another one.. so many you know!

This past weekend we were at LARF and a few of us wanted to go out to dinner.  My sister and I had already changed into our belly dancer garb and really had nothing else to wear anyhow, so we went to dinner in that.  When we got there, we went straight to the restrooms and as we were leaving there were 3 16 year old girls coming in with very fancy dresses on.  The looks on their faces was priceless... I swear we caused some of them to pee their pants.  Upon leaving, we heard someone talking about prom and so it all clicked for us. These poor girls were out at their nicest local restaurant and just couldn't figure out what these jingling strange woman were doing there also!!!  When we left, we also had the WHOLE restaurant staring at us with quite horrified looks.  Oh and on another note, our waitress was a hoot.  She was probably 18 or so, and we were trying to explain our garb to her, that in the evening we like to dress a little more bawdy than during the day... She was so confused and said "what's bawdy?"  So we said it's like "it's like risque"... she said "I don't know what risque is"... then the 4 of us start blurting out all the synoyms we could think of  "lewd, vulgar, raunchy..."  and she still is standing there with this puzzled look...  We gave up at that point!!!  We held back from telling her to try reading sometime, it might do her some good, what DO they teach kids these days??

you should have just started singing that c/w tune "i like my women a little on the trashy side" and she probably would have gotten it, lol!  poor kid.

My funniest Mundane shock was after the Ravenshire festival this summer, My little boy, my sweetie and his workers went to the local McD's and it was like 10 so the place was empty minus the workers.. In come 4 pirates, my self in my tamer wench, and the moster in his mini pirate outfit complete with little sash and tail..
Let the gwaking ensue...

The guys were feeling frisky and I was beat, the next thing I know my sweetie was saying something about period porn and yanked my skirts above my ankles.. The workers just about whipped out their phones to take a picture!

Goog times!

LOL, I'm serious laughing histerically under my breath while here at work... I can only imagine what those teenagers "thought" they were going to get to see...

But seriously, at fair when I'm in my QE1 garb and my shoe gets undone, I've had guys fight over who gets to do it up...  I'm wearing bloomers and thigh high socks, so it's not like they are going to get a show down there, yet they act like they're seeing something naughty, a Queens ankle...  Isn't it weird sometimes just HOW into fair we all get and begin to think like they did back then??

Three of us were on our way to a small Faire, and decided to stop at Safeway for some snacks. We were in Pirate garb and got quite a few looks. When someone stopped and asked what were dressed up for, my daughter's fiancee , with a perfectly offended look on his face, said , " I don't know what you mean, we are just taking the ship out for a sail around the bay!" and walked off. (of course there IS no "bay" anywhere near here!) ;D

Once upon a faire ... I needed to pick up some treats at Sam's Club and was also running late.  So I go running through the store, grab the goodies and race to registers to check out, then I go racing back to my car.  All in FULL and LACED wench garb.

Yeah ... I was getting more than a few odd looks!  But in hindsight ... I might have provided interesting entertainment.

"jog jog, jiggle jiggle".... hehe! :D

I guess I'm to new of a Rennie to have great stories like everyone's.  I'm hoping to have some great stories though. 

Thank you all for sharing!!

:)

Quote from: Molden on June 27, 2008, 03:00:52 PM
Here's one I just did - freaking Danes while dressed as one.

Most who know me, know of my Didgerido distraction. I was walking through a relatively empty Home Depot the other night. As I walked past the pvc pipe section, I noticed the 2" diameter pvc pipes where about shoulder level with me...

looking around to be sure the coast was clear, I pulled one of the long sections of pipe out toward me a bit...and proceeded to blow a deep drone on it!

It was surprisingly loud & echoed a bit in the store! So I slipped it back and ducked around the corner and waited. Nothing. So I peek back out...nothing's happening...so back I go and do it again. This time I did some cheek popping and a few vocals before seeing some sales associates walking around - looking, trying to find the sound. I played like I was looking at the pipe as they passed...and just as they passed the end of the pipe - I fired off a nice, loud drone and bark!

I thought they were going to jump out of their skin!!! We all got a huge laugh out of it.

I just snorted biscuit. That was hilarious and I'd a been doin' it with you had we been together. ^_^

~ Codi Lyn

Well, the range has been from mothers grabbing their kids and muttering about gypsies to free dinners at a restaurant.

On the topic of being asked whether you're going to faire, please respond with a yes and ask whether you'll be seeing them there.  The event can use all the admissions it can get.

I keep adding to my list of businesses which are willing to put a poster in their windows and/or are willing to display rack cards/coupons for the event.  We've got to keep our faires healthy so that we continue to have playpens.

Generally, if I am in garb in the mundane world, and someone asks me what I am dressed up for, I will give them a confused look, like I don't understand what they are talking about, and say something catchy like, "It's Saturday".  ;)

Really Freaking the Mundanes

Unfortunately for us (and its really sad) when we are wearing our Templar knight robes or surcoats out in the general public we are usually asked on occasion if we are the Ku Klux Klan. Not to mention the confusion, double takes, and not-so-pleasant looks we receive from people of a different race.

There was even a time I was standing in MY garage (former neighborhood) with my surcoat on awaiting for the rest of my family to get ready as we were planning to attend our local faire.  While standing in the garage a mini van full of people of a different race drove by and saw me standing in the front of the garage. They immediately slowed way down, and drove by starring at me as if they saw a ghost! 

They immediately drove around the neighborhood and passed by again.  I actually didn't make the connection at first, and then it dawned on me.  During their second pass is when I waved at them with my helm in the other hand and I believe at that point I think they realized that it was a false alarm.

Then again, I wasn't 100% sure if they realized that I wasn't who they thought I was, and as sad as it is, believe it or not,  anticipated some acts of vandalism to my property.  It never happened.

Bottom line now is, we don't put our surcoats & robes on now till we are on the faire grounds. 

I have had to result in re-educating people on many of occasion. Not to mention the over abundance of ignorance that goes with it. 

Sad but true


(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Renaissance%20Album/Onthemovethumbnail_Photo.jpg)

You know, I kind of do see the resemblance, but since when did KKK members wear those robes in PUBLIC???  It makes you wonder if maybe the original KKK took their design from the Templars due to the similarity?

I am always surprised ( even after all these years) of the assumptions that some mudanes will jump to when they see faire folk in garb. Years ago, in a town I won't mention, we lived in a small group of houses right down the road from a growing young faire.  As long time members of the S.C.A. we were thrilled to have a Faire open up so close. Every weekend we would get ready in our finest reny garb and trek down with the children in tow to attend the Faire. Every weekend the neighbors would gather in their yards and stare. The last weekend of the faire the observers assemble in the neighbor's yard directly across the street from our house. The leader of the cul-de-sac pack courageously came forward to inquire if we were part of the Satan Celebration down the road at that *place*. We tried to explain... we really did, but we might have well been talking to a stone wall.

Whilst attending an All Hallows Eve party at a local tavern, I was approached by a group of wenches who promptly stated, "Oh, we love your costume!". I promptly replied without hesitation, "What costume are you referring to , madam!".

Satan Celebration?!?!?!

As for Knights Templar looking like the KKK, the KKK doesn't have big red crosses on their fronts, they don't carry swords and they wear hoods.  The KKK outfits actually look very much like the robes worn by penitents in the middle ages in Spain (I believe) who used to flog themselves to atone for their sins.

Don't the schools teach this stuff anymore? 

Dayna

Did I just hear a halo pop!

But they do have very similar looking red crosses on their arms!!  And who knows if they carry swords or guns or what....  I'm watching CNN live now with video of the KKK who killed this woman and then dug out the bullet with a knife.... so they carry guns and knives and the outfits shown are truly similar, not exact, but who really knows those details if they aren't into historic garb!!!  On this thread alone, you can see mundanes sheer lack of knowledge of garb!!

But ya, they don't have hoods...

Fanaticism is fanaticism through out the ages, no matter what the uniform. It's mother is intolerance and it's father is hatred.

Having staked my preceptory in the land of Alabama, I can absolutely relate to what Brother William has said. I actually had my neighbor pull his little girl back in the house, when I was outside fixing my gear and taking photos.
The problem with the mass of society is they just take the "quick glance" and that's enough to suit their intellectual intentions (how ever shallow some of those might be).
I constantly point out down here, that the "proud defenders of the White race" conceal their identity behind a white hood for fear of being "mistreated", and supposedly to instill fear in the lesser folks: their targets being Jews, African Americans, Catholics (for those that don't get the bold type- Templars were the premier military strong arm of the Catholic Church), and anyone who doesn't agree with their ideology (it's quite funny though, I don't see them picking up a weapon and supporting the Global War on Terror abroad, against a real threat, probably because they're cowards).
Didn't anyone notice the gleeming of my Norman helm, let alone a 13th century Great Helm?
They also don't wear armor or sport 3 feet of Frankish steel, and nobody's gaze ever makes it to the foot wear.
Yes the Templars had a multitude of cross designs, so it might be easy for some to relate "ours" with "theirs", but upon a not even detailed inspection, you'll note that their cross usually sports another emblem within it a circular background.
I blame all this on a weak educational system when it comes to history, the crap that Hollywood puts out most of the time, and the general feeling that a lot of people just don't care to do any research.

Will it ever be fixed..probably not, but me and my Order Brothers are doing our best to spread the word.

So the next time you're at a gathering, faire, festival, or rendezvous, pay a little attention when you walk by or up to my Brothers of the Temple. I'll bet the Templar treasury that you'll hear "Pax vobiscum", or "Deus vult", before you hear the "WP" catch phrase of the mob in white.



FYI:
Identification Friend or Foe pocket reference card
(feel free to print and use at your pleasure)

(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii245/Warrior_Monk/ff.jpg)


FYI: Even the list of Myths associated with the Templars doesn't include anything to do with the other rabble!

I find that a lot of the postings in this thread discuss the confusion of the public when they see us out of the context of the event.

I take this as an opportunity to educate those willing to listen about the event with the intent of encouraging them to visit it.  Faires, at least those I consider to be homes, can use an infusion of new blood among the participants.  Many of the exchanges in the Cuthbert Yahoo groups are discusions of ills associated with aging.

So come on down.  We need your bodies and your devotion to faire.  Admittedly, many will have to modify their garb to conform to the requirements of the event and adopt a persona within the event context.  But you will have made the transition from playtron to participant.  If you're willing to work at it, we'll welcome you with open arms.

And, yes, I do understand that not all faires have large numbers of participants but rely on a relatively small core of theme characters.  My only experience with the latter has been the Arizona Renaissance Faire.  The flavor is different.

Quote from: Warrior_Monk on November 15, 2008, 07:19:52 AM
Having staked my preceptory in the land of Alabama, I can absolutely relate to what Brother William has said. I actually had my neighbor pull his little girl back in the house, when I was outside fixing my gear and taking photos.
The problem with the mass of society is they just take the "quick glance" and that's enough to suit their intellectual intentions (how ever shallow some of those might be).
I constantly point out down here, that the "proud defenders of the White race" conceal their identity behind a white hood for fear of being "mistreated", and supposedly to instill fear in the lesser folks: their targets being Jews, African Americans, Catholics (for those that don't get the bold type- Templars were the premier military strong arm of the Catholic Church), and anyone who doesn't agree with their ideology (it's quite funny though, I don't see them picking up a weapon and supporting the Global War on Terror abroad, against a real threat, probably because they're cowards).
Didn't anyone notice the gleeming of my Norman helm, let alone a 13th century Great Helm?
They also don't wear armor or sport 3 feet of Frankish steel, and nobody's gaze ever makes it to the foot wear.
Yes the Templars had a multitude of cross designs, so it might be easy for some to relate "ours" with "theirs", but upon a not even detailed inspection, you'll note that their cross usually sports another emblem within it a circular background.
I blame all this on a weak educational system when it comes to history, the crap that Hollywood puts out most of the time, and the general feeling that a lot of people just don't care to do any research.

Will it ever be fixed..probably not, but me and my Order Brothers are doing our best to spread the word.

So the next time you're at a gathering, faire, festival, or rendezvous, pay a little attention when you walk by or up to my Brothers of the Temple. I'll bet the Templar treasury that you'll hear "Pax vobiscum", or "Deus vult", before you hear the "WP" catch phrase of the mob in white.



FYI:
Identification Friend or Foe pocket reference card
(feel free to print and use at your pleasure)

(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii245/Warrior_Monk/ff.jpg)

FYI: Even the list of Myths associated with the Templars doesn't include anything to do with the other rabble!

Thank you brother.

I might add that this weekend while working at my nightclub we were promoting "Fantasy Night" and I was requested by the staff to dress in some of my knightly attire.

For the simple reason of NOT wanting to offend anyone (and especially when alcohol is involved) I chose not to represent the poor knights of Solomon and opted for the Knights Malta. For those not familiar with the attire of the Knights of Malta of the 13th century, it is a red surcoat with a large white Malta cross on the chest. 

Then, to keep it simple and comfortable I wore a white linen tunic underneath, white linen braies & chausses. Then I strapped on a brass studded medieval belt and then added footwear of the period.

Now,  in the course of the night,  I was asked once "Wheres Little John?" and "Your the Pope..right?" then the topper "Are you suppose to be the KKK?" at LEAST a half dozen times through out the evening.  (http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Smileys/jpshakehead.gif)

I asked several of them, "How do you see, or associate this outfit with the KKK?"  their reply was "I thought you was like the wizard or master" OMG..Here we go again!  (http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Smileys/jpshakehead.gif)

Quote from: LadyElizabeth on November 14, 2008, 09:50:15 AM
It makes you wonder if maybe the original KKK took their design from the Templars due to the similarity?

When the KKK was born in 1865 there wasn't any white robes. Not until 1915 when a controversial silent film called "Birth of a Nation" was released.

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Stuff/Birth_of_a_nation_1915.jpg)

This is when the traditional white robes made their official debut. Originally, some say that the white robes were to represent the ghost of the lost confederate army arising from the depths of Hell to scare any superstitious blacks of the time. 

Although, some also say there is a Crusader influence too. There is some argument about the KKK's logo. While some sources state that it was originally a saltire reflecting the Confederate flag, and the St Andrew's Cross, others say that it was never slanted . If the Crusader influence is authentic, then the latter may be true.

Below is the insignia of the KKK today.  The main characteristic of the klans cross is the centered triangle with the blood drop in the middle.

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Stuff/images-3.jpg)

Below is a "Greek Potent Triangular Cross". It is believed by many reputable historians as the most popular cross of Templars during the crusades.  It has been carved in the walls of fortresses, and some of the most holiest landmarks in Jerusalem.

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Renaissance%20Album/283px-Cross_of_the_Knights_Templar.png)

Is it that confusing? I suppose it is for most mundanes!

Quote from: unilady on November 14, 2008, 02:01:05 PM
The KKK outfits actually look very much like the robes worn by penitents in the middle ages in Spain (I believe) who used to flog themselves to atone for their sins.

Perhaps you were referring to a Spanish flagellent?

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Stuff/200px-Spanish_flagellant_Christian_.png)



Spanish flagellents appear very much like the White Penitents of the Archconfraternity of the Gonfalone, that was established in 1264 Rome. 

Then again, Spanish flagellents could of been confraternity of White Penitents, as there was about a hundred of them at the time.  Rome could only keep track of them by the different colors and garb they chose to represent their different fraternities.  Example: there was white, black, red, blue, grey, green and violet to name a few.


(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Stuff/hw460x276.jpg)

However which one, you are correct.  Most of them from ancient time, and still today inflict pain upon themselves as a form of penance.

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Stuff/selfflagellation.jpg)

got neosporin?

Quote from: unilady on November 14, 2008, 02:01:05 PM
Don't the schools teach this stuff anymore? 

I'm starting to think they don't anymore or haven't in sometime!





Pax Vobiscum

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Renaissance%20Album/JerusalemCross.jpg)

WM

Guess I'll be canceling my cable subscription to History Channel International! All the good stuff happens on these threads!

Well done Brother William.


BTW, if folks can't do some studying on history, and just want to keep associating us with "less desirables", I might change my attire to something cheaper......like...........Warrior Jesters..............not!

I find this slightly humorous since, after seeing Bob and I in our faire garb for several weekends a year for the last 5 years...none of which includes tabbards of any kind...mostly our pirate garb; our neighbor FINALLY asked where we were going.  Bob told him the Renaissance Faire.  To which our neighbor asked, "aren't those just for white people?"  HECK NO Bob says, and proceeds to give him a long recommendation/invitation to come on out with the grandkids.  While we haven't seen our neighbor at faire yet, he did seem relieved when he said, "Whew, I was afraid y'all had 'gone klan' on me." 

Amazing...how the heck he got "klan" from a 17th century frock coat and knee breeches...and my bodice...I'll never know. :D

Quote from: Amyj on November 16, 2008, 01:44:43 PM
I find this slightly humorous since, after seeing Bob and I in our faire garb for several weekends a year for the last 5 years...none of which includes tabbards of any kind...mostly our pirate garb; our neighbor FINALLY asked where we were going.  Bob told him the Renaissance Faire.  To which our neighbor asked, "aren't those just for white people?"  HECK NO Bob says, and proceeds to give him a long recommendation/invitation to come on out with the grandkids.  While we haven't seen our neighbor at faire yet, he did seem relieved when he said, "Whew, I was afraid y'all had 'gone klan' on me." 

Amazing...how the heck he got "klan" from a 17th century frock coat and knee breeches...and my bodice...I'll never know. :D

The same way a lady in a restaurant where we had gone to eat because the faire was rained out saw me wearing my bodice (very, very fluffy), chemise, long skirt with a another skirt hiked up, a dagger, assorted pouches, and a hat asked me if I was Amish.

Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on November 16, 2008, 10:03:05 PM
The same way a lady in a restaurant where we had gone to eat because the faire was rained out saw me wearing my bodice (very, very fluffy), chemise, long skirt with a another skirt hiked up, a dagger, assorted pouches, and a hat asked me if I was Amish.

Kind of makes me wonder if was it your very fluffy bodice or the dagger that made her think you were Amish?   ;)  Such great stories from everyone and very informative as well, I've learned a lot.  Thank you all for sharing.

I stopped for gas on the way to the faire a couple of weeks ago and as I was walking in one of the other customers looked at me (I was dressed in a medieval outfit with hood, tunic, chausse and braies) and asked, "Are you an elf?"

I said, "No, I'd be a pretty fat elf!"

Quote from: unilady on November 14, 2008, 02:01:05 PM

Don't the schools teach this stuff anymore? 

Dayna

Didn't you know? Its politically incorrect to teach this in school now. Teaching the history of a racist group   or explaining what the images mean is just as bad as BEING racist yourself.

Education isn't being dumbed down because people are lazy, its being dumbed down because people are afraid of being offended. Or, "if you teach my kid WHY those images are racist, instead just that they are, he'll want to use them and become racist himself!"  hey, if a kid knows why something is bad, and still chooses to internalize it, at least they'll have a better understanding what it is their getting into, instead of doing it blindly as a poor choice of rebellion.

I've noticed that in primary education, its very hard to teach what the symbols found in history mean.  I remember when I was still in highschool, noticing that there were certain images found repeatedly in European history. I wanted to know what they meant and the teacher told me they were religious symbols and they would have a hard time teaching them and convincing people that they were not trying to convert students to said religions.  kinda sad when you think about how much will be lost because of that attitude.

In Kentucky, a waitress at the restaraunt RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE FAIRE actually asked me if my YARN faire hair was my REAL hair!!!!

For christs sake! It's red and black, and down to my backside! IT'S YARN PEOPLE!!!!!!

Spanish flagellents, yes, Thank You.  As for PC Education, don't let me get started, suffice it to say it's a good thing I never had children, as I believe if you tell someone Why something is bad, it's much likelier to stick than to simply say "Because I said so".

Dayna

Teaching children to think and reason once more, rather than teaching a test. All children left behind!

Well thanks guys for all the great education on the KKK and the templars!!  I will now be able to go hit on the cute templar guys at fair and have something intelligent to say about it...

Quote from: LadyElizabeth on November 17, 2008, 04:11:23 PM
Well thanks guys for all the great education on the KKK and the templars!!  I will now be able to go hit on the cute templar guys at fair and have something intelligent to say about it...

M'lady, rest assured from the looks of it, that most "Templar Guys" will relish the challenge you will present them to the Templar Rule statute 71.  :P ;D

Allow me to introduce Templar Rule #71 for your reading M'Lady..

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i231/LittleCasino/Renaissance%20Album/th50px-Cross_of_the_Knights_Temp-1.png)  Rule 71. Let Them Not Have Familiarity with Woman

We believe it to be a dangerous thing for any religious to look too much upon the face of a woman. For this reason none of you may presume to kiss a woman, be it widow, young girl, mother, sister, aunt or any other; and henceforth the knighthood of Jesus Christ should avoid at all cost the embraces of woman, by which men have perished many times, so that they may remain eternally before the face of God with a pure conscience and sure life

Must be many templars walking with a limp, eh?

Hehe....  :o Well, I'd "Hate" to be a temptress....  :-*

As the Sun hates to shine.....dear Lady!

I live in the middle of amish country, seriously all my neighbors are amish.  So I'm coming home from GLMF with some friends, and we stop for gas (I wonder why almost everyone stops for gas before or after the faire) we all get out and walk around a bit.  The owner was there and asked one of my friends if he was amish...then before he could answer asked why he was with a bunch of monks.  (Three of us were dressed as monks, one was dressed as a fairie, and the last was dressed like a barbarian [he was the one asked])  He just stared at the man and walked out.  About 30 seconds later he returned pulling an amish kid in behind him.  My friend points to the kid and says "amish," then pays the kid five bucks and turns to the owner again and says "are you daft?!"

Quote from: LadyElizabeth on November 18, 2008, 01:00:44 PM
Hehe....  :o Well, I'd "Hate" to be a temptress....  :-*

Have fun M'Lady!  ;)

Quote from: LadyElizabeth on November 18, 2008, 01:00:44 PM
Hehe....  :o Well, I'd "Hate" to be a temptress....  :-*

A confession we hear?

My second faire ever which was okrf at muskogee my parents who are eternally mundane kept making cracks about my garb I had a silk headdess on which I had tied back kind of romanesque/movie ren maiden like I hadn't done tons of reserch yet hangs head but albeitto say they keep cally my arab not Arab but the other and I got some real wierded out looks when we stopped for gas but I just held my head high and said the closer we get to castleton  we see who laughs last which ended up me  ;)

Quote from: Thorn of Tribe Ravenor on November 18, 2008, 04:47:29 PM

  About 30 seconds later he returned pulling an amish kid in behind him.  My friend points to the kid and says "amish," then pays the kid five bucks and turns to the owner again and says "are you daft?!"

Oh my God! lol, makes me what to bring an Amish family traveling to faire with me, just so I can show the difference in clothing between Amish and Rennie

This is fun.

We have a new faire just getting started near us http://www.wildroserenfaire.net/index.html  shameless plug.
This year it ran weekends in October.  It is located in Columbus, Pa which is a rural town suburb of Corry which is just a small town.   Myself, my husband our 3 kids and a friend of ours know the people who run it and decide to help advertise by going to breakfast in garb at the local Perkins.

We walk in and the lady it the hostess station is probably in her 50's.  She says isn't a little early for a Halloween party.  So we explain where we are going and she still looks shell shocked.  They seat us in the back in the Garden room mostly out of sight.  Of course as we walk through everone is staring at the family of weirdos.  Me and the 3 kids are dressed as pirates, my husband and his friend more of the cavalier style.  My 10 year old daughter has on a full length hooded cloak.  (Hey it can be cold in north western PA in October) Well evidently they did not warn the poor waitress.  She is about 20 she comes around the corner to our table the look on her face was priceless.  It took her a full minute to recover and get our drink orders.  When she came back she was better and asked where we were going.  We explained about the faire and how it was just getting started and we wanted to advertise a little.  When we left we left her a decent tip as well as a free pass to the faire.  We went there at least one day every weekend while it was going on and had a pretty good reaction each time.  But it accomplished the goal.  It made people ask questions.  I think a few of them even stopped over.

Quote from: Rahne on November 20, 2008, 09:12:36 AM
This is fun.

We have a new faire just getting started near us http://www.wildroserenfaire.net/index.html  shameless plug.
This year it ran weekends in October.  It is located in Columbus, Pa which is a rural town suburb of Corry which is just a small town.   Myself, my husband our 3 kids and a friend of ours know the people who run it and decide to help advertise by going to breakfast in garb at the local Perkins.

We walk in and the lady it the hostess station is probably in her 50's.  She says isn't a little early for a Halloween party.  So we explain where we are going and she still looks shell shocked.  They seat us in the back in the Garden room mostly out of sight.  Of course as we walk through everone is staring at the family of weirdos.  Me and the 3 kids are dressed as pirates, my husband and his friend more of the cavalier style.  My 10 year old daughter has on a full length hooded cloak.  (Hey it can be cold in north western PA in October) Well evidently they did not warn the poor waitress.  She is about 20 she comes around the corner to our table the look on her face was priceless.  It took her a full minute to recover and get our drink orders.  When she came back she was better and asked where we were going.  We explained about the faire and how it was just getting started and we wanted to advertise a little.  When we left we left her a decent tip as well as a free pass to the faire.  We went there at least one day every weekend while it was going on and had a pretty good reaction each time.  But it accomplished the goal.  It made people ask questions.  I think a few of them even stopped over.

LOL!  I lived in that area for many years...I'm quite familiar with that Perkins restaurant.  Their reactions don't really surprise me, but I would have loved to have been there to see the looks on their faces.  Didn't get up to WildRose this year, but hoping to make it next season.

A stop at Sheetz is mandatory before going to the faire.  The best reaction, a collective stare from the entire store, happened when I walked in with chainmail and tabard, tunic, tail...and fake Versace sunglasses...and kept dicking around with the ATM machine.

Wild Rose was fun this year, grew a little bit and hopefully it will grow a little more.  I really enjoyed those trips to Perkins in the morning though ;)

Thanksgiving weekend at TRF was interesting in more ways than one. We stayed at the Best Western in Tomball. Friday night when we got back to the hotel, someone had reported a heavy smell of smoke in the second floor hallway. The maintenance people were in the middle of checking rooms when the four of us walked in fully garbed.
We got to stand around and be gawked at for about 40 minutes until they determined that two people
had been smoking in a non-smoking room.

The title of this thread is "Freaking the Mundanes."  Well, mine doesn't have to do with a Ren Fest, but a Highland games; so, I hope it still qualifies.  The Salado Clan Gathering & Highland Games is held EVERY YEAR in the small Texas town of Salado, Texas.  I stopped in a convenience store in my kilt and sporran, and hose, etc. to get some ice for my cooler.  The convenience store clerk asked why I was in a skirt.  I said, "It's a kilt and I'm participating in the Highland games....right next door to you....with all the signs, saying 'Highland Games'."  He didn't have a clue...I guess he was new to town.

After faire at Bristol we would often head out for a bite to eat.  Never received stares because everyone was so used to seeing rennies!

At faire I was wearing my middle class outfit.  A man asks if I am the queen.

In high school I did a project on the renaissance.  I dressed in garb, lots of looks.
For an art project I made a suit of armor out of cardboard, managed to get my boyfriend at the time to wear it at school!
For history class we were studying the guillotine and French history.  I made a full sized guillotine, dressed the entire class in French outfits, and proceeded to "cut off" someone's head!  ;D

I was at a Civil War reenactment and in my artillery uniform, a women stops and asks if I am Canadian!  :o

Last year for Halloween I decided to wear my Civil War uniform.  A little boy came up dressed as Indiana Jones.  His mom points at me and says "Look, another Indiana Jones."   ???

I live in Austin, so you'd have to look really, really, reallllly weird to get a reaction here.  We had a couple at our apartment complex ask if we were going to faire once.   We jokingly said "Faire?  What faire?!"  before comfirming that we were indeed headed to faire.  And I suppose all the little stops between Austin and TRF are used rennies making a pit stop as they never seem to notice much, either.

My experience is the opposite...sort of an unexpected non-experience.  I went into a Wendy's after SRF in Fulton, NY in full on nobility garb and the cashiers looked up to take my order, as they would anyone else, proceeded to fetch my frosty and fries, and then sent us on our way.  Must be used to our type out there...

Ohh my best was when a young black woman looked at me and said(see he does not look gay in that.) Then I stood up and looked them both in the eye hand on my sword and said "this helps alot I bet"

Then they got scared. heeh

 Tis sad when I stop to pump gas in full garb- no one bats and eye! I do get a few smiles and when I head for the rest room- I get-"is the faire going on now?" Alas! from here to TRF they are used to Rennies!
Lord A and I stopped at the Quiznos  near Scarby in black wizard garb and a poor lady crossed herself seeing us. What a nasty look. I guess she thought we were devil worshipers- not just wizards!
We used to go out for Breakfast in garb at the I-hop near Scarby! That was fun. The kids eating there loved it too! We met several families later on at faire!

We had our first experience with someone openly staring, and with some people who clearly didn't like what they saw I guess.  We stopped on our way back from CTRF at a Whataburger for some dinner.  While there, a man and his teenage daughter, plus another small family, were all staring at us the entire time we they were in there.  Then when we left, a truck load of guys were laughing and pointing.  So we decided to do a little dance - you know, give them a show, since they were clearly so entertained already.

A little background: I went to a very small private school for highschool. The faculty knew me, and knew that I had interest in faire and history, to the point that after the first time I showed up in garb, and asked if I could carry my sword, if I had it tied, they batted an eye, but didn't say anything. After a few times, I stopped asking, and just showed up in garb and armed.
Our mascot was the Cavaliers, so I would sometimes show up to pep rallies and games in garb (got me in free at away games).
I did get in trouble, when armed with a real blade, I challenged the opposing schools mascot to a duel during halftime of their homecomming game.
At another time, when doing a 'spirit week' we were all supposed to dress as twins. One of my friends and I decided to show up in garb instead, as we didn't have anyone to 'twin up' with. It was a very foggy day, and we did not know that it was also the scheduled tour day for prospective new studenbts for the next year. There was one group of girls who screamed as I came out of the fog, in a full ankle length charcoal grey cloak, in garb, armed. Of course, not knowing who it was I was coming up on, and being obnoxious, I was making obnoxious comments in a really bad scottish accent.
We didn't get any new students the next year.

As a bit of a reversal, I've got a tale of freaking an at least nominal rennie.

A number of years ago there was a small weekend faire near Fallbrook, CA.  Wife, daughters, sister, and I decided to go.  They opted for costume, but I didn't feel like it and went in my normal jumpsuit (it doesn't slide down if you've no hips).

A number of the participants seemed to be SCA.  They had structure of two towers with an overhead walkway a bit inside the entrance and one young stalwart decided that he would collect a toll from the passing customers before allowing them the pass under it.

When asked for a toll, I asked what it might be in BFA.  He, looking at the daughters, suggested a kiss.  So, I kissed him on the lips.  Not sure if he soiled himself or not, but I didn't see him there when I passed that way again.  I did observe a couple of his seniors at the time of the event break out laughing.

I did tell him that he might expect the unusual if someone talked to him using BFA whether or not they were in costume.

I freaked my dad last night.

my new dagger came in and as i opened it he was like what is that. I told him a dagger. he was like what do you need a dagger for? I told him for my costume for renfest and he was like they let you walk around with weapons on you? I told him it's ok we peace tie them so no one can easily draw them. He relaxed and now he's thinking of going(him dressing in garb i don't see it him going and liking it. possible my mother thats a whole other subject)

Last year on the way to TRF I had to stop at the bank.  As I was walking in, two women and a little girl were leaving.  The girl's eyes were like saucers as she whispered, "Look, mom - a PRINCESS!"

Ohhh the back. walking in with a sword is not a good idea.

I went to Sheetz in a tunic, chainmail, a tabard, a studded belt with sword removed, bracers, my tail... and fake Versace sunglasses.

One of the people in the MTO place kept saying "A TAIL! A TAIL! A TAIL!"

I'm sure I'll start having a few stories to tell soon.  A few members from the cast I'm on are talking about friday night rennie sightings.  Putting on garb and heading out to VERY public places, walking around and finding popular places to eat where we can garnish much attention for the faire.

and make it all the better, it looks like the places we're thinking about going to are places that barely seem to have heard of us

A few weeks back at the Castleteer Gatherin' in Loveland, Lady Everclear, Peter Beerslayer and I went to Sam's Club before hitting up the castle.  The moment we walked in (two wenches and a rogue in kilt), we were somewhat accosted by an employee, wondering where we were going that we were dressed as such.  We made a small explanation, then continued on our way.  All through the store, however, people would stop and stare, but the funniest?  The funniest was the little old man that stared at Lady E and me, then proceeded to get a THWACK in the head and a quite berate from his wife.  That caused quite the giggle.

Quote from: jinx on April 14, 2009, 06:24:05 PM
A few weeks back at the Castleteer Gatherin' in Loveland, Lady Everclear, Peter Beerslayer and I went to Sam's Club before hitting up the castle.  The moment we walked in (two wenches and a rogue in kilt), we were somewhat accosted by an employee, wondering where we were going that we were dressed as such.  We made a small explanation, then continued on our way.  All through the store, however, people would stop and stare, but the funniest?  The funniest was the little old man that stared at Lady E and me, then proceeded to get a THWACK in the head and a quite berate from his wife.  That caused quite the giggle.

Haha, I remember that.  :D

Quote from: jcbanner on February 26, 2009, 10:03:06 PM
I'm sure I'll start having a few stories to tell soon.  A few members from the cast I'm on are talking about friday night rennie sightings.  Putting on garb and heading out to VERY public places, walking around and finding popular places to eat where we can garnish much attention for the faire.

and make it all the better, it looks like the places we're thinking about going to are places that barely seem to have heard of us

Rennie "flash mobs"...sa-WEET!

Walking into a Wal-Mart for last minute snacks in full Rengarb, an older man and his wife passed by and said in a most unfriendly tone, "It is not Halloween." To which the reply came: "Nor is it Judgment Day."

When I go to the TRF in full Highland garb, it never fails that a mundane will ask me directions to such-and-such thinking I work there.

I wore my kilt to my sons t-ball practice last night. I love the looks I get from other people. They think I'm like some bad biker dude or something and then warm up to me when I run around playing with the kids. I did have two kids come up to me and ask why I wear skirts though and when I told them it's a "kilt" they got a puzzled look on their face and walked away. I did overhear one boy telling his little sister that I am "half man and half women because I wear dresses". I couldn't help but laugh inside. No one really wears these but me around town so it is a new thing to see.

Quote from: Dinobabe on February 11, 2009, 10:25:41 AM
After faire at Bristol we would often head out for a bite to eat.  Never received stares because everyone was so used to seeing rennies!

At faire I was wearing my middle class outfit.  A man asks if I am the queen.

In high school I did a project on the renaissance.  I dressed in garb, lots of looks.
For an art project I made a suit of armor out of cardboard, managed to get my boyfriend at the time to wear it at school!
For history class we were studying the guillotine and French history.  I made a full sized guillotine, dressed the entire class in French outfits, and proceeded to "cut off" someone's head!  ;D

I was at a Civil War reenactment and in my artillery uniform, a women stops and asks if I am Canadian!  :o

Last year for Halloween I decided to wear my Civil War uniform.  A little boy came up dressed as Indiana Jones.  His mom points at me and says "Look, another Indiana Jones."   ???

Your Canadian comment made me think of a time when I went back to my home town in North Dakota, yes mind you very close minded. I decided to bring some kilts and got a friend of mine to wear one along with me to our friend's wedding. We show up and right away start getting looks and our Groom friend just shakes his head at us and smiles. So we go along witht he bar hopping thing and we hit one bar and all these people just keep staring at us until finally someone comes up and asks us what part of Canada are we from and are we for the Bonspiel in town (Curling tournament). We laughed and said that we just wear these normally and really got the looks then. But the best part was when we got asked by an 80 year old woman "what's under there" with the reply "my boots". She didn't get it but it was fun.

Can't wait until Saturday my normal Mcd's visit this time there might be three of us.  ;D

Quote from: Pyroguy on April 15, 2009, 05:59:55 AM
Walking into a Wal-Mart for last minute snacks in full Rengarb, an older man and his wife passed by and said in a most unfriendly tone, "It is not Halloween." To which the reply came: "Nor is it Judgment Day."

Haha, done that too.

Quote from: Jack Daw at Work on April 15, 2009, 07:54:50 AM
When I go to the TRF in full Highland garb, it never fails that a mundane will ask me directions to such-and-such thinking I work there.

I love that!  I always start with "I don't work here" and then give them some kind of crazy route to the bathrooms..

Quote from: Zardoz on April 16, 2009, 08:21:48 AM

Quote from: Jack Daw at Work on April 15, 2009, 07:54:50 AM
When I go to the TRF in full Highland garb, it never fails that a mundane will ask me directions to such-and-such thinking I work there.

I love that!  I always start with "I don't work here" and then give them some kind of crazy route to the bathrooms..

Oh, yeah, I'll still give them directions, then suggest that they buy a program.

Quote from: Pyroguy on April 15, 2009, 05:59:55 AM"Nor is it Judgment Day."

With your permission, I am SO stealing this line!

Quote from: VIII on April 16, 2009, 11:44:21 AM

Quote from: Pyroguy on April 15, 2009, 05:59:55 AM"Nor is it Judgment Day."

With your permission, I am SO stealing this line!

Permission granted! See you this weekend.

Quote from: Pyroguy on April 15, 2009, 05:59:55 AM
Walking into a Wal-Mart for last minute snacks in full Rengarb, an older man and his wife passed by and said in a most unfriendly tone, "It is not Halloween." To which the reply came: "Nor is it Judgment Day."

Best. comeback. EVAR.

yeah i agree i like that too

my usually Saturday ren fest stop Mcd's we arrived and decided to eat in since I didn't know the traffic that some fool decided they needed to work on my exit on opening weekend. as i ordered i noticed one guy kept watching me after we sat down to eat he spoke up and said " Ladies what interesting cloths you appear to be wearing today is there a special occassion?" I then told him that we were headed to the renaissance festival thats when his wife piped in "I said Renaissance festival" we laughed an then they asked where the festival was they seemed really interesting in going

also while stuck in the traffic getting off at our exit this car passed me and i happened to be looking out my driver side window to see if i could get over when i see this little girl in the back seat of a car spot me and she smiled real big I hope they were going to the renaissance festival

okay first of all I need to explain my outfit at the time.  It was a dress by Sharon Crystal.  A full red skirt with lace at the bottom, black satin skirt over that, and a red petal skirt on top of that, and of course my peasant shirt and bodice.

One Sunday on our way to faire, my husband and I stopped at King Soopers for his cigars.  He stayed in the car while I walked up (in full garb) to the customer service counter to make my purchase.  There was a mother and daughter in line in front of me.  Next thing I new, I felt a little tug at my skirts.  I look down at the little girl who asked "what church do YOU go to?" 

The mother then turned, looked at my outfit, yanked her daughter up into her arms and walked away from me as fast as she possibly could!

Naturally, ever since that day, I've worn a pin that says "What church do you go to?"

If I'd had milk in my mouth, I'd be getting a new computer now, that is absolutely hilarious!!!!

Yes, never have liquids in your mouth when reading things like this.  ::)

I had a guy at the gas station ask me if I was going to a Masonic Lodge meeting when I walked in wearing a kilt. I don't see where he got Mason from a kilt. When he said that, I'm sure I was giving him a stranger look than what I was getting from those around. I didn't know how to respond..

Some lodgemembers who went the Scottish Rite route don the kilt at meetings.

Oooh, thanks. Didn't know that. I'm a member of the Knights of Columbus... ;)

True case of freaking a mundane while dressed as mundanes.  A few weeks ago, Lady Everclear and I had made a trip to Odd Bodkin's shop.  After playing there for a while, we shot up the road and went to Perkins for lunch.  The place was nearly deserted, and we happened to notice a server (not our own) wandering around.  He wasn't a bad-looking guy, a bit on the scrawny side for my tastes, and we started discussing whether or not he'd wear a kilt.  Well, we finished our meal and went to pay...he was at the register, and I (being all sass and brass balls) asked "Would you consider wearing a kilt?" (I mean, Lady E and I have a -few- standards, and the compliance to kilt or tights-wearing is one of them, after all.)  This guy was honestly, genuinely offended when he replied "But people would think I was SCOTTISH!"  Of course, being who I am, just said back "Okay...and the problem with this would be...?"  He quickly finished our transaction and gave us odd looks as we left.

Obviously, he didn't have enough scotch in him.


...or rum, for that matter

He musta been English.

My twin sister and I are ALWAYS discussing whether or not a guy would look good in a kilt or what their best "garb" would be on them.  I wholy applaud you Jinx because that is exactly what my sister and I would have done...  we probably would have pushed the issue a bit and told him we'd like to see his Bonny knees or something silly like that, but good job!

Our small group does a lot of traveling for different Faires, so it's never a real shocker when we get those strange looks or gawks.. The best one was when we stopped in at Walmart for some last minute buys before a two hour trip up to ORF..

This fella stopped my friend and I (fully garbed in our best wench attire) and asked the question we seem to get at least TWO times every time we're out in garb..

" Wow! Is there a reenactment?!" To which I cooly replied without batting an eye.." Nae! These are our normal clothes.. What're you reenacting?" Followed by a squinty eyed, suspicious look over him a couple times.

He just cracked a grin and gave a thumbs up - I couldn't resist the open opportunity..

@ LadyElizabeth: We probably would have pushed it if he hadn't been SO adamantly offended. We, too, are always imagining boys in garb, and firmly believe we've convinced a very cute car salesman to check out a faire this year. :D

We had to make a stop at DDs ballet studio before heading to Faire & DH wore his kilt to the studio.  I was dressed in danes & I aways love watching mundanes reacting to him in his kilt.  Most of the people there were moms so the reactions were pretty positive & funny.  However, the male teacher at the studio came in at one point & saw him sitting there.  He stared for a second, took a few steps towards the studio door, stopped & stared a bit more, walked a bit more until he reached the door, paused & stared at DH once more for good measure & then went in.  I had to stifle my giggles.

My favorite so far was when we were on our way to the Muskogee Ren Faire, we stopped at a McDonalds in Checotah. We were in the drive through (after having snuck in to use the privies) and when they messed up our order, the manager came over, saw us in our garb, and rattled off the entire opening of Romeo and Juliet! We were so impressed, we called the company and complimented her.

Another good one was the Sunday of the Norman Medieval Faire this year. It was really freezing, so we decided we would go off to a restaurant for lunch in the hopes it would warm up later. We went to BJ's Brewery in our garb, and everyone stopped and stared at us. Once we had sat down, this high school kid comes up to us, and asked if he could have a picture with one of us. We all, at the same time, answered "which one?" We took a group picture. He said it was for his English class!

We just had an unsuccessful time trying to sell our portable fabric games at a local Good Sams RV club event.

There were a couple pleasant memories beyond drowning our misery with our staff. On Thursday night the offered venders a chance to say a few words on stage about their wares. Since they were having a pirate theme one of our shop help wore her tricorn and before stepping on stage she asked the MC "Permission to come aboard" and at first he replied "no, you scare me..."

Then Friday morning we put on our costumes and when the girls went into the main building to use the restroom in the morning a hush fell over the crowd for a moment before conversations resumed. In the restroom the girls heard some woman say something about "breasts everywhere".

So speaking of freaking out the mundanes, I have a question. I'm driving 2.5 hrs to the St Louis Ren Faire tomorrow, by myself. Should I wear my garb on the way there, or should I just stop and change at a gas station before I get there? (since I'll have to stop for a bathroom there, anyway)

Well...I think you should take a couple of things into consideration...
1) how comfortable are you going to be sitting and driving for 2.5 hours in your garb?
2) how easy/hard is it gonna be to change into your garb in a small bathroom...that is potentially gross?

I think most of the ladies here go in partial garb, then finish in the parking lot of the faire. That's what I'd do.

I wound up just wearing jeans and a t-shirt for the drive, and I changed at a Quick Trip about 7 mins away. And then I changed back at the same place afterwards.

i got up yesterday and got dressed in Garb(Yeeeeaaa for Garb) i didn't really want to wait around the house on some of my friends who were suposed to go with me to Garf well i decided to go piddle around the Freds as i piddled around i got a few looks and then when i checked out since i found a little blue umbrella to take incase of rain the lady goes you look like your going to a renaissance festival. I told her i was and that i was leaving right then to go.
(since my friends had to cancel) i got to Qt and decided not knowing how traffic was going to be i needed to just top the truck off just to be safe. I also went inside to get something to drink and i hear from behind me Tennessee Renaissance Festival I turned and said actually Georgia Renaissance festival he was headed to Tennessee ofcourse headed home i stopped in the same place to borrow the bathroom i had one cute guy eyeing me but he didn't mention my cloths

This past weekend we drove down to VARF from the Baltimore area. We had a commitment on Friday night so we left early Saturday morning. We wanted to try and make opening gate so we woke the kids early, threw on garb and hit the road. We waited to get through DC before stopping for breakfast. We went into McDonalds. My 11 year old and I had on our saffron kilts with green shirts; the 7 year old had on a Blackwatch kilt and my wife in her Celtic skirt and corset. We went inside so we could use the bathrooms. As we gathered together to figure out our order we got a lot of looks. A couple people asked what we were dressed for. But the funniest was a sweet little old lady who asked what branch of the military we were part of. Not sure the association but I politely explained why we were dressed the way we were.

After I had changed into my garb at that bathroom yesterday, these two little kids came in with their mom, and stared at me completely slackjawed. They went into the stalls while their mom waited in line, and while I was fixing my snood in the mirror, one of the kids started saying something about "how weird" when his mom cut him off, saying they weren't the only ones in the bathroom. Their faces were priceless, though.

And speaking of Amish, I stopped at a truck stop today, and there were actual Amish people in the restroom! Though I really have no clue what they were doing at a truck stop...

Ooookay, not even remotely Faire related, but: Back in their heyday, my friends were doing a KISS lip-synch, so I made Gene/The Demon's Godzilla boots out of layer-upon-layer cardboard, painted with silver auto body paint.  Just to make sure they would fit and move right, I wore them down to the local burger joint.

EVERYONE wanted to try them on, but I refused, not wanting them to get destoyed.

Yep, I'm a freak.

Is that called mundaning the freaks? :D

Quote from: VIII on May 29, 2009, 06:19:12 PM
Ooookay, not even remotely Faire related, but: Back in their heyday, my friends were doing a KISS lip-synch, so I made Gene/The Demon's Godzilla boots out of layer-upon-layer cardboard, painted with silver auto body paint.  Just to make sure they would fit and move right, I wore them down to the local burger joint.

EVERYONE wanted to try them on, but I refused, not wanting them to get destoyed.

Yep, I'm a freak.

We want to see photographs!  ;D

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 26, 2009, 10:18:06 PM
After I had changed into my garb at that bathroom yesterday, these two little kids came in with their mom, and stared at me completely slackjawed. They went into the stalls while their mom waited in line, and while I was fixing my snood in the mirror, one of the kids started saying something about "how weird" when his mom cut him off, saying they weren't the only ones in the bathroom. Their faces were priceless, though.

And speaking of Amish, I stopped at a truck stop today, and there were actual Amish people in the restroom! Though I really have no clue what they were doing at a truck stop...

Could be Mennonite. They drive cars and have credit cards and wear sneakers.

Quote from: Dustin on May 29, 2009, 10:01:48 PM

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 26, 2009, 10:18:06 PM
After I had changed into my garb at that bathroom yesterday, these two little kids came in with their mom, and stared at me completely slackjawed. They went into the stalls while their mom waited in line, and while I was fixing my snood in the mirror, one of the kids started saying something about "how weird" when his mom cut him off, saying they weren't the only ones in the bathroom. Their faces were priceless, though.

And speaking of Amish, I stopped at a truck stop today, and there were actual Amish people in the restroom! Though I really have no clue what they were doing at a truck stop...

Could be Mennonite. They drive cars and have credit cards and wear sneakers.

Nope, definitely Amish. I saw a whole ton more when I went to Niagara Falls a couple days ago, too. Don't worry, I can tell the difference between Amish and Mennonite.

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 30, 2009, 11:20:30 PM

Quote from: Dustin on May 29, 2009, 10:01:48 PM

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 26, 2009, 10:18:06 PM
After I had changed into my garb at that bathroom yesterday, these two little kids came in with their mom, and stared at me completely slackjawed. They went into the stalls while their mom waited in line, and while I was fixing my snood in the mirror, one of the kids started saying something about "how weird" when his mom cut him off, saying they weren't the only ones in the bathroom. Their faces were priceless, though.

And speaking of Amish, I stopped at a truck stop today, and there were actual Amish people in the restroom! Though I really have no clue what they were doing at a truck stop...

Could be Mennonite. They drive cars and have credit cards and wear sneakers.

Nope, definitely Amish. I saw a whole ton more when I went to Niagara Falls a couple days ago, too. Don't worry, I can tell the difference between Amish and Mennonite.

Hmmmm. Then we have a mystery...Amish folk at a truck stop. Odd...

When I worked at Target, we had a fairly regular group of customers (every three weeks or so) that was a worldly young mom and little girl, and Mennonite grandma who paid for stuff with her Gold MasterCard.

Quote from: Dustin on May 31, 2009, 01:37:47 PM

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 30, 2009, 11:20:30 PM

Quote from: Dustin on May 29, 2009, 10:01:48 PM

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 26, 2009, 10:18:06 PM
After I had changed into my garb at that bathroom yesterday, these two little kids came in with their mom, and stared at me completely slackjawed. They went into the stalls while their mom waited in line, and while I was fixing my snood in the mirror, one of the kids started saying something about "how weird" when his mom cut him off, saying they weren't the only ones in the bathroom. Their faces were priceless, though.

And speaking of Amish, I stopped at a truck stop today, and there were actual Amish people in the restroom! Though I really have no clue what they were doing at a truck stop...

Could be Mennonite. They drive cars and have credit cards and wear sneakers.

Nope, definitely Amish. I saw a whole ton more when I went to Niagara Falls a couple days ago, too. Don't worry, I can tell the difference between Amish and Mennonite.

Hmmmm. Then we have a mystery...Amish folk at a truck stop. Odd...

When I worked at Target, we had a fairly regular group of customers (every three weeks or so) that was a worldly young mom and little girl, and Mennonite grandma who paid for stuff with her Gold MasterCard.

No real mystery.  Amish people are allowed to be driven around.  They were probably on their to or from somewhere and stopped for a bathroom break like you or I would.  They are allowed to use modern devices but they aren't allowed to own them.  An ex-girlfriend's dad used to deal with an Amish sawmill.  They had a cellphone, a skidder and other modern devices, but they were actually owned by a non-Amish employee.
There's always a loop hole, you just need to know where to look.

Quote from: MaelStrom on May 31, 2009, 03:04:40 PM

Quote from: Dustin on May 31, 2009, 01:37:47 PM

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 30, 2009, 11:20:30 PM

Quote from: Dustin on May 29, 2009, 10:01:48 PM

Quote from: Lady Rebecca on May 26, 2009, 10:18:06 PM
After I had changed into my garb at that bathroom yesterday, these two little kids came in with their mom, and stared at me completely slackjawed. They went into the stalls while their mom waited in line, and while I was fixing my snood in the mirror, one of the kids started saying something about "how weird" when his mom cut him off, saying they weren't the only ones in the bathroom. Their faces were priceless, though.

And speaking of Amish, I stopped at a truck stop today, and there were actual Amish people in the restroom! Though I really have no clue what they were doing at a truck stop...

Could be Mennonite. They drive cars and have credit cards and wear sneakers.

Nope, definitely Amish. I saw a whole ton more when I went to Niagara Falls a couple days ago, too. Don't worry, I can tell the difference between Amish and Mennonite.

Hmmmm. Then we have a mystery...Amish folk at a truck stop. Odd...

When I worked at Target, we had a fairly regular group of customers (every three weeks or so) that was a worldly young mom and little girl, and Mennonite grandma who paid for stuff with her Gold MasterCard.

No real mystery.  Amish people are allowed to be driven around.  They were probably on their to or from somewhere and stopped for a bathroom break like you or I would.  They are allowed to use modern devices but they aren't allowed to own them.  An ex-girlfriend's dad used to deal with an Amish sawmill.  They had a cellphone, a skidder and other modern devices, but they were actually owned by a non-Amish employee.
There's always a loop hole, you just need to know where to look.

Somehow, a loophole in religious beliefs strikes me as a little strange. To each his own, though. I still think Nikes with Mennonite dresses are an interesting fashion statement.

Quote from: Dustin on May 31, 2009, 03:49:09 PM
Somehow, a loophole in religious beliefs strikes me as a little strange.

LOL! Good point! Remember that the next time you see a Fundamentalist Christian eating shrimp cocktail!  :P

Quote
LOL! Good point! Remember that the next time you see a Fundamentalist Christian eating shrimp cocktail!  :P

Hey, I resemble that! :D

Quote from: Dustin on May 31, 2009, 03:49:09 PMI still think Nikes with Mennonite dresses are an interesting fashion statement.

What was even more interesting were the group of Mennonites who had just come off the Cave of the Winds at Niagara Falls. Meaning with their long skirts and everything, they had bright yellow ponchos and special "commemorative" sandals. And were really rather wet.

Quote from: MaelStrom on May 31, 2009, 06:54:40 PM

Quote from: Dustin on May 31, 2009, 03:49:09 PM
Somehow, a loophole in religious beliefs strikes me as a little strange.

LOL! Good point! Remember that the next time you see a Fundamentalist Christian eating shrimp cocktail!  :P

That's why I'm a Unitarian. I can eat and drink anything. lol

This past March we did a promotional event in Charlotte NC.  After a group of us went to lunch still in our full court costumes.  We were standing at the light rail station when a few young teen girls started staring and rolling their eyes at us.  I could not resist the urge and went up to them and asked, in my best court accent, "Pardon, is this the train to London"?

Quote from: dbaldock on May 29, 2009, 07:31:29 PM

Quote from: VIII on May 29, 2009, 06:19:12 PMBack in their heyday, my friends were doing a KISS lip-synch, so I made Gene/The Demon's Godzilla boots out of layer-upon-layer cardboard, painted with silver auto body paint.

We want to see photographs!  ;D

HA! There are no existing photographic evidence of those bygone years.

This is my first freaking the mundane moment ...

I work at HEB, a local grocery store, on the weekends in my neighborhood and I'm the wine demo ... person.  I can't say wench in front of people, it's fronded upon in my mundane part time job.   :(

This Saturday a man had come by my wine table and made a comment that the store was as busy today as a renaissance faire.  I look up at him with the biggest smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye and ask the man "You're a rennie too?"  :D  I was about to hug the man.  He then asks me what a rennie is and what I was talking about.  I explained to him that it was a renaissance faire fan that partakes in faire as often as possible.  The man looks at me funny, like I had a bugger on my face and walks off, he says nothing. 

At that point I take my wine, put it away and go on break;  :'( I had to have a moment to myself.   As soon as I got home after work, I got my wooden tankard and had myself a beer out of it.

Along with many of the others...Mine's a Scarby story too. After closing on the second to last weekend I went to McDonalds before taking myself to the Junque.  I had taken my tunic off so I was just in my tank top and then my petal skirt and leggings...along with boots of course.  And I was pretty much covered in mud as well.
The girl at the counter looked at me like it was the most normal thing in the world for someone to walk in dressed in garb.....the woman in line before me however was having a hard time not staring.  It was great!
Dinner and Breakfast after hours with the knights is always a blast too!  We're not even in garb and we STILL get strange looks.

squiregaby, going anywhere with any of those guys is sure to result in an adventure.  I went to medieval times with a jouster, the daughter of the joust troupe owner who's dating a jouster and a couple of others who travel the circuit.  It was a hoot!  The commentary was great.   We were in the black and white knights section and the jouster that was with us started shaking the salt and pepper shakers over the heads of the group in front of us screaming "Black and White". 

Quote from: ladyharrogate on June 08, 2009, 01:54:25 PM
squiregaby, going anywhere with any of those guys is sure to result in an adventure.  I went to medieval times with a jouster, the daughter of the joust troupe owner who's dating a jouster and a couple of others who travel the circuit.  It was a hoot!  The commentary was great.   We were in the black and white knights section and the jouster that was with us started shaking the salt and pepper shakers over the heads of the group in front of us screaming "Black and White". 

Ah yes.  I love my knights.  I miss them a lot and can't wait to see them again.  We went to breakfast one morning as a whole company and we got lots of interesting looks from the people.  Coulda been that several of us were wearing the same shirt.....and money was being passed around our table and stuff.  It was great fun!

Starbucks one morning, because I'm not complete without my grande iced chai.  I was with my mother, who dared me to remain in character the whole time I ordered (all decked out in mad madrigal regalia).  "Good morrow my good master barista, might I be permitted to obtain a beverage this fine day, perchance an iced grande chai?"  They asked me what I do at the renaissance festival.  "Sing," said I, thinking not.  They made me sing, in front of the whole morning crowd.  But they gave me the chai for free!  ;)

Funniest thing was recent, when I'm walking out of my apartment to head out to faire.  Of course, the belt's a pain in the butt, so I have it on, but the flipside is, I have to have my scabard on it as well (or else I have to do the whole thing over once I get there, which would defeat the purpose).  So I'm walking to my car, pop the trunk, and draw my sword to put it in there.  Close the trunk, and there's a neighbor from a couple buildings down, out walk their dog, but had stopped and was just staring at me.  "Just in case the cops pull me over,"  I say.  By their expression as they walked on, I'm not sure if they took it as storing it out of harm's way, like I intended, or for use against the said cops.  >.>

Buying beer in Waxahachie...

Not really freaking the mundanes... but maybe freaking everyone including Rennies

Toki reminded me of an event that transpired last year as we drove down to CoRF. We always do a Faire check as we drive to see if we can see anyone in garb as we pass them on our way. As we drove just around Castle Rock (North of Larkspurshire) we come upon this jeep with no top and no doors on it. Driving along was a rather LARGE man and when I mean large I do not mean tall and muscular but a man with a Beer keg belly. He was wearing a yellow and black tartan kilt and the wind was blowing it up past his legs.This man just so happened to be dressed properly for a good Scotsman i.e. NOTHING under his kilt and yes you could see it as he gave everyone who passed him a nice... or not so nice view as they passed including Toki and myself.

So this year we made the checks and were happy to NOT see a Scotsman with his kilt blowing up his arse in the wind.

I like it when we are staying at the Motel and I take my kids in the morning to get their breakfast and I am in costume. Everyone just looks at us. Some will speak to us, other will just walk away really fast.

I haven't found myself in situations when I'm in full garb, but I pretty much wear my tail on a regular basis and people will usually just say, "You have a tail!"  It seems to be the first thing that comes to mind for most people, haha.  They don't really ask why, just point out the obvious, haha.

Quote from: Lady de Laney on June 15, 2009, 08:56:30 AM
Not really freaking the mundanes... but maybe freaking everyone including Rennies

Toki reminded me of an event that transpired last year as we drove down to CoRF. We always do a Faire check as we drive to see if we can see anyone in garb as we pass them on our way. As we drove just around Castle Rock (North of Larkspurshire) we come upon this jeep with no top and no doors on it. Driving along was a rather LARGE man and when I mean large I do not mean tall and muscular but a man with a Beer keg belly. He was wearing a yellow and black tartan kilt and the wind was blowing it up past his legs.This man just so happened to be dressed properly for a good Scotsman i.e. NOTHING under his kilt and yes you could see it as he gave everyone who passed him a nice... or not so nice view as they passed including Toki and myself.

So this year we made the checks and were happy to NOT see a Scotsman with his kilt blowing up his arse in the wind.

Black and yellow tartan?  Sounds like the Loud MacLeod!

I stopped at Luby's, last year, on my way to TRF... (yes, the one in Tomball) walked in adjusting my kilt and fly plaid.  Silence.  Much to the embaressment of my family (none of which was in garb) i had become the center of attention for the whole place.

The old lady working the counter smiled and said "Don't worry, it's really not you... you should've seen the group that just came thru here"   ;D

In 2007 after an outing at TRF, my friends Kevin and Mary, who were dressed as elves with pointy ears, and I in great kilt (as you see in my avatar) went to the Sam Houston Steamboathouse Steakhouse in NW Houston.  No one batted an eye or stared - not the waitstaff nor the patrons.  It was disappointing when you think about it.

After the Faery Fest, my boyfriend, a friend of ours and I decided that Arby's would be a tasty treat. We were all dressed in rather dirty worn costumes- the boys were playing unsuccessful thieves, and I was a Brownie. Furthermore, because we are rennies, we all happened to have pirate hats with us (the BF and I had worn pirate hats for karaoke, our friend had run a charity relay in full pirate costume the day before) So we went into Arby's dressed as rather dirty pirates.

We passed by a guy heading in. He stared at us for a moment, then started laughing. "This has never happened to me before."

Also, we made the guy at the cash register so happy that he offered us free drinks.

One of our best? We were on route to the Sterling RF but needed to stop and grab some drinks for the road (1.5 hr drive) and some batteries for the cameras. We had one wench, one noble woman, a middle class Englishman and a Scotsman. We ended up stopping at... get this.. a Walmart.  It was definitely one of those "what were we thinking?" moments. You'd have thought the aliens landed.

The 80 year old greeter just stood there with house jaw hanging open and people all around just stopped whatever they were doing and stared. We just went about our business and ignored them, but we starting speaking in accent and got ourselves on a lightly veiled baudy topic about our wench's whip, female toys and other general wenchness, just for fun.

I saw at least one guy get smacked by his wife for staring at our wench, and I had one woman come up and ask "the" question about my kilt, to which I gave my typical "Nice girls don't ask that question and naughty ones find out for themselves". To which she turned 12 shades of red and purple and couldn't run away fast enough. lol

The best part was at the register. The cashier, who was a young black girl that couldn't have been more than 17 or 18 and from the inner city where we live, just stood there looking at us. I had to say "Excuse me lass, might we pay for these here items?" To get a reaction from her. Then, after somewhat gathering her wits, asks "So um, are you going somewhere special?" I responded with "Nay, why do ye ask?"  My friends barely held their rolling laughter until we had paid and started for the door.

Ah... danes. Gotta love 'em.

Quote from: AnyuBoo on June 15, 2008, 09:56:49 AM
Given that there are so many kilts out there, especially during Faire season, it's pretty amazing just how few people actually know what they are.   :D  (Even here, although the place abounds with pipe bands.)

Just reading through back posts on this and came across this one I wanted to comment on. As an AVID kilt wearer, you'd be Amazed how ignorant people are in general. When kilted, my fiance loves to keep an eye on others' reactions. We find that for the most part, older folk look on it with outright disgust, while the teens tend to look offended or derisive that a guy wears a skirt. Middle-aged folk generally fall into one of three categories:
1) Ignorant "Hey, look at the guy in the skirt".
2) People that know its a kilt, but still give them impression they think you're a freak.
3) Those that don't seem to react one way or the other, or rarely (maybe 5%) will ask something like "Are you in a parade today?"

Now add full blown Ren gear to the kilt...
/sigh

It really is rather surprising at the sheer level of ignorance.

Quote from: Khaalis on July 06, 2009, 06:08:58 AM
It really is rather surprising at the sheer level of ignorance.

I wouldn't be too hard on people. You're talking about a garment that has been largely out of common fashion for hundreds of years, and was only ever popular in a relatively small (if ultimately influential) region of the world. It also runs contrary to longstanding social mores in America where men wear pants and women (until about 40 years ago) wear skirts/dresses. Since the kilt more closely resembles traditional North American female attire than male attire, people get confused. Wear your kilt proudly, to be sure, but do so knowing and accepting that you're dressing far differently than the commonly accepted norm, and are likely to stand out, raising questions, odd looks and perhaps comments. If that doesn't bother you (as it no doubt wouldn't faze a Scotsman down from the highlands), then have at it. You've successfully "freaked the mundanes."  :D

I just don't get how people - especially of the female persuasion - don't comprehend the all-encompassing awesomeness that is a man w/a well-turned leg in a kilt.  We had a gentleman in my former office building who came to work every casual Friday in his kilt.  You can bet your last schilling I always had the door open and breakfast waiting for this paragon of masculinity.

Occasionally I see a kilted man in my town, and I do give a reaction "YES!! A man in a kilt!! Awesome!!"  ;D ;D ;D ;D
My friends usually look at me like I'm crazy, but I'm with Taffy...a man in a kilt is one of the sexiest things I've set my eyes on!!

On the too-rare occasions that we have the pleasure of encountering a MIK outside of a festival setting, milord and I make a point to compliment him on the quality of workmanship, and the tartan if we recognize it. Then milord will introduce himself and say, "Clan Cameron". Love the instant grin it produces!

My brother-n-law is as Scottish as i am but he won't wear one and won't go to TRF with us if i'm wearing one. >:(  I looked him in the eye, last weekend, and said "REAL MEN wear kilts, drag queens wear a skirt... do i look like a drag queen?"  For his continued good health and love of my sister, he answered correctly.

We just started Ren-festing, but have done Rendezvous (mountain men) for years. My favorite story that I got is, on Friday morning, we head into town for breakfast in full garb and invite people to come on over and check it out. The waitress was just in awe over the 4 of us, and asked every question in the book. After 2 hours of talking AFTER we had finished out meal, she ripped up our check and told us to have a great day! Needless to say, she got a pretty big tip!!

Quote from: Aaroncois on July 06, 2009, 07:52:43 AM
I wouldn't be too hard on people. You're talking about a garment that has been largely out of common fashion for hundreds of years, and was only ever popular in a relatively small (if ultimately influential) region of the world. It also runs contrary to longstanding social mores in America where men wear pants and women (until about 40 years ago) wear skirts/dresses. Since the kilt more closely resembles traditional North American female attire than male attire, people get confused. Wear your kilt proudly, to be sure, but do so knowing and accepting that you're dressing far differently than the commonly accepted norm, and are likely to stand out, raising questions, odd looks and perhaps comments. If that doesn't bother you (as it no doubt wouldn't faze a Scotsman down from the highlands), then have at it. You've successfully "freaked the mundanes."  :D

Meh! Sorry, I can't agree with you on this one.

Warning! /Rant On  >:(
Granted it goes against the typical "norm" of "modern American culture", but that doesn't mean its the CORRECT attitude, nor a non-bigoted attitude. There is just no excuse for the ignorance, nor the bigotry against men in unbifurcated garments. We live in a much larger world than our own culture and I personally feel not enough energy is spent on educating people about other cultures nor on world history. Especially since ignorance breeds hate (see the former postings about our Knightly cousins and their comparison to the KKK).

Also, Scots are NOT the only culture to have been "men in skirts". The deep truth is that "pants" as we know them were invented, not for men, but for woman. The general agreement among historians is that the first recorded "pant" was from Crete around 1700 BC. and was a woman's garment. Minoan men of the time however, wore skirts. After that, the first real record of men in a "trouser" were the Eurasian horsemen such as the Scythians and Persians. Around the same time are records of Chinese military adopting a trouser-like garment, also for riding. Even as late as the 15th century most European men only wore a trouser-like garment as underwear [such as the Hungarians wearing them under a Dolman (Turkish robe)].  In Europe in the 12th century the closest thing to a pant/trouser were braies (undergarments) which disappeared again for most of the 13th century. They didn't gain predominance in Europe until the early 16th century. Even Native Americans didn't adopt a true "pant" until after the European invasion. Native Americans prior to that time actually wore breechclouts and leggings (a piece of wrapped and sewn fabric more like a footless woman's stocking including ties that tied the top to their belt like a pair of garters; or more like chaps without the built in belt).

Today, in parts of the Middle East, Africa, southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands it is still common to see men in sarongs, caftans, djellabahs, and other skirt-like garments. A sarong for example is the generic term for any of the typical longer length men's wraps including the Hawaiian Pareo, the East African Kikoi, and the Indian Dhoti and Lunghee.

So sorry, nope. I have no real patience for people with an attitude about a "guy in a skirt". Not being educated is not an excuse for bias. 

But then again its basically what we ALL face when we go out in garb around the danes isn't it?  /sigh  :-\
/Rant Off

PS: Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "skirt" fascist... I DO wear bifurcated garments, even to fair (I just refuse to wear pumpkins  ;D ).
I just can't stand the uneducated ignorance and bigotry against men in unbifurcated garments.

Quote from: music_freak on July 07, 2009, 01:28:30 AM
We just started Ren-festing, but have done Rendezvous (mountain men) for years. My favorite story that I got is, on Friday morning, we head into town for breakfast in full garb and invite people to come on over and check it out. The waitress was just in awe over the 4 of us, and asked every question in the book. After 2 hours of talking AFTER we had finished out meal, she ripped up our check and told us to have a great day! Needless to say, she got a pretty big tip!!

Great story....and I like your profile pic. But then I am a garb-addict.

Quote from: DonaCatalina on July 07, 2009, 09:45:46 AM


Great story....and I like your profile pic. But then I am a garb-addict.

Thank you! All the glory for the garb goes to my wife. She is awesome when it comes to making our outfits.

Huzzah!  Up with the Kilt!  Down with ignorance!  :D

Quote from: Khaalis on July 07, 2009, 08:15:53 AM
Meh! Sorry, I can't agree with you on this one.

Warning! /Rant On  >:(

Hey, sure, you can disagree and rant all you want. Stamp your feet and work up a good froth if it makes you feel better. But you're introducing clothing that's hundreds of years out of fashion and expecting people not to find it out of place. I think that's unrealistic and tried to explain why. Doesn't sound like it helped. Not sure what else to say, except to consider that you've posted in a thread where people are telling stories about how funny it is to get reactions out of all the "normal" people who find their historical/fantasy clothing unusual, freakish and odd. Most of us know exactly what we've signed up for and accept it, even revel in it. You seem to be looking for a fight, equating those who laugh at us folks in our silly clothes with racially-prejudiced bigots. I mean, ignorance? Why would people want/need to learn about historical clothing for the benefit of those who choose to deliberately wear clothing that's hundreds of years out of date? I just don't follow your logic. Sure, there are cultures today where similar garments are still worn - and if you were OF that culture, wearing those garments IN that culture, you'd have a realistic expectation for a high degree of tolerance. But that doesn't sound like that's what you're doing. So you probably ought to either enjoy the attention, wear normal clothes, or get used to being angry.

And would you actually be wearing the kilt, if you weren't looking for some attention? It's not like you are trying to "blend in".

Quote from: Peddlin on July 07, 2009, 02:25:39 PM
And would you actually be wearing the kilt, if you weren't looking for some attention? It's not like you are trying to "blend in".

Just FYI, attention nor nonconformity have anything to do with it, its all about comfort. Any fellow kilt wearer will know of what I speak.

Well, I am looking forward to stopping for coffee & a quick breakfast to-go on my way to Faire Saturday morning. I usually travel in my chemise & bloomers ...we'll see what the folks at the drive-through have to say  ;)

I think it's great, because any questions I might get will give me an opportunity to talk about Faire, which I love to do, almost as much as getting ready for Faire, and actually going to Faire (almost - can you tell I'm excited to go to Sterling on Saturday?  :P ). Who knows? Someone I talk to might be interested enough to visit themselves  ;D

Quote from: Tygrkat on July 08, 2009, 05:42:52 AM
Well, I am looking forward to stopping for coffee & a quick breakfast to-go on my way to Faire Saturday morning. I usually travel in my chemise & bloomers ...we'll see what the folks at the drive-through have to say  ;)

I think it's great, because any questions I might get will give me an opportunity to talk about Faire, which I love to do, almost as much as getting ready for Faire, and actually going to Faire (almost - can you tell I'm excited to go to Sterling on Saturday?  :P ). Who knows? Someone I talk to might be interested enough to visit themselves  ;D

Sterling? Huzzah!
Also, I am sure a woman in nothing but chemise and bloomers gets much more positive attention! ;)

As for me, I haven't decided if we are going on Saturday or on Sunday. I don't trust the current forecasts. Currently they are calling for a higher temperature, humidity and chance of T-storms for Sat. than Sun. I am hoping that changes.

Quote from: Khaalis on July 08, 2009, 06:16:38 AM

Quote from: Tygrkat on July 08, 2009, 05:42:52 AM
Well, I am looking forward to stopping for coffee & a quick breakfast to-go on my way to Faire Saturday morning. I usually travel in my chemise & bloomers ...we'll see what the folks at the drive-through have to say  ;)

I think it's great, because any questions I might get will give me an opportunity to talk about Faire, which I love to do, almost as much as getting ready for Faire, and actually going to Faire (almost - can you tell I'm excited to go to Sterling on Saturday?  :P ). Who knows? Someone I talk to might be interested enough to visit themselves  ;D

Sterling? Huzzah!
Also, I am sure a woman in nothing but chemise and bloomers gets much more positive attention! ;)

As for me, I haven't decided if we are going on Saturday or on Sunday. I don't trust the current forecasts. Currently they are calling for a higher temperature, humidity and chance of T-storms for Sat. than Sun. I am hoping that changes.

Heeheehee...I'd imagine that a Lady in her chemise & bloomers should be well received, indeed  ;)

If it rains a bit, just head for the pub ~ that's my plan  ;D

We wore our wedding attire out to a chinese restaurant after our modest Medieval Times reception...
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i50/Bladesmith_2006/DSC00025.jpg)

Our Cantonese waitress didn't quite have a handle on the English language and kept asking if we felt "Ok.".

We assured her that we did, and giggled at the looks and whispered comments from the other patrons.

One comment overheard was, "Is there a circus in town?"

My reply...."No, I just rescued her from a high tower guarded by a dragon!"

Quote from: Fraser of Lovatt on July 06, 2009, 07:12:50 PM
My brother-n-law is as Scottish as i am but he won't wear one and won't go to TRF with us if i'm wearing one. >:(  I looked him in the eye, last weekend, and said "REAL MEN wear kilts, drag queens wear a skirt... do i look like a drag queen?"  For his continued good health and love of my sister, he answered correctly.

My very second outing in kilt was wearing my great kilt at TRF in 1999.  Now, I have two large cloths I fashion into great kilts and 8 modern, small kilts.  Even in hot weather, it's the best man's garment to wear.

Quote from: Bowsmith on July 08, 2009, 07:47:36 AM
We wore our wedding attire out to a chinese restaurant after our modest Medieval Times reception...
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i50/Bladesmith_2006/DSC00025.jpg)

Our Cantonese waitress didn't quite have a handle on the English language and kept asking if we felt "Ok.".

We assured her that we did, and giggled at the looks and whispered comments from the other patrons.

One comment overheard was, "Is there a circus in town?"

My reply...."No, I just rescued her from a high tower guarded by a dragon!"

So, you didn't tell the waitress that you were wearing traditional American wedding clothes?   ;)  :D

Did you wear the sword into the restaurant?


Take Care,
David Baldock

QuoteHeeheehee...I'd imagine that a Lady in her chemise & bloomers should be well received, indeed  ;)

Oh aye, indeed!

QuoteIf it rains a bit, just head for the pub ~ that's my plan  ;D

Lets just hope it isn't booked for weddings all day long again. I think I got to go into the pub once last year. It was "booked" pretty much every day I was there, all day. /sigh

Quote from: Khaalis on July 08, 2009, 08:35:01 AM

QuoteIf it rains a bit, just head for the pub ~ that's my plan  ;D

Lets just hope it isn't booked for weddings all day long again. I think I got to go into the pub once last year. It was "booked" pretty much every day I was there, all day. /sigh

I can claim responsability for one of those days...and thankfully, this year there is a covered beer garden as well...I'm looking forward to checking it out  :)

...Now, back to the topic at hand....

I had a "sword" with me, just not that one...(hee hee.)

Although, a little while later, I did wish I'd brought a knife to the wedding bed.  Unlacing that wedding dress (Made by the Stitchin Witches, are they still around?) was a pain in the petard!

Quote from: Jack Daw at Work on July 08, 2009, 07:52:24 AM

Quote from: Fraser of Lovatt on July 06, 2009, 07:12:50 PM
My brother-n-law is as Scottish as i am but he won't wear one and won't go to TRF with us if i'm wearing one. >:(  I looked him in the eye, last weekend, and said "REAL MEN wear kilts, drag queens wear a skirt... do i look like a drag queen?"  For his continued good health and love of my sister, he answered correctly.

My very second outing in kilt was wearing my great kilt at TRF in 1999.  Now, I have two large cloths I fashion into great kilts and 8 modern, small kilts.  Even in hot weather, it's the best man's garment to wear.

I've worn kilts since i was a wee lad.  My b-n-l is a Walker but where as i was born in Edinburgh, his family has been here for 5 generations.  He doesn't feel the same way i do about heritage.  I'm a proud Scot and i wear me kilt proudly!

Fraser, some people just dont get it- We went 'home' in April, with another couple, friends of ours. They thought- oh cool, castles! But hubby and I were kindof beside ourselves- as if all our little genes and whatnot recognized that we had finally returned to the land of our forebears! Hubby got a kilt made at Stewart Christie on Queen Street, which I think brings him up to... 5 now? We're heading back to Scotland in 2011 with my parents- and I am struggling with plans because there is so much to SEE in London, i just... really dislike England! I have to go back down, though- need to pay my respects to Queen Katharine of Aragon in Peterborough... at which point we might as well go to London!

Some people just do not think that deeply of their heritage. For me- my family can trace our line to the Bayeaux Tapestry- from Carnarfon Castle in the Welsh Marches to Perthshire, to Ulster and then with William Penn. I am PROUD of my heritage! As is hubby- and our children will be raised in that as well.

I do think part of it is being SUCH a melting pot as the US is, we just dont seem to hold that reverence for history as other nations do. As Eddie Izzard says- we tear our history down and put a car park there!

OK, on topic! We tend to freak the 'danes at our local liquor shop- they cant ever understand what we plan to do with so much everclear! lol they look at us like we're these hard core alchies or something!

Is that alchies as in alchemists?   ;)

yes. we turn humble Everclear into pure Loki gold!

Quote from: bellevivre on July 08, 2009, 11:28:49 AM
Fraser, some people just dont get it- We went 'home' in April, with another couple, friends of ours. They thought- oh cool, castles! But hubby and I were kindof beside ourselves- as if all our little genes and whatnot recognized that we had finally returned to the land of our forebears! Hubby got a kilt made at Stewart Christie on Queen Street, which I think brings him up to... 5 now? We're heading back to Scotland in 2011 with my parents- and I am struggling with plans because there is so much to SEE in London, i just... really dislike England!

I know what you mean!  When I planned my trip in 2003 I didn't even consider flying to England and taking the train as advised.

When milord and I hosted our first Thanksgiving dinner together, he wore his newly-bought first kilt, of which he was very proud. Among our guests was a friend who's a great guy, but very conventional, who wasn't quite sure what to make of the kilt. Finally he drawled, "We're gonna have to have a talk with that boy about bein' a man", to which I smartly replied "It's not about being a man, it's about being man enough". The point was well-taken, and we all had a great holiday together. ;)

Quote from: Tipsy Gypsy on July 09, 2009, 05:56:34 PM
I smartly replied "It's not about being a man, it's about being man enough".

You said it, sister!

I love it!

Quote from: bellevivre on July 08, 2009, 02:02:26 PM
yes. we turn humble Everclear into pure Loki gold!

Yum! lol

Quote from: Tipsy Gypsy on July 09, 2009, 05:56:34 PM
When milord and I hosted our first Thanksgiving dinner together, he wore his newly-bought first kilt, of which he was very proud. Among our guests was a friend who's a great guy, but very conventional, who wasn't quite sure what to make of the kilt. Finally he drawled, "We're gonna have to have a talk with that boy about bein' a man", to which I smartly replied "It's not about being a man, it's about being man enough". The point was well-taken, and we all had a great holiday together. ;)

Huzzah!

Ok, I've been reading through this thread from the beginning and have laughed so hard a few times........ :P

I'm still new to Faire, so have no Faire related incidents to amuse you with, but there was a time about 10 years ago when I was pretty deeply involved in amateur rocketry.  Yeah, long way from the 16th century!

Anyway, I drove to a national event with one of my larger scale rockets strapped to the roof of my old Mercury Topaz.  We hit a McD's drive-through for lunch.  The store manager was manning the drive-thru window.  He took my money without a word, then proceeded to do the biggest double-take I've ever seen!  I'm certain that he probably pulled a neck muscle.  His hands shook a little as he handed me my order and change.  :o ;D

The entire 5 hr drive to the event was hysterical.  There were literally dozens of kids glued to the windows of their cars watching us with open-mouthed stares.  No cops stopped me, but they looked real hard! ;D

(http://yellowjacketsystems.com/Temp/mobile%20launcher.JPG)

We'll be doing our first Faire in garb in 3 weeks.  Maybe we will have a story to add after that.  :D

Now that I'd look at too!  And along those lines -

(http://thebrigands.com/hellion_side.jpg)

(http://thebrigands.com/hellion09.JPG)

We ( The Brigands) drive to all our gigs in HMS Hellion, our band van cum pirate ship.
We of course get stares, pictures taken etc, but I think the funniest is when people ask me if it CAME LIKE THAT!  I always say "Oh yeah, didn't you see it in the brochure at the Dealers?  It's the Nautical Edition."   About half get the joke, the other half walk away, shaking heads and wondering why THEY hadn't ordered it too!  Every weekend I get that question at least a half dozen times.

Beautiful custom job on your van!

Do you have a shot of the front (bow)?

Quote from: CapnFayeCutler on June 07, 2008, 06:20:57 AM
It never fails, every time I stop somewhere in garb I get asked if 1 - I'm in a play or 2 - If I'm going to the festival. I've used the... "There's a festival!?" reply for number 2 a couple of times... but for number 1 I just tell them all about the faire and hope that they come. I think I like the answer I use for 1 better because hey! That brings more people (and $) to faire! :D

we got asked that more often then I can recall however one of the guys I was travlin with said "Ya Death of a Salesman" and walked off.....I still dim bulb my head at that answer :)

Alright I had moved to the northern part of Pa and my wife and I would normally get partialy dressed to go to faire and finish dressing in the parkinglot. One Saturday we had to stop off and drop off the recycling which usaly involves handing your bags of to be recyle up to a man who dumps it into a dump truck. This day the center was low on staff so I was told to bring it in, climpb the step stool and dump it in. This was the first time I had worn the kilt to the recycling center. I got to the top of the ladder I started to dumb the bags when I got a breeze blowing on my derrier which was fully covered by the kilt. I turn around and there was one of the guys lifting up my kilt with a broom handle. I was dressed in shorts that day do to not wanting a flashing accident at faire since it was a breezy day. My wife pipes up that she made me cover up things to protect them from getting chilly since she likes it nice and warm. The guy turned beat red and the rest of the recycliing crew busted out laughing.

Another fun story.

A group of twenty rennies, fully garbed, walked into the Captial dinner in Harrisburg for dinner. The wait staff had never seen anything like us so we had them a bit freaked out. We were polite and friendly. Myself and two other members of our group are long time Boy Scouters as scouts and leaders. As we are sitting there in walk Senator Gekas who we all three knew well from all the events we had the pleasure of being at with the gentleman. Senator Gekas sees us and waves as his party is being seated just as we were geting up. The three boy scouts went over to his table with the other 17 rennies behind them. We stat chatting casually about upcomming scout events. All the while we are doing this, the Senators party is looking at us like we all were wearing flamming hair. The Senator finally complimented me on how I looked in my kilt and told me I should wear it to the next scout event to liven up things.  The senator turns towards the rest of his party and say "They all seem a bit scared of your group" I replied, "Thats all right all of them" I pointed at the rennies "Are scared of Political people" The Senator busted out laughing, all the people in his party were Diffrent Pennsylvania State Senators.

Quote from: Shandi on September 04, 2009, 08:34:14 AM

Quote from: CapnFayeCutler on June 07, 2008, 06:20:57 AM
It never fails, every time I stop somewhere in garb I get asked if 1 - I'm in a play or 2 - If I'm going to the festival. I've used the... "There's a festival!?" reply for number 2 a couple of times... but for number 1 I just tell them all about the faire and hope that they come. I think I like the answer I use for 1 better because hey! That brings more people (and $) to faire! :D

we got asked that more often then I can recall however one of the guys I was travlin with said "Ya Death of a Salesman" and walked off.....I still dim bulb my head at that answer :)

My favorite answer to the play/festival/reenactment/costume party question is "I hope not - I don't have anything to wear!"

It's interesting to see the various responses.  Usually people in more urban areas will ignore you, either because they think you're crazy or are going to try to sell them something, or else they're trying to project the image that they've "seen everything", whereas people in rural areas tend to speak their minds.  I've had a checkout girl at a Safeway in DC ignore the hell out of me, even when I signed the credit card slip with a quill pen plucked from my tricorn.  OTOH, I once walked into a WalMart outside of Roanoke and everybody stopped dead in their tracks and started asking me questions.

Quote from: Butch on September 04, 2009, 08:32:49 AM
Beautiful custom job on your van!

Do you have a shot of the front (bow)?

  No we don't - it has a real figure head bolted to the bumper and 2 bow chasers  coming from the engine hood though.  Funny, we OWN it and yet who thinks to take pictures of it?

  We are actually having a contest on our website, for the best picture of the vessel formerly known as HMS Hellion, the winning pic will be on our website and the winner will receive a complete set of Brigands CD's (4).

So, if'n ye see the Hellion at Faire or on the road, take a shot!

Now, anyone got an aluminum anchor?

Try playing a FOP. I get the most curious and weird looks all the time. My friends love to walk 10 feet behind me and watch the facial expressions.

I have been called a lot of things as well. A lot of people ask me if Im male or female and it's so fun to see there face when I tell them "good day" in a deep voice. Most people don't know what to think of me lol.

Every year on our way home from KYRF we stop off at Cracker Barrel in Florence KY for dinner. In full garb. Every year we get questions and tell them about KYRF. We do get strange looks, but eventually we just shrug and have fun recounting the day at faire.
I remember one time we stopped off at a diner on the way to the campground. There were a bunch of other KYRF cast and vendors people there. Our group decided to stay in garb (we were dressed as pirates) and ordered food. The table in front of us asked us if they could get a picture of us with the birthday girl. We said "Sure!" and they gave us the rest of their ice cream cake too!

About three years ago, me and my friends went to the Brookshire Brothers supermarket near TRF for provisions (read: alcohol and twizzlers) in full garb. You had me, a pirate wench; My friend who was all gothed-out garb; and a long-haired fellow in a kilt and top hat. One guy literally walked a few steps past us, stopped, and stared for about a minute before walking off very quickly. Haha it made our day.

We normally only go to Bristol RF on a Sunday due to our restaurant is open on Saturdays.  However, on Labor Day weekend, we go on Sunday and Monday because the restaurant is closed on Monday, plus I have the holiday off from my work, and it is the last weekend.  We stay over in a hotel.

Yesterday morning (Monday), we got up our usual early time, and our grown son, who came with us, wanted to sleep instead of eating breakfast.  We dressed in mundanes to go to breakfast at Perkins.  Our waitress didn't have a lot of tables (actually for a while, we were the only one).  We commented on it being slow, especially for the Labor Day weekend, so close to Six Flags and the Renaissance Faire.

She asked if when we came in we saw the bunch of nuts wearing those crazy costumes who were going to the faire.  We hadn't and just about choked laughing.  Then we proceeded to tell her we were also nuts like them but we didn't want to spill egg drippings on our garb.  She turned all shades of red and said she remembered she had to do something and left.  We had a good laugh and then left her a nice tip!

  Imagine going onto a military base in a kilt. NOW that got some interesting looks.  That and the fact that almost my whole upper body is tattooed. It created quite a stir you might say. 

From the nasty look that Dad gave me when the hotel elevator doors opened, I thought I was freaking a mundane.

Then I noticed Mom's big smile and the wide-eyed appreciation of their two little girls as they looked at my pirate gear.

"Are you going to the renaissance festival?" Mom asked as the doors closed. Dad shot me a look like, "Don't say it. Don't say a word."

So of course I replied, "Yes, I am."

"Oh, mommy, can we go?" one of the girls pleaded.

"I'm sorry, dear, we have plans today," Mom replied. Dad looked relieved.

"Oh," I said, "It's going on tomorrow as well." Dad shoots me a glance like I've said too much. Bad move. "And at least the next couple of weekends as well. Surely you can fit that into your schedule."

"Mommy, mommy," both girls are now pleading, "can we go? Please? We want to go to faire!"

Stepping out on the ground floor, Dad looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, so I wished him a good day. I don't think he was going to have one, and it was his own doing. OK, OK, I helped. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Awesome Iain!!

Love all the stories!   :D

Quote from: ferrissteve1 on September 08, 2009, 09:54:04 PM

  Imagine going onto a military base in a kilt. NOW that got some interesting looks.  That and the fact that almost my whole upper body is tattooed. It created quite a stir you might say. 

Hah, I know that feeling.  Many a time I've stopped off to gas up at Bolling AFB on the way, or coming home from faire.  I think the gate guards have long since gotten over the "wtf?" moments, but when I get out to operate the pump, and anyone around sees the tights... yeah, I tend to get some really strange looks.  No one's said anything to date, but I have my usual reply if they ever do:  "Real men wear tights".

I'm so happy I finally get to add something to this thread.

About a month ago or so the town near where my boyfriend lives held their 2nd annual pirate festival (you would think as we live in south Florida the pirate festivals would be more plentiful than they are).
We knew it would be a small affair but decided to get fully garbed as it had been about 8 months since faire.

Afterward we decided to go to a small cajun style restaurant for lunch. The only things we removed were our numerous weapons. Both of us in pirate boots, my red cavalier hat with enough plumes to cover a goose and his shot out top hat on top of all our pirate garb.
We were expecting weird looks, instead the hostess that seated us looked thrilled to see us and asked us all about the festival (she already knew about it) and she explained it to her manager who looked alarmed by our presence at first.
A group of about 6 guys were sitting at the bar and their reaction to us was a loud and cheering ARRGGGGHHHH which we responded in kind.
The rest of our lunch was spent with a little boy- about 5 years old- nearly falling out of his chair to stare at us.

It was AWESOME.

Oh how hilarious!!  I think pirates are becoming more "Cool" these days, how great that those guys were wanting to even interact with you at a restaurant!! 

I am sick as can be right now and thank goodness for these encounters making me giggle...  brightening my day a bit

FortuneRose, sorry to hear your sick. Hope you get well soon.

Wife and I were leaving Hawkwood late at night and we got pulled over for a headlight out.  When asked to provide my license, I informed the officer that my wallet was in my pouch in the trunk.  I stepped out of the car and the officer said, "Whoa!" at my kilt.  As I opened the trunk, he slammed it shut and asked, "Do you have any weapons in there?"  I replied that I did not.  Opening the trunk again revealed the Bat'leth my wife just bought for me.  The officer stared but said nothing as I handed over my License.

No ticket, no questions, just an admonition to fix my headlight.

The King in a kilt, huh?  Well very fun... Glad you got off!!

For my seventeenth birthday my dad and I went to Scarby. It was the first time to wear garb for the both of us, mom refused to wear garb so she wasn't invited, same with my little brother. For dinner that evening we went to Medieval times. AFTER the show, this rather large group of mundanes saw us and got all excited and were like "hey, can we take a picture witchu?" We did. Turns out they thought we were in the show...

Quote from: VIII on October 26, 2009, 11:20:16 AM
Wife and I were leaving Hawkwood late at night and we got pulled over for a headlight out.  When asked to provide my license, I informed the officer that my wallet was in my pouch in the trunk.  I stepped out of the car and the officer said, "Whoa!" at my kilt.  As I opened the trunk, he slammed it shut and asked, "Do you have any weapons in there?"  I replied that I did not.  Opening the trunk again revealed the Bat'leth my wife just bought for me.  The officer stared but said nothing as I handed over my License.

No ticket, no questions, just an admonition to fix my headlight.

Were you in a full Scottish outfit, or in a hybrid Trek-Scottish outfit?   ;D

(I remember seeing you as a Trek character at Hawkwood, lo those many years ago.)

Quote from: dbaldock on October 26, 2009, 08:41:05 PM

Quote from: VIII on October 26, 2009, 11:20:16 AM
No ticket, no questions, just an admonition to fix my headlight.

Were you in a full Scottish outfit, or in a hybrid Trek-Scottish outfit?   ;D
(I remember seeing you as a Trek character at Hawkwood, lo those many years ago.)

Generic kilt and black shirt.
I THINK I only did Original Trek once and hybrid Trek-Scottish once, both at Hawkwood.

I'm not sure this counts, but my twin and I very regularly freak out mundanes AT renaissance festivals when we're in our fairy garb...  We do some of the silliest stuff that most of the time people think we're insane!! 

For instance, Oops made up a game of "Mr. Obvious Finger" where she had a hole in her parasol and she stuck her finger through and used a male britsh accent for her new character.  She and I bantered back and forth and decided to stop and do our little "show" for 3 teenagers sitting under a tree.  They just looked at us like we were on drugs or were aliens or something, they were completely dumbfounded and had nothing to say... But as we walked away they started laughing hysterically.  I'm quite sure they were laughing at us and not with us!!  And then there's the game of "Hi" and "Bye" that never gets old... for us anyhow, though most people stop repeating the words after about 2 times... 

Quote from: VIII on October 27, 2009, 03:46:05 PM

Quote from: dbaldock on October 26, 2009, 08:41:05 PM

Quote from: VIII on October 26, 2009, 11:20:16 AM
No ticket, no questions, just an admonition to fix my headlight.

Were you in a full Scottish outfit, or in a hybrid Trek-Scottish outfit?   ;D
(I remember seeing you as a Trek character at Hawkwood, lo those many years ago.)

Generic kilt and black shirt.
I THINK I only did Original Trek once and hybrid Trek-Scottish once, both at Hawkwood.

What is a generic kilt?
(http://www.counterfeitchic.com/Images/Kilt_wind_pic_censored.jpg)

must have been a bit drafty that day

Quote from: Lady Christina de Pond on October 28, 2009, 10:56:29 PM
must have been a bit drafty that day

Certainly for at least one of those gentlemen ...  :o   ;D

Quote from: DonaCatalina on October 27, 2009, 04:19:28 PM

Quote from: VIII on October 27, 2009, 03:46:05 PM

Quote from: dbaldock on October 26, 2009, 08:41:05 PM

Quote from: VIII on October 26, 2009, 11:20:16 AM
No ticket, no questions, just an admonition to fix my headlight.

Were you in a full Scottish outfit, or in a hybrid Trek-Scottish outfit?   ;D
(I remember seeing you as a Trek character at Hawkwood, lo those many years ago.)

Generic kilt and black shirt.
I THINK I only did Original Trek once and hybrid Trek-Scottish once, both at Hawkwood.

What is a generic kilt?

Well,...it was Blackwatch...

What a hilarious pic dona catalina!!!  WIsh I'd been there in person... hehe!

We had a blast at an Italian Restaurant recently. They seated the four of us in the middle of the diniing room and moved the other tables away from our overflowing skirts.
Someone passing mumbled a comment about a man and panty hose and after scanning the room around us we all cracked up when we realized that they were referring to his Excellency Don Juan.
We're so used to seeing him in his slops that we forgot he was wearing tights!

Quote from: ArielCallista on October 26, 2009, 08:29:30 PM
For my seventeenth birthday my dad and I went to Scarby. It was the first time to wear garb for the both of us, mom refused to wear garb so she wasn't invited, same with my little brother. For dinner that evening we went to Medieval times. AFTER the show, this rather large group of mundanes saw us and got all excited and were like "hey, can we take a picture witchu?" We did. Turns out they thought we were in the show...

I had a similar situation happen to me except that it was a bit more ackward.  I work the RPFS here and with my other duties, still help out with the joust on ocassions.  A friend of mine was having a birthday and they wanted to go to Medieval Times so a bunch of us who also worked faire went in out outfits.  We had a few pics taken of us but the kicker was after the show.  We went to hang out a bit at the bar when one of the knights called me over and said that he knew me.  He said he recognized me at the joust when he went to the faire.  He, the knight, than proceeded to ask me and my friends to take a picture with him.  How is that for reverse roles.

But, that's really awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ironically....some of my friends and I are going to Medieval Times on friday night....all seven of us will be in garb.  I'll be sure to post any stories we get!

Somehow, I am sure you will get stories... ;D

Quote from: squiregaby on February 22, 2010, 01:22:47 AM
Ironically....some of my friends and I are going to Medieval Times on friday night....all seven of us will be in garb.  I'll be sure to post any stories we get!

We had dozens of people ask us if we worked there.  It was great! :D  Also...while there I met a fellow rennie.  Potentially going back this friday also with my mother for her birthday.  More details to come!!!

The very first time that I was going to go to faire in garb was with my best friend Marti, back in 2007. We were on our way to ORF, and decided to stop at Walmart first to get some tights (because we ladies know how much chaffing hurts!). We were ready to go in our corsets and skirts, and as we were leaving, this little girl-- she couldn't have been any older than 6 or 7, looked up at her father and said, "Daddy? Why are they dressed so funny?" With a full crane of her neck as her father clasped her to him and said, "Don't look at them and just keep walking." It was fairly amusing. It was almost as if he was terrified that he was going to catch something contagious..

And then the second time was when we were leaving KHRF back in 2008. There had been a HUGE storm that knocked out most of the power in Kentucky. We were all starved (my friend Marti, her pirate and I this time), and were looking EVERYWHERE on the way home for some place that had power and was open (we live in Cincinnati). On I-75, it looked as if Ruby Tuesdays was the only place open! So we pulled in, almost walked in with our weapons, even though they were still peace-tied, left those in the car, bandanas, corsets, and tails all still in place. There was a wait, and there were quite a few older folk there who seemed to shrink as we got closer. Quite entertaining actually. We waited for a few minutes and then we were seated-- and if you've EVER worked in a restaurant before, you know that when someone strange or different comes in, you send EVERYONE out to walk past their table. The three of us are/were servers. We were laughing amongst ourselves as kitchen crew popped their heads out from the door, bartenders were straining their necks, and servers and bussers kept sweeping by. The family next to us was the most amusing though. They ate their food as slowly as they possibly could (they'd been there a while already), ordered dessert and whatnot just so that way they would finish when we did. When we finished, we paid and tipped (well of course), and walked out the door. The family was waiting outside and asked us the usual, "Are you in a play?" when we responded, "Nope! Just heading home from the Kentucky Renaissance Festival! You should go check it out if you live near here!" And of course, pictures were taken and we piled back into our car and headed back home.

Those two are the most prominent memories for me :)

Garf opens in four weeks so ofcourse more freaking the mundane stories but i'm also going with a church group to Medieval times the Sunday before Garf opens and will be the only one dressed up this should be totally interesting to see what happens

We were in St. Augustine Florida for the St Arrgustine pirate Festival last November and staying at the same hotel as a large group of motorcyclists traveling the country.  I'm not sure which group got more looks as we left in the morning, but I know we pirates had MUCH more fun with it than the motorcyle guys!

Kate, I had a similar situation at a gas station.  I jumped out to pump in my feathers and hoop and this leather clad warrior eyeballed me up and down like I was an alien.  He asked, "What you dressed up for"... I simply gave him the approving up and down look at his leathers and said "Keeps the road rash down when I slide"   He busted a huge grin.

Wife and I just got home from Sherwood last night and can safely say we did our own freaking of the mundanes.

Saturday night we had planned on going home and calling it good but we had so much fun we found a hotel room and proceeded to Wal-Mart for fresh underwear and toiletries.  I don't know which was funnier of the three reactions we got...stopping and staring, completely ignoring, and coming up and telling my wife how pretty she looked in her dress.  We might have actually convinced a couple people to head down to the Faire at their available opportunity  :D

Then we go to Schlotsky's to get something to eat and we had two reactions at opposite ends of the approval spectrum.  We're walking through the front door and the young lady behind the counter was pointing at us with the biggest grin I've ever seen and said to the man she was ringing up "I told you it wasn't Prom, they're from the renaissance faire!"  After we ordered we sat down about two tables from a man already eating.  He gave our little group the dirtiest look I've ever seen and proceeded to ignore us.  My wife decided she had had enough of her corset and she wanted to breathe so she began to unlace it in the front (she was decently covered underneath) and I thought the man was going to start shooting laser beams from his eyes...but he never looked away the entire time she was unlacing!

Well one morning before faire my guildmaster asked some guys and I to pick up some groceries. Being already dressed and lazy we decided to go shopping in the supermarket in all of our garb.
The two guys with me were wearing their full military garb and walked around like they were guarding me while shopping.
The stares we got were hilarious. :)

i'm tempted in June one day to dress in garb and head to the grocery store for the fun of it

Quote from: Lady Christina de Pond on March 23, 2010, 09:45:29 AM
i'm tempted in June one day to dress in garb and head to the grocery store for the fun of it

Friends and I talk about doing that all the time but someone ends up backing out at the last minute and we haven't done that yet.   :(  Let me know how it works out for you.

 Lord A and I went into a supermarket in Hammond LA to buy Scotch in the AM before faire- dressed as wizards. Those people in LA are cool. We got thumbs up. Not to many freaked out. I was disappointed!
This was several years ago.

Last year when we were leaving for faire we headed out of the house when my sister had to duck in to grab her I.D, so we all waited on the driveway or her. While standing out there a woman was showing a family the house for sale next to us. When the real estate lady got out of her car she practically ran into the house and left the people she was showing it to on the drive. We all smiled politely and did our bows and curtsies...and they continued to just stare at us barely blinking till the agent dragged them into the house. The same thing happened with the same shower but a different family the next weekend and we got a rather large glare from her but a huge smile from the family who asked us if we were in a play or going to a costume party. They moved in 2 weeks later.

My husband told me this the other day

Last year as we camped at KYRF, we realized we needed a flag pole for our flag. So my husband and captain drove to a tractor supply store nearby and bought a shovel handle (still works great!). Apparently while they were in there, one of the men said "You aint from around here, are ya?" in the most redneck type accent you can think of.  My poor husband had to stifle his laughter. He didn't realize people actually said that.

We have been cordially invited to "crash" a wedding in May in Pirate garb. I'm certain we'd be the only people there in garb of any kind. It's in Atlanta and we're in Texas so the availability of cheap airfare may determine if we can really do it. It sure would be fun though!

Going to the grocery store or Wally World in garb is always fun. When someone asks why you are dressed that way, just give them a puzzled look and say, "It's Saturday!"

I must say, I had a mundane moment this week. I was in Toys R Us in Times Square, and there was a pirate standing next to their DDR game. I asked him if there was any particular reason he was a pirate, and he didn't give me any good reason at all.

Is it sad that I've seriously considered going to school in my new garb.....just to show it off?
But I won't...because I have a debut schedule

I spent three days with Phil Foglio of Girl Genius fame weekend before last, helping to man his booth at ComicPalooza.  Of course I came in a different steam punkish - mostly Victorian-looking - outfit (long skirt, sleeves, sundry hats, verrry feminine) everyday and him in old-timey trousers, shirts, vests, and a gorgeous leather topper.  On Friday and Saturday nights we ate dinner at a couple of downtown restaurants.  I got the feeling the other customers thought that a couple of members of a weird religious cult were cutting loose. 

Quote from: Taffy Saltwater on April 05, 2010, 03:05:40 PM
I spent three days with Phil Foglio of Girl Genius fame weekend before last, helping to man his booth at ComicPalooza.  Of course I came in a different steam punkish - mostly Victorian-looking - outfit (long skirt, sleeves, sundry hats, verrry feminine) everyday and him in old-timey trousers, shirts, vests, and a gorgeous leather topper.  On Friday and Saturday nights we ate dinner at a couple of downtown restaurants.  I got the feeling the other customers thought that a couple of members of a weird religious cult were cutting loose. 

Love his artwork!  I remember seeing Magic cards done by him back in the day.

Phil, his wife & co-writer Kaja, and colourist Cheyenne Wright won a Hugo Award last year for Best Graphic Story and have been nominated again this year.  A couple of weeks ago American Mensa named girlgeniusonline one of the best 50 websites.

I commissioned a lovely piece from him at WindyCon in Chicago.  He Jager-fied Taffy and posed me with Dimo, my favorite monster.  Is it sick that I have a crush on a comic book character, a monster no less?   He's doing another Taffy/Dimo sketch with them in full dress uniform, all clean and spiffy.  We are also discussing a "naughty" Taffy/Dimo sketch, and I'm hoping he sends that one into full XXXenophile.  We'll see - he's keeping his work clean while he's got little kids.  

Anyway, it was fun to cosplay myself.  Hee!

Quote from: Taffy Saltwater on April 05, 2010, 03:05:40 PM
I spent three days with Phil Foglio of Girl Genius fame weekend before last, helping to man his booth at ComicPalooza. 

Taffy!  If I had known I would have hunted you down the few hours I was there!  I was down with the MechCorps guys, but for very little time since I had my bike rides.

Aicha, he went to play w/the MechCorps guys on Friday afternoon.  Did you get into the dealers' room at all?  Lots of fun stuff, guys in kilts *drools*, some renny types, lots of scifi folks, the crew of the Airship Arabella.  How were your bike rides?

I finished The pink Pirate's new coat, and decided to have it steamed and pressed by the dry cleaners.  The cleaners have quit being freaked out by what I bring in (I'm a professional theatical costumer by trade) to be cleaned.  However, one of the girls asked to see what the new coat would look like with him wearing it.  He was happy to show her.  The look on the other customer's face when they walked in to see a guy twirling in this pink pirate coat were priceless.

btw they told me if you ask, some dry cleaners will steam gowns or coats for 40% off regular dry cleaning since they don't have to put it in the solution.  If you just need a freshn' up that is a less expensive way to go.  ;D

does freaking your own mother count?
my parents have never been to renaissance festivals
my mother would more than likely not enjoy it.
my father would enjoy it but would probley never dress in garb
well i told my parents that i was going to medieval times Sunday without them and my father was like i wanted to go. i told them to come with us but i was dressing in costume for it my mother said " and i'll pretend i don't know you."
she doesn't like dressing in costumes or hats

well i totally dressed the part and went to Medieval times i think i was the only one dressed for the occasion since our castle is attached to a mall you have to enter the mall to enter the castle on the way out this guy looked at me like what the hay day
then getting gas never fails i'm in garb i have to fill up the truck. this lady was trying her best not to stair but she was watching me

Quote from: Taffy Saltwater on April 08, 2010, 06:50:44 PM
Aicha, he went to play w/the MechCorps guys on Friday afternoon.  Did you get into the dealers' room at all?  Lots of fun stuff, guys in kilts *drools*, some renny types, lots of scifi folks, the crew of the Airship Arabella.  How were your bike rides?

Yes, one of the Mechcorps guys is a big fan.  I'll find the pictures and send them if you like.  I did a half-walk of the dealers room until I ran into Liam.  I didn't really have much time.  The rides that weekend were good, if exhausting.  Chappell Hill on saturday kicked my butt!

Thanks for sending the pics!  It was truly a weekend that I'll always treasure.  I'm sorry I didn't see you there.   Sounds like the weekend was tough, but rewarding.  Thanks again!

There are a couple of moments I can remember.  One is from a couple of years ago.  Hubby and I were at the annual "Frankenfeast" in Frankenmuth, MI.  After the feast itself, there's a couple of hours before the dancing starts when all the rennies do a walk about town.  Hubby and I were in noble garb (he in a very lavish doublet and I in a velvet court gown) strolling around.  Several mundanes stopped us to ask to take our picture, but the best was one little girl who walked up to me with huge eyes and asked, "Are you the queen of Germany?"   :D  (For those that don't know, Frankenmuth was originally settled by Germans and is built in a Bavarian style.)

The other was just a few days ago at this year's Frankenfeast.  I was at the Friday night pre-party (the feast is always on Saturday) chatting with a new friend.  As we were chatting away, two other rennie friends were sitting in the same booth talking to each other.  They're both guys (this point must be made), and after shaking hands, they got so involved in whatever they were chatting about that they never let go.  Our waitress was a trainee, so I suspect she hasn't really encountered the likes of us before.  She came to remove an empty wine glass, and had to reach over the guys' clasped hands to get it.  She didn't say a word, but the look on her face was priceless.  We all had a good chuckle about it.  ;D  She got a full dose of pirate craziness on Saturday night, though, as she was one of the waitresses working during the dancing.  :D

Quote from: VIII on June 05, 2008, 01:31:59 PM
Alright, let's see who remembers this commercial.

I believe it was back in 1989, we were doing a one-weekend festival, the "Wichita Falls Medieval Fantasy Faire".  Exiting the hotel on Sunday morning, we passed by the restaurant area where everyone was having breakfast.  One elderly couple looked on in ever-growing astonishment at the parade of colourfully-garbed performers passing by.  As I was at the end of the line, Gramma poked Grampa repeatedly and pointed at me.

Decked out in my brightest and best, topped off with an enormous golden Imperial Crown, without stopping, I quipped, "Do try the margarine!"

The wave of laughter that rolled across the restaurant!

Wichita Falls had a fantasy faire???? Man, I grew up there, do they still have it? I never heard of it.....

This is something the pink pirate wanted me to pass along.

"I was going bowling with a group of friends.  Just for kicks I wear my kilt.  I'm at the restroom sink combing the tangles out of my shoulder  length hair.  In walks a guy who shouts, "Oh sweet 'jebuz' I'm in the wrong bathroom!'  Then he see's my face with it's full van dyke beard, and starts laughing.  The guy told me, 'I saw the skirt, and I saw the hair, and thought I had really screwed up.' 

It's not exactly faire related, but I definately startled a mundane this morning...

Last night I henna'd my hand.  At Starbucks this morning, when I was checking out I reached for my change w/the henna'd hand, palm up.  The guy at the register jumped and yelled "hello!" when he noticed the henna.  No further comments or questions from him, though, just a slightly quizical look.  Definately the strangest reaction to henna I've seen.  I honestly have no idea what was going through his mind. *shrug*

Stage combat practice.

Local park.

Yes.

Quote from: Elennare on April 28, 2010, 11:58:33 AM
It's not exactly faire related, but I definately startled a mundane this morning...

Last night I henna'd my hand.  At Starbucks this morning, when I was checking out I reached for my change w/the henna'd hand, palm up.  The guy at the register jumped and yelled "hello!" when he noticed the henna.  No further comments or questions from him, though, just a slightly quizical look.  Definately the strangest reaction to henna I've seen.  I honestly have no idea what was going through his mind. *shrug*

Since Elennare is going to mention a non faire occurance.  A few weekends ago I went to see Kick weed puller at a local theater.  A guy that looked like a preacher was in the line next to me buying tickets for "letters from God".  Just as he's handing the girl his money I say "Kick weed puller, at 7:30".  He coughs, turns, and stares at me.


Judge not lest ye be judged, padre.

This happens so regularly that it probably doesn't count:

Fabric Clerk : So what are you going to make with all this?
Me : Doublet and slops.
Fabric Clerk : What?
Me : whips out photo of Don Juan in his finery.
Fabric Clerk : ah.....okkkkkkk.

Quote from: DonaCatalina on June 07, 2010, 03:25:07 PM
This happens so regularly that it probably doesn't count:

Fabric Clerk : So what are you going to make with all this?
Me : Doublet and slops.
Fabric Clerk : What?
Me : whips out photo of Don Juan in his finery.
Fabric Clerk : ah.....okkkkkkk.

Try explaining...

Fabric clerk is rolling out 5 yards of pastel pink silk. They are still bolts of magenta pink mincro sude, and feather trim in our basket.  Fabric clerk: "What is this for?"
Me: "A pirate coat."
Clerk: "Ahh you will look lovely in it."
Me: " It isn't for me."
Clerk: "Oh, then your customer will love it."
Me: "Not for a customer, him." Point at my DH who is trying to decide between the persian pink trim or the darker black/plum and pink trim. 
Clerk: "Oh well....I would hope there is a story behind this.   ;)

Trust me I know how you feel.

One time...at band camp... ooops!

When we go to Scarby each year, we have a couple of friends that travel with us. It is somewhat of a tradition of ours to have breakfast, at least once, at the Chisum Grill on the square in downtown Waxahachie. We usually are on the way to the village when we stop, so we are already garbed. (You would be amazed at the people who look at you like you're nuts, have never been to the faire, and this is happening in their town! Go figure!)

On one of our early morning visits—it was a Sunday—we had an unusually large contingent from Little Rock, and I was wearing my gray wizardly robes. As we were heading out the door, a woman rushed up to me. "I just had to tell you," she said, "my 4 year-old son looked at you, then looked at me and asked, 'Mommy, is that God?'" Since nothing could be further from the truth, I laughed and replied, "Not hardly, ma'am!"

I finally get to add to this thread...this is our second faire season.

My son (doublet, leather pants, boots and floopy hat with huge blue feather), his girlfriend (low noble garb a la princess) and I (toned down wench since it was kids day) had finished faire for the day.  I needed groceries so I said to the faire organizer that we were going to do shopping in garb and could we have some programs to help plug the faire.  We get to the parking lot...and overhear..."are they Mennonites?"  We enter the store amid tons of stares and several people approach..."and what play is this for?"  We laughed our way through the store.  One elderly lady kept poking her head around the end of the aisle to keep watching us.  We had a blast!  Sadly, so few people even knew that there was a medieval faire in their own back yard.

Also at the faire my son and I had our hands hennaed.  Both of us have enjoyed the comments about them today as well.  Almost every one assumed we had been to an Indian wedding though...too sad!

Quote from: knightofistari on April 14, 2010, 03:08:26 PM

Quote from: VIII on June 05, 2008, 01:31:59 PM
Alright, let's see who remembers this commercial.

I believe it was back in 1989, we were doing a one-weekend festival, the "Wichita Falls Medieval Fantasy Faire".  Exiting the hotel on Sunday morning, we passed by the restaurant area where everyone was having breakfast.  One elderly couple looked on in ever-growing astonishment at the parade of colourfully-garbed performers passing by.  As I was at the end of the line, Gramma poked Grampa repeatedly and pointed at me.

Decked out in my brightest and best, topped off with an enormous golden Imperial Crown, without stopping, I quipped, "Do try the margarine!"

The wave of laughter that rolled across the restaurant!

Wichita Falls had a fantasy faire???? Man, I grew up there, do they still have it? I never heard of it.....

Unfortunately it was a one-time, one-weekend event back in 1989 (I think?) never to be repeated again *sigh*  :'(

OK for those who know The Brigands, we travel in an old Astro Van, made up to look like a ship, HMS Hellion ( check our website for more pics of it).  thebrigands.com

We constantly get asked if it came like that!  And of course , our answer is" Yeah, it was a special option that year. Didn't you see the Nautica option at the dealer?"  About half get the joke, the other half walk away, shaking thier heads and wondering why THEY didnt order it like that too.

(http://thebrigands.com/hms_hellion.jpg)

coming from Garf the other weekend we stop at steak and shake i love steak and shake and well while sitting there we waited a while when a girl comes over and says sorry your waiter is busy i'll take your drink order well apparently my costume had him freaked out so bad that our waiter never showed the girl had to take our order and bring it to us as well.

/Pollyanna moment

This may be hokey, but when I'm garbed (playtron), I always feel I should be an ambassador for Renfest culture. I think this is a guilty holdover from theater days where they drilled into us that you never-never-never-EVER wear a costume in public.

So, when out and about, my renbuddies and I try to go out of my way to be extra-smiley and spread the "it's really fun and you should just run on down today and check it out" message to store clerks, hotel bellhops, gas station attendants, little kids (if their parents aren't too creeped out), and anyone else who is willing to chat.

/end Pollyanna moment

Now back to my regularly scheduled snarkiness.

I have a new story!....well they weren't exactly mundanes...and it WAS at faire but still....I freaked them out


So sunday last I was able to attend the royal joust at the colorado show.  At the end of the show after the evil Sir Roderick had met his demise, Don Mitri, second to Sir William was making an attempt to retrieve his banner from it's holder on the fence when his horse shied away from it.  Seeing something that needed to be done I raced over to it and handed it up to him.  There were some patrons behind me that looked at me funny.....

I love going to the McDonalds in Plantersville for TRF, its only about 5 minutes from the gates and right in the middle of town. Since it's such a huge faire, the workers there are so use to garbed out people in there, no one ever notices. I also love the gas station right outside of the gates, there's usually a little sword tent set up right by it. Either going to the faire or going home, you can be sure you'll see other garbed patrons! It makes you feel less vulnerable you know?

Once, on the way home from TRF, I had gone with my friends family and I was the only one to dress up. They wanted to stop at a Chinese restaurant on the way home, this place was really fancy. There was some sort of chinese party or wedding going on too, and here I walk in in my pirate garb. I was so embarrassed, I swear a hush fell over the entire restaurant. Then another time on the way home my friends, who were also in garb, stopped at a truck stop. I was a fairy and some trucker goes "looks like we got a walkin tree in here!" Bleh.

After the Oklahoma faire this season, we were driving around Muskogee looking for a place to eat and I saw people in garb walking into a restaurant and I yelled out the window "yeah renfest!" I hope they heard :)

Oh i just remembered, after Kansas city faire last year, my friends and I went to Wendy's, and I was the only one in full garb, though 2 other friends had tails on over jeans and a t-shirt. Anyways, I had a huge headache and my feet hurt, so I guess I wasn't in the best mood. There were these kids about our age and a guy said to me "I like your corset" and I apparently snapped back "it's a bodice". I feel really bad about that, I didnt mean to sound so mean, but my friends tell me it came off as such :( on the plus side, my friends now know the difference between a bodice and a corset!

Hubby and I went to Colonial Williamsburg a couple of weeks ago.  I went into the tailors and started asking the guy all kinds of questions.  He could tell I was better informed than the average tourist and we got into a great conversation.  As we were talking other people came into the shop.  During a lull one woman asked about corsets.  Big mistake!!  The guy didn't even skip a beat and started speaking to her in french!  She just about lost her eyeballs!!  I then said how about a 'pair of stays'.  He smiled and explained to the woman he didn't mean to make fun he just wanted to point out the historical differences.  I really had to hold in the laughter.  It turned out to be a wonderful teaching experience for both of us. :)

Okay- this wasn't me but I can take credit since its my poor indoctrinated daughter.

She was in Canada watching a movie (I'm not sure which) with friends who are not interested in Faires or the Renaissance. In the middle of the movie she blurts out "Look that painting in the background is Isabel de Valois so they really filmed this in such and such museum". They all looked at her as of she had grown a new head. Of course afterwards they had to go look up the museum and see if the painting was really there, which it was.

I went to my 40th high school reunion this weekend. Because I'm always looking to find people interested in Ren faires, or to convert some mundanes, I made my name tag out simply as "Merlin." It ended up generating some queries, and I even found at least one couple that would like to join us at Scarby next year.  Don't know that I actually freaked anyone out, but they all know I'm a wizard now!

So...I finished paying off my drabbit yesterday....
I decided that I'd take him to the library with me....I freaked at least one person out.

This post is a twist on this thread:  Freaking the Rennie

The first Sunday of Bristol, Steve & I went with 2 friends that we introduced to faire last year, and they are now addicted!  I wore my new Moresca outfit that I bought in Scarborough.  It was my Christmas/birthday/anniversary present from my husband.

Alan (one of our friends) takes hundreds of pictures at whatever faire we go to (they've been to 4 faires already this year, like I said, they're addicted!).  In one of the pictures, Richard, Carol, Steve, & I are standing together.  Alan told us to get closer together so we all would fit in the picture.  I turned a bit sideways & kind of leaned back on Steve.  Just a tiny bit.

Well, Richard said he showed the faire pictures to some friends and one of them said, "She looks like a tramp in that picture." 

Richard replied, "I think the proper term is "wench.""

Boy, did that freak ME out when Richard relayed that conversation to me.

So this is a case of a Mundane freaking the Rennie.

Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on July 25, 2010, 03:29:02 PM
This post is a twist on this thread:  Freaking the Rennie

The first Sunday of Bristol, Steve & I went with 2 friends that we introduced to faire last year, and they are now addicted!  I wore my new Moresca outfit that I bought in Scarborough.  It was my Christmas/birthday/anniversary present from my husband.

Alan (one of our friends) takes hundreds of pictures at whatever faire we go to (they've been to 4 faires already this year, like I said, they're addicted!).  In one of the pictures, Richard, Carol, Steve, & I are standing together.  Alan told us to get closer together so we all would fit in the picture.  I turned a bit sideways & kind of leaned back on Steve.  Just a tiny bit.
Well, Richard said he showed the faire pictures to some friends and one of them said, "She looks like a tramp in that picture." 

Richard replied, "I think the proper term is "wench.""

Boy, did that freak ME out when Richard relayed that conversation to me.
So this is a case of a Mundane freaking the Rennie.

Sheesh. what a thing to say.

I don't know if this counts..the KISS concert in Dec. I got fully dressed up in my take on Gene Simmons, I had the full makeup, bat winged jacket, corset under it and a studded full length skirt with my platform boots. We went to my hubby's sisters to let them see me and her husband about fell over! he said to her in a not so quite voice "Oh my GOD look at her Boobs"! I smiled went over to him and said in my sexy voice, what did you not know I'm a woman Jimmy? the look on his face was priceless!!( I'm a 40D I've always been a big woman and but I'm always in jeans and t-shirts.) I offered to take his wife shopping for a corset. :)
Meanwhile hubbys mother came from the back of the house and screamed! She was totally freaked.
I've only been dressing like Gene since I was 12, she's seen a 100 pictures!
It's alot of fun going into public places dressed as Gene. I LOVE the attention!
It's alot of fun for me going in my ren fair/sca garb too :) especially my viking set up with all the jewlery.

I have to ask, what the heck is it about Ren garb that make mundanes think you are Mormon?  My husband was telling our neighbors about me going to Fest and one of them says, "Oh that explains it.  I saw you in some goofy, long dress thing and was wondering if you were Mormon or something."  WTH?  I was wearing my yellow noble gown (as seen in my avitar) and how is that "Mormon?"  But I hear that a lot, "They're Mormon or something."  That or Amish.  Really, people?  Really?

Quote from: LadyFae on October 07, 2010, 04:35:52 PM
I have to ask, what the heck is it about Ren garb that make mundanes think you are Mormon?  My husband was telling our neighbors about me going to Fest and one of them says, "Oh that explains it.  I saw you in some goofy, long dress thing and was wondering if you were Mormon or something."  WTH?  I was wearing my yellow noble gown (as seen in my avitar) and how is that "Mormon?"  But I hear that a lot, "They're Mormon or something."  That or Amish.  Really, people?  Really?

Oh, you know, the Mormons in their corseted prairie gowns on the Oregon Trail, lead by Richard the Lionheart and Queen Elizabeth I. Makes total sense  ;D

Quote from: Drudonn on October 07, 2010, 05:50:19 PM

Quote from: LadyFae on October 07, 2010, 04:35:52 PM
I have to ask, what the heck is it about Ren garb that make mundanes think you are Mormon?  My husband was telling our neighbors about me going to Fest and one of them says, "Oh that explains it.  I saw you in some goofy, long dress thing and was wondering if you were Mormon or something."  WTH?  I was wearing my yellow noble gown (as seen in my avitar) and how is that "Mormon?"  But I hear that a lot, "They're Mormon or something."  That or Amish.  Really, people?  Really?

Oh, you know, the Mormons in their corseted prairie gowns on the Oregon Trail, lead by Richard the Lionheart and Queen Elizabeth I. Makes total sense  ;D

Oh yeah!  Duh, silly me!  Gee, I should really brush up on my history, huh?  LOL!

I figure this might count as freaking the 'Danes....My high school mascot was the Pirate...so for the happy hour the night before our reunion, I wore full Pyrate garb...in my HS colors (and my sweetie in his - He was the Buccaneers)!!!  Honestly, I think only about half of my classmates were freaked out...guess I haven't changed TOO much since high school!  ;D
(http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w288/Amyjrenphotos/Garb/HighSchoolGarb.jpg)

Quote from: Drudonn on October 07, 2010, 05:50:19 PM

Quote from: LadyFae on October 07, 2010, 04:35:52 PM
I have to ask, what the heck is it about Ren garb that make mundanes think you are Mormon?  My husband was telling our neighbors about me going to Fest and one of them says, "Oh that explains it.  I saw you in some goofy, long dress thing and was wondering if you were Mormon or something."  WTH?  I was wearing my yellow noble gown (as seen in my avitar) and how is that "Mormon?"  But I hear that a lot, "They're Mormon or something."  That or Amish.  Really, people?  Really?

Oh, you know, the Mormons in their corseted prairie gowns on the Oregon Trail, lead by Richard the Lionheart and Queen Elizabeth I. Makes total sense  ;D

I sprayed coffee on my screen, thanks bunches.  LMAO


   

OK. so this last summer, my living history group, the Renaissance Scots, were in Billings, Montana for the Yellowstone Highland Games. We stayed in some hotel or other, and went down for the breakfast buffet before Saturday's festivities. This happened to be the same weekend as the anniversary of Custer's Last Stand, and there was a reenactment going on at the Little Big Horn battle field that day. I walked in and some guy asked me "Are you guys with the Custer reenactment?" I of course said "Yes we are! It's a little known fact that Custer hired a contingent of Scottish Highlanders as his bodyguards. Do you have any idea how many Indians were crushed with cabers during that battle?" He looked and me and said "Really?" Our clan chief, who has a dry wit, walked right up behind me and said "No. He's bullsh**ing you." And walked away. Curtis didn't even know what the conversation was all about... He just wanted to ruin my fun.

Quote from: LadyFae on October 07, 2010, 04:35:52 PM
I have to ask, what the heck is it about Ren garb that make mundanes think you are Mormon?  My husband was telling our neighbors about me going to Fest and one of them says, "Oh that explains it.  I saw you in some goofy, long dress thing and was wondering if you were Mormon or something."  WTH?  I was wearing my yellow noble gown (as seen in my avitar) and how is that "Mormon?"  But I hear that a lot, "They're Mormon or something."  That or Amish.  Really, people?  Really?

I was out in kilt and an Iron Maiden t shirt a couple days ago and some guy asked me if I was Swedish.  ??? And then some other guy asked me if I was going to a Halloween party. I said "No. Why?" He said "Well, you're wearing a costume!" A $600 kilt... If he saw a Middle Easter man wearing a turban, would he interpret that as a Halloween costume? I actually said to him that I don't regard my cultural garb as costume, and he got all red in the face and apologized. I don't get the thought process of most people, either. What part of my clothing in that instance said costume? I was wearing black work boots and an Iron Maiden tour shirt with my kilt!

Quote from: Elennare on April 28, 2010, 11:58:33 AM
It's not exactly faire related, but I definately startled a mundane this morning...

Last night I henna'd my hand.  At Starbucks this morning, when I was checking out I reached for my change w/the henna'd hand, palm up.  The guy at the register jumped and yelled "hello!" when he noticed the henna.  No further comments or questions from him, though, just a slightly quizical look.  Definately the strangest reaction to henna I've seen.  I honestly have no idea what was going through his mind. *shrug*

I'll tell you what- henna tattoos are sexy.

My friend Richard and I went to Four Kingdoms Renaissance Faire on Saturday.  It was so hot, and no shade, that after we saw our friends in the group, Trinket, we went to HyVee  for lunch and to sit in the a/c to cool off before returning to the faire.

The HyVee (a supermarket) is less than 1 mile from the faire.

As we were paying at the deli cashier, I could see 4 pairs of eyes fixated on "the girls."  There were 4 older gentlemen who had stopped eating and watched me walk across the cafeteria to my seat.  After a few minutes one of them came up and asked, "Is that some kind of European clothing you are wearing?"

We said no, it was from the Renaissance, then he asked what the time period was, so we told him.  He walked back to his other friends and we could hear him say, "It's from the Renaissance.  There must be a Renaissance Faire somewhere around here."

I wanted to wear all my pirate stuff, but I ended up nearly undressing one hot day. So to try and fix this, I got dress in my house with the A/C on . . . which meant I needed to drive in my garb. No big deal. But we had to get discounted tickets at Kroger. I went inside and stepped up to the Ticketmaster line. The lady asked me if I needed tickets, a perfectly valid question. When I said yes, she asked, "To where?"

I kinda just looked at her.

Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on October 12, 2010, 09:22:16 PM
My friend Richard and I went to Four Kingdoms Renaissance Faire on Saturday.  It was so hot, and no shade, that after we saw our friends in the group, Trinket, we went to HyVee  for lunch and to sit in the a/c to cool off before returning to the faire.

The HyVee (a supermarket) is less than 1 mile from the faire.

Totally unrelated, but they just built a Hy-Vee in my town and I went there last night to get some things. Oh my god, their fruit bar looks amazing and they have sushi! I plan to go there next saturday for lunch and never leave 

Since a sizeable group of rennies will be invading the Hampton Inn in Bastrop for Sherwood's opening, I expect some new stories to follow.

Quote from: DonaCatalina on January 25, 2011, 01:50:06 PM
Since a sizeable group of rennies will be invading the Hampton Inn in Bastrop for Sherwood's opening, I expect some new stories to follow.

I certainly hope so...or we aren't doing our job!!

I was in Billings, Mt with my Renaissance living history group for the Yellowstone Highland Games and Scottish festival. The weekend of the festival also happened to coincide with the anniversary of Custer's last stand- the battle at Little Big Horn. There was a reenactment going on there as well. So- the festival organizers put us up in a motel close to the festival grounds. Saturday morning, we all got into garb and went down for the hotel breakfast. We filed past this couple who looked at each of us as we passed by. When I walked by the man, he grabbed me by my wrist and asked (now bear in mind here that we're Scottish Highlanders!) if we were with the Custer reenactment! We're dressed like wild Highlanders...  :D I told him "Yep! It's a little known fact that Custer had a contingent of Highlanders as his body guards." I went into this lecture about the number of Indians crushed by stones and cabers... He looked at me and said "Really?" Another of our members came up behind me and said "No. He's bulls**ting you." And walked away.

Quote from: Nighthawk on January 26, 2011, 02:33:27 PM
I was in Billings, Mt with my Renaissance living history group for the Yellowstone Highland Games and Scottish festival. The weekend of the festival also happened to coincide with the anniversary of Custer's last stand- the battle at Little Big Horn. There was a reenactment going on there as well. So- the festival organizers put us up in a motel close to the festival grounds. Saturday morning, we all got into garb and went down for the hotel breakfast. We filed past this couple who looked at each of us as we passed by. When I walked by the man, he grabbed me by my wrist and asked (now bear in mind here that we're Scottish Highlanders!) if we were with the Custer reenactment! We're dressed like wild Highlanders...  :D I told him "Yep! It's a little known fact that Custer had a contingent of Highlanders as his body guards." I went into this lecture about the number of Indians crushed by stones and cabers... He looked at me and said "Really?" Another of our members came up behind me and said "No. He's bulls**ting you." And walked away.

Hah! That's hysterical. My dad's best friend is Custer's great grandson, or great great grandson, something like that. But, he's still got the same last name :) I always thought that was so cool

Quote from: Delireus on January 26, 2011, 04:43:51 PM

Hah! That's hysterical. My dad's best friend is Custer's great grandson, or great great grandson, something like that. But, he's still got the same last name :) I always thought that was so cool

No kiddin'! I bet he'd have a blast at the reenactment.

Little late to the party, but want to share :)

I was filling up my car before picking up my friend and heading off to TRF. I was dressing as a pirate that year with a long black skirt/black corset and some heavy eye makeup etc. A woman across the pump from me kept giving me the eye and after a while grabbed a pamphlet from her car and came over to me. Handing me the pamphlet she said simply, "I'd like to give you this." I took it, said thanks, and once I got in my car I was able to take a good look at it. The pamphlet was about why the reader should choose Jesus as their savior.

It was a few years ago. My boyfriend at the time and I were rather bored and faire starved as it was the middle of winter. So, we decided to put our garb on and go walk around the mall. Oh the reactions we got! A had some teens come up to me and ask "Um, Why are you doing this?" like we were breaking some law or something. I got a few "Ooh! Look mommy! A princess!". Those were great.

Weekend before last was our home Faire, and on the way there we had to stop at WalMart for some goodies to take with us.  While my friend, my daughter and I were walking down the aisle a woman passing the other direction grinned, stopped and said "I need to go shoppin' with you girls, 'cause ya'll got it goin' ON!!!"  :D  So, naturally I invited her to go shopping with us... at Faire! 

I guess I am so used to over the years of freaking people out in my regular attire, I dont notice what people do or say when I am out and about in garb.

Rani,
You made remember my Walmart story! This year my daughter, her fiancee, and I put on our pirate garb to visit AZ Ren Fest. We needed some sundries from Walmart, so we stopped in. I was looking for my goodies when a customer walked up to me and said "Do you work here?" I was speechless! So , now Walmart employees dress in pirate garb!? OY!

Oh, now THAT's funny!!!  :D

We had just returned from the faire and were waiting to get on the elevator at the hotel. Two twenty-something fellows were eying us cautiously, looking rather puzzled. Finally one just shook his head, and all he said was, "I just have to ask..."

Lady Toadflinger, I've had the same thing happen to me at a 7Eleven. I was garbed...fully corseted big puffy sleeved chemise and bloomers... and grabbing a cup of coffee for the road when a customer,without even questioning if I worked there,asked if I would brew a pot of such and such coffee for her. Bizarre.....

Around here you can tell when it's faire season, because nobody blinks an eye when we walk into the store/gas station/restaurant in bloomers & chemises.
This past weekend, as I was getting out of my skirt in the parking lot on Sunday for the drive home, I had pushed it down over my hips and bent over to get it down to my ankles & off my feet, leaving my rather, umm AMPLE behind in the air, when I heard a whistle. Of course, I immediately stood and took a bow.  The woman (in mundanes) who had whistled turned red & giggled as she said "sorry, I just couldn't help myself"!  as she tried to hide behind her friend that was with her.

Quote from: Lady Toadflinger on April 13, 2011, 09:46:02 PM
Rani,
You made remember my Walmart story! This year my daughter, her fiancee, and I put on our pirate garb to visit AZ Ren Fest. We needed some sundries from Walmart, so we stopped in. I was looking for my goodies when a customer walked up to me and said "Do you work here?" I was speechless! So , now Walmart employees dress in pirate garb!? OY!

On Halloween, my friend and I went to Epcot dressed up (her as a peacock, and me in a version of my peasant garb). We spent pretty much the entire day going from country to country and coloring at the "kidcot" stations, and at least one person in every country came up and asked us if they were allowed to color and other such questions they might ask the cast members there.

Maybe a costume of some sort just makes people confused.

  I nearly always have to stop for something on the way to or from faire, so wearing garb outside of faire usually happens whether I plan it or not.   Most folks just smile and nod or ignore the crazy lady.
  The most fun reaction I have ever gotten was when I stopped at Borders for a copy of Renaissance magazine to take with me.  The whole scenario was just too precious for a few of the employees and customers to pass up cracking wise.  Everyone (including me) was laughing hard by the time I checked out and left.
 The cutest thing I was ever asked was from a little girl at a Kwick shop while I was getting coffee.  I was dressed as a wench (cotton skirts, twill bodice and renshirt).
 The little one checked me over very closely then asked; "Are you Snow White?"  So sweet!

   
 


On a side related note:
 I am curious to know if anyone has been told or heard that wearing garb outside of faire is considered 'unprofessional'?  The reason I ask is in the following story and I am assuming this applies only to folks who work at faire for a living:
 A few years back an individual (who also happens to be a member of a well known comedy act, and so will remain unnamed here) was overheard sneering at another performer behind his back, who was departing the grounds still in costume after faire closed for the day.
 The object of his scorn lived in the immediate area so it made sense to me that he not bother to change, but apparently, wearing a costume outside of 'work' is a sure sign of being an 'amateur' and to be avoided at all costs.   I have read related comments in at least one other forum or website, though it has been so long ago, I don't remember where.  A google search does not turn up anything mentioning this supposed 'taboo'.
  Are there any performers who can verify this, or is this a prejudice that has run it's course, is regional or perhaps was just a personal peeve for that performer?
 Just curious.  

I believe there's some reference to that in "The Guidebook for the Serious Ren Faire Enthusiast." John posted it way back when here in our forums. A distinction is made between cast and playtrons saying playtrons will wear garb outside of faire and cast would not.

Personally, I'm not cast, but I'd gladly dress at faire if I had a place to do so. I always feel a bit funny running about in my refaire undoes, but my garb is too much to put on and take off in a busy parking lot.

  I agree.
   I have to dress either at home or my hotel room, since any faire where I have been an assigned (volunteer) street character has not been large enough to have a dressing room (with mirrors!) for ladies, at least.  More than once I've had to stop at a Walmart and use the handicapped stall as a changing room on the way home on long commutes.
  The men are a different story; they really don't have many costumes,other than armor, that require assistance getting into and out of, and many don't bother to get that far out of sight when changing as it is.   

I usually get as far as the parking lot in bloomers & chemise, then add my skirt & bodice once I arrive because 1. my skirts are yards & yards of fabric that I just don't want to have to bunch up or worry about getting caught in a door, and 2. I can't drive in my bodices very well.  Before I leave the parking lot, I remove them for the same reason.
I CAN, however change my clothes (including underthings) completely in the parking lot if necessary, without giving anyone an adults-only kind of show. Fortunately, my garb is not noble or anything that requires a hoop or crinoline, and I've got enough folks around that I trust to tell me in the parking lot if everything looks balanced, and make sure my skirts are not twisted or tucked in my bloomers.

That being said, I think that most performers, at least the ones that I have spent any time with when they are out of character, are ready to shed that character at the end of the day, and get back into their comfy clothes (I know when I get home after work, the first thing I do is change into my big ole comfy t-shirt and either shorts or pajama pants, unless I'm going somewhere, so why would they be any different?) once they are off-stage for the evening. If a performer (whether it be cast or an independent performer who is not just at that show, but travels the circuit) is staying off-site, especially if they are in their hometown, I can totally see not wanting to pack up an additional bag of comfy clothes to lug to the site every day. Weekends when I am at a hotel for more than one night, I unpack everything and then only pack what I absolutely need for each day, until the morning that I check out. I know that by the end of the day, I am more than ready to be out of my bodice and skirts, and they are cotton, I can only imagine that those in fabrics that don't breathe as well as my cotton does are MORE than ready to shed them too!

The kids that worked for me this last season all wore their stuff to and from work. I admit when cannon blows and I am done closing up that bodice is off and the shlumpies are on! As for the "Amature" comment I was not aware that there was a rule book for being a Rennie so he was just blowing hot air. There are just some people that are snobs no matter where you are

At Scarborough, it is an unwritten rule that performing company members do not wear their costuming when going out and about.  When just driving to and from home (maybe with a stop at a drive through for food or a gas station), that's fine, but NEVER out to a restaurant or Walmart.

Quote from: lys1022 on April 14, 2011, 07:40:29 PM
At Scarborough, it is an unwritten rule that performing company members do not wear their costuming when going out and about.  When just driving to and from home (maybe with a stop at a drive through for food or a gas station), that's fine, but NEVER out to a restaurant or Walmart.

It's an unwritten rule as in you could get in trouble for it or an unwritten standard as in your cast mates might make fun of you...?

Personally, when it comes to wearing garb out and about, what's the issue with it? Why would it even be a problem We all wear our work uniforms out and about (unless you have a locker room to change in or wear a mascot uniform,) so why can't a rennie employee wear theirs? I understand that nobility and gypsies might feel uncomfortable with it...(I wear a cropped shirt to faire, but when out and about in public, I cover my stomach (except at the beach)) But a peasant garb, something still relatively comfortable, I see no issue with at all. Especially around Halloween and in the locals of the faires, it's expected. Of course, this is just my opinion...I'm also a person who, if the "rule" was unwritten I would "break" it anyway because I can't go a whole year without wearing a bodice at least once...

And if your part is the town idiot and there's no showers, it might just be better to wear the full garb out instead of mundanes and just the dirt and makeup that one might still have one their face if there's no shower around...

My $.02 is that paid performers should not be seen in costume outside of their performance location.  I'm not just referring to ren faire cast, but any performer in any situation.  It takes away the magic from seeing the actor transform into the character they play.  You won't see stage actors leaving the stage door with their makeup or costume on, unless there is a reason for them to remain in costume/character.  (for example, we went to see Avenue Q, and some of the actuars came out to the lobby directly after the performance to collect for a charity)

I think the line is blurred a little with all of the "behind the scenes" footage we are given access to nowadays, but I like the magic and wonder of being amazed with the transformation when I get to see it.

If you're not being paid, then there is no one to tell you when to wear and not wear your garb (costume).

Quote from: Jade Sapphire Emerald on April 14, 2011, 07:50:16 PM
It's an unwritten rule as in you could get in trouble for it or an unwritten standard as in your cast mates might make fun of you...?

Well, its a rule that our cast has adopted due to past non-cast interactions in the town of Waxahachie that were attributed to us.  People see others dressed in Ren-garb and automatically assume they are Scarborough cast.  There had been problems with rude people, drunkeness and other things that were done by people NOT on cast.  So to avoid any confusion we instill in our people the need to not wear our garb outside the faire unless its to and from faire directly.

Hope that helps :)

Sounds complete reasonable to me.  As a costumer for theaters, I keep pressing upon my actors, DO NOT take photographs of yourself in costume backstage that you even THINK could be considered bad taste.  They already know NOT to wear them out of the theater because not only is it a bad idea but 2, it is their only costume, and if something happens to it then being in  deep 'fertalizer' is the least of their worries.  Once girl took her costume home, and forgot it.  We had to hold the show until she went home and got it.  ::)
But yes I can understand why Scarby's cast has an un written rule to not wear their 'show garb' out in public, as their image reflects the fest it's self.

------
Back to the original path of this topic .... The year we flew to Southern Cal to visiti friends and go to the So Cal Ren faire , the look on the TSA guy's faces when they had to pull out Quizzik from the PP's carry on bag was priceless.  Nothing like opening a bag and seeing a Drabbit looking up at you smiling.  ;D

Hey...I'm Scottish...I wear a kilt.

Outside of faire is a fine place to be kilted. (My kids hate it though)

My son wore a kilt to his girl friend's senior prom back in `92.  They really didn't know how to handle that!

I wore fairy wings to mine. It was lots of fun

Quote from: Adriana Rose on April 16, 2011, 10:50:52 AM
I wore fairy wings to mine. It was lots of fun

Now that would have been a hit at my high school prom (NOT!). I wasn't allowed to go to my prom. It was a Catholic all boys school, and you had to take someone from the corresponding all girls Catholic high school. I was already dating the pagan, nee Methodist, that I'm still with today. In my next life, I think I'll start the Druid High School. That would freak the `danes!

Quote from: Merlin the Elder on April 16, 2011, 11:27:36 AM

Quote from: Adriana Rose on April 16, 2011, 10:50:52 AM
I wore fairy wings to mine. It was lots of fun

Now that would have been a hit at my high school prom (NOT!). I wasn't allowed to go to my prom. It was a Catholic all boys school, and you had to take someone from the corresponding all girls Catholic high school. I was already dating the pagan, nee Methodist, that I'm still with today. In my next life, I think I'll start the Druid High School. That would freak the `danes!

I feel your pain... I went to Regis Jesuit high school. We were allowed to take girls from St. Mary's Academy or sisters of Regis students. Honestly, that was fine by me... Repressed Catholic school girls were fun when they got even a hint of freedom!  ;D Not only am I pagan, I'm a metalhead. Go to a Jesuit school wearing an Iron Maiden tour shirt, and MAN, do the lay people freak out!! The Jesuit priests, on the other hand... half of them were closet Maiden fans, so I made friends with lots of priests- Father Harrison being the most interesting!

So back on topic- I wasn't even in garb! I was just wearing a kilt, a black button down collared shirt, black work boots, kilt hose, sporran... and a Sport Kilt noggin wrap. I decided to go to Georgetown, Colorado for a ride on the Georgetown Loop railroad. I got on the train and a little boy asked me "Are you a pirate?" Usually when I'm out and about kilted and get asked a question of some type, I have a good answer handy. That one took me by surprise. I asked him why he thought I was a pirate, and he pointed to my head and said "Pirates wear those!" Didn't even notice the kilt, which I got a chuckle out of. What I thought was the most obvious part of my clothing this kid missed, and he latched onto what I thought was the most normal!

If it makes ys feel better my little boy always pretends that the giant car carts at the grocery store is a pirate ship. He yells ARRRRRR at anyone who gets in front of us lol

My daughter, who is a cat because the cat fairy gave her tea at the tea party at Sherwood, likes to loudly meow at people. She also randomly talks about her wings, which are pink.   

Quote from: Adriana Rose on April 16, 2011, 01:29:58 PM
If it makes ys feel better my little boy always pretends that the giant car carts at the grocery store is a pirate ship. He yells ARRRRRR at anyone who gets in front of us lol

Quote from: Meagan on April 16, 2011, 01:49:03 PM
My daughter, who is a cat because the cat fairy gave her tea at the tea party at Sherwood, likes to loudly meow at people. She also randomly talks about her wings, which are pink.   

(http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/images/smilies/laff.gif)

This past weekend we had a couple friends of our we rarely see with us.  We had loads of fun.   ;D
The husband kept giving me funny looks when I kept asking the PP if he needed his head sink. The PP responded with "Non, I'm fine."  Finally after about 3 hours, the husband pulled me aside.
"I need to you to explain this to me, when I picture a heat sink, I picture one thing. What the 'hello' are you talking about?"  btw the husband is a hardware engineer.
I simply told him, "The heat sink is a container" showed him my metal cigar tube, "that is made from a head conducting material, filled with a cooling agent, in this instance ice cubes. It is suspended..." I inserted it between my cleaveage. "so that it over the central fluid pump.  This allows the interior fluid to have the heat pulled away, leaving the fluid cooler, and since it is over the central pump, the cooled fluid is spread through out the entire unit."  I waved my hands dramically. " That is why I call it a heat sink. Am I using the term improperly?"  I smiled up at him.
He laughed and said," No, that is a perfect defintion of a heat sink, and sounds like it does it's job proper."  We then walked on. Soon as he took a drink of water, I looked over at him and said, "Besides, how else are you going to describe to a mundane person that you stick a cigar tube full  down you cleaveage to either cool you off or heat up your whiskey?"   He did a spit take.  ;D

heheh..that's funny, Stitch!  Heat sink is quite accurate. I've built enough electronics to totally get that reference.

lets see i stopped at so many places on the way to Garf Saturday.
Bojangles looked at me like i was crazy ofcourse i nearly drove off and left the food
then the gas station boy poor thing was baffled at me
everyone in mcd's thought we were a strange group
ofcourse cracker barrel wasn't much better everyone looked at us like we were from some far side of the galaxy except the cashier who got the whole ren fest thing

Quote from: Lady Christina de Pond on April 19, 2011, 09:22:47 AM
ofcourse cracker barrel wasn't much better everyone looked at us like we were from some far side of the galaxy except the cashier who got the whole ren fest thing

LOL. I remember stopping by a Cracker Barrel outside Jacksonville, Florida, after the Highland Games near there, with an entire pipe band. Some people had looks on their faces as if aliens had just taken over the place.

The day Davens and myself got engaged (at faire, of course) we went to Carabbas for dinner right after closing. The wait staff loved us. The customers thought we might be part of a show that Carabbas was going to put on.

To make it even better, one of my favorite customers that I was able to actually talk to as a person and not as a "Welcome to Bakery" robot walked past and he barely recognized me. When he did, he was like, "Oh! Wow! Talk about a change in appearance! But, why are you dressed like that..." (He and I talk nerd...his name is Kirk so I always called him Capt Kirk and we'd get into big sci fi discussions...he had no idea the faire was going on...made me laugh.)

After seven weeks the girl in the drive thru bakery finally got the courage to ask where we are going in such fancy clothes at 6:45am. She thought it was a wedding until we kept showing up every Saturday.

You should have just said..."they'll get it right eventually..."

The day of the royal wedding I did an educational show in a small town that had been hit by an almost-hurricane the day before. Nearly the entire town was at the Tim Hortons, because power was out most other places. I went in for the morning coffee run wearing a floor length tunic and a cloak. Everyone thought I had dressed up to watch the royal wedding on TV.

Quote from: DonaCatalina on May 23, 2011, 10:22:00 AM
After seven weeks the girl in the drive thru bakery finally got the courage to ask where we are going in such fancy clothes at 6:45am. She thought it was a wedding until we kept showing up every Saturday.

This Saturday they asked if we had any free tickets to the "play".  ;D

Quote from: DonaCatalina on May 29, 2011, 02:53:32 PM

Quote from: DonaCatalina on May 23, 2011, 10:22:00 AM
After seven weeks the girl in the drive thru bakery finally got the courage to ask where we are going in such fancy clothes at 6:45am. She thought it was a wedding until we kept showing up every Saturday.

This Saturday they asked if we had any free tickets to the "play".  ;D

How funny!

Quote from: Lady Toadflinger on April 13, 2011, 09:46:02 PM
Rani,
You made remember my Walmart story! This year my daughter, her fiancee, and I put on our pirate garb to visit AZ Ren Fest. We needed some sundries from Walmart, so we stopped in. I was looking for my goodies when a customer walked up to me and said "Do you work here?" I was speechless! So , now Walmart employees dress in pirate garb!? OY!

Still haven't finished reading the whole thread but I just had to comment. When I worked at walmart (Before the khaki and blue polo became norm) I would go to WORK in my garb. Blue apron over it but still. :P Helped that I worked Fabric and Crafts.

I know this is about freaking the mundanes but i do have to say i enjoyed faire last year freaking out my faire friends.

I came as a giant pink fairy with pig tails and didn't shave my goatee.

I would post a picture but to many has seen it and i have pending suits about blinding people at the moment.  :o

Okay, now that I have finished! :D

I started making my garb at 12. Throughout Jr high and high school I regularly wore my garb to school. Most teachers loved me. Subs were weirded out by me till they knew me. Classmates. . . it was interesting.

One set of girls were complaining about my wench costume being distracting. Now, when I went to school I was covered from wrist to ankle and flat chested though I was, I still pulled the neckline to 'modest heights'. The principle found it humorous. Why? Because he was a rennie too! He found no fault with my garb. The girls on the other hand got into trouble. It was January in Nebraska and they were wearing sockless shoes, short skirts and midriff baring tops. They were sent home to change and assigned a five page report on proper winter attire. :P

After I graduated I still would go out for no real reason wearing my garb and do my daily whatever. Shopping, local stores not only got use to me but were disappointed when I was dressed out of garb.

My favorite reactions tend to be those who asked why I was dressed this way or those who asked who I was. I usually replied "Because this is my fashion." or "This is me?"

I have had many people take my pics. Specially when I was dressed as a fairy with whole black eyes. (no whites, no pupils)  Though when dressed up I try not to scare the kids. Adults are a different story.

While I have enjoyed many, many times of "freakin' out the mundanes", when I wear The Kilt to weddings, funerals and of course on my way to and from Ren-Fests, I recall returning from a WWII event, in which we're in our VW Kubelwagens, and were stopped on the side of the road, re-fueling one of the vehicles, and a Officer of the Law, stops and asks us "Where was the Guard meetings at???", and we all look at the other, in our khaki Afrika Korps uniforms, and plainly stated, "Bastrop"...to which he says "Oh! ! !  WOW ! ! I bet ya'll had fun" ~ ~ ~ ~ and then he drives away ~ ~ ~ ~ "go figure"

Quote from: Knitting_Dragon on June 02, 2011, 04:19:53 PM
Okay, now that I have finished! :D

I started making my garb at 12. Throughout Jr high and high school I regularly wore my garb to school. Most teachers loved me. Subs were weirded out by me till they knew me. Classmates. . . it was interesting.

One set of girls were complaining about my wench costume being distracting. Now, when I went to school I was covered from wrist to ankle and flat chested though I was, I still pulled the neckline to 'modest heights'. The principle found it humorous. Why? Because he was a rennie too! He found no fault with my garb. The girls on the other hand got into trouble. It was January in Nebraska and they were wearing sockless shoes, short skirts and midriff baring tops. They were sent home to change and assigned a five page report on proper winter attire. :P

After I graduated I still would go out for no real reason wearing my garb and do my daily whatever. Shopping, local stores not only got use to me but were disappointed when I was dressed out of garb.

My favorite reactions tend to be those who asked why I was dressed this way or those who asked who I was. I usually replied "Because this is my fashion." or "This is me?"

I have had many people take my pics. Specially when I was dressed as a fairy with whole black eyes. (no whites, no pupils)  Though when dressed up I try not to scare the kids. Adults are a different story.

I have to say, this is really ridiculously cool. I've never even thought of wearing garb outside of faire days (well -- besides that one time when I decided to 'waist train' when I was 14 with a faire corset), but it sounds like a great idea haha.

Since we rarely go to SCA events anymore, I don't get to freak many mundanes. The people in Waxahachie have gotten used to us.

I'm hoping to freak some invited mundanes in about 3 weeks...might mess with a few Rennies as well...

One of the things I told the `danes regarding the pre-cannon tailgate was, "...if you don't know what pre-cannon means, you will post-cannon." I think they are still scratching their heads...

did they git Edumacated?

You know, in all the excitement, I forgot to ask, and I wasn't standing with them when the cannon went off.  I do know all of the `danes at the gathering had a good time.

OK, OK I'll take the plunge. ;D  I'm sure there are others wondering and just too scared to ask! ;)  Since I was always on the inside with grandma's shop I never did pre-cannon.  Will someone clue me (us) in? ???

Well, in our case, the pre-cannon tailgate is a major social event in and of itself, but I was referring to scaring the groundwater out of an unsuspecting `dane when the cannon fired.

If you have never been to Scarborough, the cannon fires from just above the Friends of Faire entrance.

OK, I gotcha!  Of course, being a Civil War reenactor (cannoneer) the guns don't bother me one bit!!! :o

 I know it is coming- but I always still jump when cannon goes off.
Eyes kind of pop when we stop at a convenience store to use the rest room - in full garb. Of course in Waco they knew where we were going! If anyone asks- I always say a football game.

Quote from: Queen Bonnie on April 26, 2012, 03:40:26 PM
I know it is coming- but I always still jump when cannon goes off.
Eyes kind of pop when we stop at a convenience store to use the rest room - in full garb. Of course in Waco they knew where we were going! If anyone asks- I always say a football game.

:o  Ha!   :o 

That caused my first good laugh of the day...   ;)   ;D

Quote from: GoodyTombShoes on April 27, 2012, 11:01:15 AM
Pennsylvania's faire is in Amish country. I've been asked at various stopping points if I'm Amish....Standing there in full corseted glory. Yep. Did the skirt give it away?

Mennonites or Amish...Hmmmm.
    Overbust or Underbust corset is the only difference that I know of..If you don't count that skirt hitches are used by unmarried women  ;).  Oh, and bodice coolers are used when milking cows in a hot barn...LOL.
 

When traveling thru Iowa, being merchants at Amana Colonies RF, we stopped at a gas station and later, at a restaurant.  When asked about our Viking clothing, I just looked at them blankly and replied, in my best northwoods accent, "Vell, ve're from Minnesoda.  Everybody up dere dresses like dis, y'know."

 LMAO.  I heard a rumor that one of my favorite restaurants around there won't serve anyone in garb.
The couple were vendors at the Amana faire, and they were asked to leave when they stopped in to get breakfast after leaving their hotel...

When we descend on the Red River Faire; we'll probably cause some shocked looks.

Quote from: Knitting_Dragon on June 02, 2011, 04:19:53 PM
Okay, now that I have finished! :D

I started making my garb at 12. Throughout Jr high and high school I regularly wore my garb to school. Most teachers loved me. Subs were weirded out by me till they knew me. Classmates. . . it was interesting.

One set of girls were complaining about my wench costume being distracting. Now, when I went to school I was covered from wrist to ankle and flat chested though I was, I still pulled the neckline to 'modest heights'. The principle found it humorous. Why? Because he was a rennie too! He found no fault with my garb. The girls on the other hand got into trouble. It was January in Nebraska and they were wearing sockless shoes, short skirts and midriff baring tops. They were sent home to change and assigned a five page report on proper winter attire. :P

After I graduated I still would go out for no real reason wearing my garb and do my daily whatever. Shopping, local stores not only got use to me but were disappointed when I was dressed out of garb.

My favorite reactions tend to be those who asked why I was dressed this way or those who asked who I was. I usually replied "Because this is my fashion." or "This is me?"

I have had many people take my pics. Specially when I was dressed as a fairy with whole black eyes. (no whites, no pupils)  Though when dressed up I try not to scare the kids. Adults are a different story.

That is pretty awesome! I want to try that someday. I find my garb quite comfortable.

A few years back, me and two of my friends went to Olive Garden after faire.

Walking in dressed in full garb was fun enough. The looks on peoples faces were priceless. Especially those at the bar. But the best part was the guy at the host's podium. He looks up. Eyes the 3 of us, and without missing a beat,picks up some menus, and says: "I'm not even gonna ask....Party of 3?"


Summed up the rest of the meal quite nicely.  ;D

There is a group of us that have created a tradition of camping the opening weekend of KYRF, and then on the way home Sunday night, we stop at the same Cracker Barrel. We have been doing this since 2008. You can always tell the new people because they are coming out of the kitchen and peeking around the corner to get a look at us. The ones that have been there awhile come up and talk to us.

I think my favorite was when we were camping this year. A few of us returned to our campsite, while the rest went to get some more supplies. The people at the campsite next to ours shouted "The renaissance faire people are back!" when they saw us and even asked us to sing for them (they remembered us from past years). I think we were more surprised than they were!

an elf, a queen, a ranger, and a fighter walked into a steak house. They knew we were coming, we called ahead and warned them.
They were tickled to have us there, the other people eating? The kids thought it was cool, the elder adults looked at us sideways, but, said nothing.
(I suspect we were used in analogies and parables after we left.)

maybe the parable of the sheep and goats?

Last weekemd we had a pub crawl in Surgarland, Texas.  The looks we got from the 'danes as we went from pub to pub.  There were about 30-40 of us, mostly in garb.  I had several people stop me and StudMuffin to inquire what was going on.  I played it straight and told them it was a Texas Rennaisance Festival promotion.  If I had been thinking, I would have told them it was a church group, that the people in armor were deacons and the minister was the woman in the pirate hat and bustier.

I did tell one hostess that the rest of her evening would seem dull after we left.

I wish I'd made the pub crawl, but while it was happening I was freaking the citizens at the Galleria ice rink;

(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg301/olmark/Heroes%20on%20Ice/scc2012.png)

I was helping out at a promotion for the upcoming Space City Con called 'Heroes on Ice', and I was far from the most interesting thing there!
(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg301/olmark/Heroes%20on%20Ice/IMG_5381.jpg)

http://www.spacecitycon.com/guests.html

Nice Zardoz!  Were I male, I do not think I would have the cajones to ice skate in a kilt. Of course that is probably because I really can't ice skate and spend most of my time on the ground lol.

This last June I was with my mother in a Costco in California after a Scottish Faire, still in garb. Someone literally came up to me in an aisle and asked if I worked there...I was so stunned by the question that I had no witty reply

L'il Mac and I were eating at a Waffle House outside of Houston; out of garb. A couple and their
two kids were behind us, the daughter probably 6 or 7 yrs old. Seeing his long grayish, white beard,
she kept peaking over mommas' shoulder at him. After a few minutes of whispering and her dad
turning to check him out too, the mom turned with a snobbish, trying to make a ridiculous funny
and said, "My daughter wants to know if you are Santa Claus." I have never known anyone
with quicker wit, without a pause he looked at the little girl, smiled, winked, put his finger to his
lips and said," Shh...I'm on vacation."

I've had serveral experiences; one or two I've posted here before but this one belongs to my wive. We stopped at a bagel place around 7:15 Saturday morning to grab bagels for our MDRF tailgate. Lady Di went in wearing her belly dancer garb. Two older gentleman asked her where she was going dressed like that and if they could come with her.  ;D

I don't know how much I am allowed to say, but a certain foreign visitor I know loves to stand outside shops at faire while I peruse and "stare down" the Danes in the lanes. He's actually smiling, but his eyes lie. Apparently he gets some reactions out of people, just on his eyes alone. I personally haven't freaked out any Danes.... YET.

I said no-TING! no-TING! /Hogan's Heroes

There is an event around here locally known as Goth Night at a bar every week.  I attended a "Pirate Party" they held several weeks ago and went in garb as did many other people. It was at a local bar.  Me and several friends were sitting around outside having a cigarette and drinks and just having good conversation.  Three would-be tough guys decided they were going to be "badarse" and began poking fun at us.  Well I myself am not easily riled up but there if is one thing that annoys me it's repetition in peoples jokes. 

After about minute 30 of "Butt pirate hehehehe" like The Three Stooges vs Beavis And Butthead personality clash of the ages, I was getting annoyed as was the Jack Sparrow cosplayer next to me.  They then decided to say "I think it would be funny to beat their a**".  Jack stated "They are asking for trouble if they keep it up" and that was retorted with a few slurs our way.  That was my breaking point.  I walked over to them as did Cap'n Jack and said "Do you think I don't know what I am wearing? I'm aware of the fact that I am  dressed like a pirate.  If you're gonna make fun of people for looking like we do, at least be original.  Like that I look like Andre the Giant or something.  Also keep in mind the fact that we are willing to go out in public dressed in this probably should indicate to you that we are comfortable and can probably handle ourselves.  Not to mention there are about 40 of us and three of you.  So, perhaps you should take your bigotry elsewhere."

They left.  Security thanked me.

Last Sunday was closing day for MNRF and after my girls and I left we ended up stopping by Fleet Farm for a few items.  WELL we of course were in our fairy garb, minus the wings.  We had SOOOOO many people stopping to look at us as we walked all aroudnd the store looking for what we needed and we just ignored it.  WELL standing at the checkout line a lady chose to come up behind us just to chat.  She wanted to know if we were fairies and I said, "OH how could you tell! I thought we were disguised by hiding our wings!"  She laughed and talked to the girls about their fairy names and our "talents."  She ended our talk by telling me what a great mom I am (I don't think she heard the part about us having been out at Fest and she must have thought that I just dress us up for random days because I'm just that cool.  LOL!)  I love that SOMEONE wasn't scared to talk to us there!

Quote from: Zardoz on August 02, 2012, 11:19:48 PM
I wish I'd made the pub crawl, but while it was happening I was freaking the citizens at the Galleria ice rink;

(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg301/olmark/Heroes%20on%20Ice/scc2012.png)

I was helping out at a promotion for the upcoming Space City Con called 'Heroes on Ice', and I was far from the most interesting thing there!
(http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg301/olmark/Heroes%20on%20Ice/IMG_5381.jpg)

A man in a kilt and on skates.  Oh, be still my beating heart...
http://www.spacecitycon.com/guests.html

Quote from: KeeperoftheBar on July 17, 2012, 07:17:29 AM
Last weekemd we had a pub crawl in Surgarland, Texas.  The looks we got from the 'danes as we went from pub to pub.  There were about 30-40 of us, mostly in garb.  I had several people stop me and StudMuffin to inquire what was going on.  I played it straight and told them it was a Texas Rennaisance Festival promotion.  If I had been thinking, I would have told them it was a church group, that the people in armor were deacons and the minister was the woman in the pirate hat and bustier.

I did tell one hostess that the rest of her evening would seem dull after we left.

Now that sounds like fun.  I need to move to Texas.

My son is mortified that I dress for faire.  He doesn't go all that often, but when he does go, I do appease him and dress in mundanes.

I keep threatening him that I am going to be chaperone at his Halloween dance dressed in garb.  Let's just say he's been a very good boy lately. I need to think of something else to use on him once Halloween is over.

When my kids were younger, I would put on my garb on Halloween to escort them as they went trick or treating. The usual response was, "Here, Dad deserves a piece of candy, too. Give him this." I have also been asked if I was Henry VIII (no, you'd about two and half of me for that).

My favorite was a group of teenagers:
"Dude, are you a hobbit?"
(No, I don't have an instrument with me, but I'm a Renaissance minstrel)
"A renna-what?!?"
(Yeah, I'm a hobbit)

Quote from: uncletimcobleigh on October 12, 2012, 10:51:37 AM
When my kids were younger, I would put on my garb on Halloween to escort them as they went trick or treating. The usual response was, "Here, Dad deserves a piece of candy, too. Give him this." I have also been asked if I was Henry VIII (no, you'd about two and half of me for that).

My favorite was a group of teenagers:
"Dude, are you a hobbit?"
(No, I don't have an instrument with me, but I'm a Renaissance minstrel)
"A renna-what?!?"
(Yeah, I'm a hobbit)

Well, I do wear my cloak on Halloween, but I dress as a witch.  For years my kids thought I was truly a witch.

Lol over the hobit.  They must have recently watched LOTR's.

This blogger writes about being freaked from something 2 decades ago- http://azwreshistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/death-dealer.html (http://azwreshistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/death-dealer.html)
  Laughing heartily, I know this Morgan character, very well ;)

Not faire related, but its similair.
        Armand Bayou has an event called "Down on the Farm" where they have re-enactments of a turn of the century Texas farm, costumes included. My family and I were spinners. My mother, brother  and I were on our way to this event one year, but had to stop at a kroger to withdraw some cash. The clerk looked very confused, and finally at the end of the transaction asked..."Whats with the getup?"
   My brother,(who was about ten at the time) without missing a beat, looked at the clerk with his big innocent green eyes and replied, "We are Amish." We left stifling laughter without bothering to correct the poor sop.

  Another one occured a few years later after a TRF trip. It was just my mother, myself, two of my friends, my brothers, and two other friends all ranging in age from 9-15. On the way back I had an asthma attack, so we had to pull over at a fairly fancy hotel. My friends rushed me inside (garb and all) to the bathroom. We got some odd looks then. But better when my friend cut off my bodice (jack sparrow style) so I could breathe. It was not one of my better moments.

Quote from: Rowen MacD on April 14, 2011, 12:51:08 PM
On a side related note:
  I am curious to know if anyone has been told or heard that wearing garb outside of faire is considered 'unprofessional'?  The reason I ask is in the following story and I am assuming this applies only to folks who work at faire for a living:
  A few years back an individual (who also happens to be a member of a well known comedy act, and so will remain unnamed here) was overheard sneering at another performer behind his back, who was departing the grounds still in costume after faire closed for the day.
  The object of his scorn lived in the immediate area so it made sense to me that he not bother to change, but apparently, wearing a costume outside of 'work' is a sure sign of being an 'amateur' and to be avoided at all costs.   I have read related comments in at least one other forum or website, though it has been so long ago, I don't remember where.  A google search does not turn up anything mentioning this supposed 'taboo'.
   Are there any performers who can verify this, or is this a prejudice that has run it's course, is regional or perhaps was just a personal peeve for that performer?
  Just curious. 

I have been made fun of by other rennies, called unprofessional and such for coming and going in my clothing.  I never had the heart to tell then I'm like this 24/7/365  I only wear mundane clothes when I have a mundane job or going to a mundane event. 

When you are making a new bodice and go to the hardware store for duct ties.
The young, male clerk questions why in the world anyone would need that many duct ties, what on earth am I using them for?
And you smile and say, "I need them for boning."
And then you don't understand why the clerk is suddenly blushing and stuttering.

  I just sprayed coffee on my monitor.  LMAO.
   I have also asked for the 'biggest ones you got!'  I never thought about mentioning boning in there....

Apparently humming the " Sugar Rush " theme from "Wreck-It Ralph " while standing in a Wal-Mart at a Redbox trying to rent said movie -while- wearing your Templar tabard is not normal. Who knew?

I freaked a few people out yesterday at lowes.  I brought in a skull I'm using for faire as a shoplifter sign and halloween as a candy holder.  For some odd reason they thought it was real cause of the hair.  And the guy helping me with the jaw was giddy with delight.  I might be seeing him at faire this year.   Just another note.. I'm very proud of bones on his first day in a store.

Many, many moons ago(more than I care to remember)  a faire was held in Columbus GA.  Both my wife and I attended in garb.  My daughter, who was working at the local movie theatre, came down to visit before going to work.  When she was about to leave, since it was on the way home, we offered to take her to work.  As she exited the vehicle, my daughter(who BTW has never learned to keep her big mouth shut) ordered us(her parents) not to get out of the vehicle and embarrass her.  Now we were both very tired, but without missing a beat, my wife and I waited until she was inside the theatre and then we got out and went to the door and waved at her.  The look on her face and on the faces of her fellow employees was priceless.  She did not speak to us for three days.  AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH  the peace and quiet.

  Before Scarlet and I started camping, we would garb up in our apartment and drive to Sherewood Forest Faire (which had just started a year or two prior).  We did this for several weeks during our first season.

   One day I was at work and a co-worker came up to me.  She said that she had seen my wife and I leaving our home every Sunday dressed in robes and other strange clothes. She then asked- making it clear that she was just curious and meant no offense- what religion I practiced.

    Then again, I get asked this question quite often, what with my beard and dreadlocks and all.

Living in the deep south(Southern Baptist country), I always used to answer that question with
" I am a Catholic(true)"  and watch them leave vapor trails running away.  Now some years later I find that I have mellowed a bit(yeah sure), so now I just say that I am a druid.  They seem to be a bit more at ease with that.............................

As part of a special thing the PP is doing at his work, he is required to wear his pirate garb.  Due to the wear, he typically will only wear, shirt, vest, pants and boots unless he is 'working', due to the heat.   He had finished his function, so the Fuzzlet and I go and pick him up.  Nothing usual there.  However, it is father's day and all 3 of us are hungry, so we decide to go for lunch.  I had brought mundanes for him to change into but he didn't want to  (see you are rennie if for that one:))  We ended up at Freebirds.  The place is known for it's interesting clientele.  We got a few odd looks coming in and standing in line.  I knew the PP would get a few odd looks, but not fuzzlet and I.  I forgot I was wearing a lady dra shirt, poofy linen capris, and my medieval moccasins. It is my most comfy warm weather outfit.  The fuzzlet was wearing a dress I made her, and her medieval moccasins. We were nearly done with our mean when one of the clerks came over and asked  in sincerity if this was his prefered way of daily dress, or if this was for a special occasion.   We told her yes it was a special thing, but also we liked dressing like we did. 
Later on she came back and said, if his pants had not been carnation pink, she might not have batted an eye.  It isn't often you would see a man as nicely dressed with a waistcoat, pants, and shined boots.

Quote from: NicoleBridget on February 13, 2009, 09:22:48 AM
My experience is the opposite...sort of an unexpected non-experience.  I went into a Wendy's after SRF in Fulton, NY in full on nobility garb and the cashiers looked up to take my order, as they would anyone else, proceeded to fetch my frosty and fries, and then sent us on our way.  Must be used to our type out there...

I realize this quote is from years ago now but I'm SURE they are used to rennies there, it's at the key LEFT turn after 481 to get to SRF. People must stop there all the time!! I never do but I'm either in a hurry to get there or too tired from the days festivities to stop for food with an hour drive ahead of me. Now to go back and keep reading all these stories!!

This happened a few years ago:  I was going to Bristol (WI) faire, with my dear friend Kris. We stopped at the oasis (me to use the bathroom and her to get some tea from their Starbucks). I offered to get her tea on the way out, so she stayed in the van. I forgot I was wearing my fox tail, and on the way out, I heard a little boy say to his mom (in that whisper that kids do when they think they're being quiet!): "Mom! That lady has a TAIL!"

I don't know why mundanes would be freaked.  I'm pretty mundane here by your standards and all I see are people having fun. :)  I celebrate all of your creativity.  I love these stories and I love how most of you are telling them.  Bring them on. :)

The PP had to do another school thing this weekend.  When he got home he was in a hurry and asked if I would unload the car.  I got out to the car and proceed to pull out his hat, his dragon, his cat of nine tales, his stage rapier, his pirate coat, and tankard.  Has I turn around I spy a kid about 4 on the side walk stopped on his bike 5 feet from me. I turned and smile, and said hello.  He turned on his heel so fast and rode away as fast as he could to where his mom was standing at their garage door a couple houses down.  She slammed the door down and I could almost hear the bolt being thrown. 

I guess we are now officially the "crazy" neighbors. :)

Quote from: LadyStitch on July 22, 2013, 09:50:52 AM
The PP had to do another school thing this weekend.  When he got home he was in a hurry and asked if I would unload the car.  I got out to the car and proceed to pull out his hat, his dragon, his cat of nine tales, his stage rapier, his pirate coat, and tankard.  Has I turn around I spy a kid about 4 on the side walk stopped on his bike 5 feet from me. I turned and smile, and said hello.  He turned on his heel so fast and rode away as fast as he could to where his mom was standing at their garage door a couple houses down.  She slammed the door down and I could almost hear the bolt being thrown. 

I guess we are now officially the "crazy" neighbors. :)

LOL!

I don't know if we freaked out anyone, but after the 4th of July parades, we had to stop at the grocery store to get dinner items... 5 of us in noble garb, two in crowns (I think they had just forgotten they were still wearing them).

Quote from: LadyStitch on July 22, 2013, 09:50:52 AM
The PP had to do another school thing this weekend.  When he got home he was in a hurry and asked if I would unload the car.  I got out to the car and proceed to pull out his hat, his dragon, his cat of nine tales, his stage rapier, his pirate coat, and tankard.  Has I turn around I spy a kid about 4 on the side walk stopped on his bike 5 feet from me. I turned and smile, and said hello.  He turned on his heel so fast and rode away as fast as he could to where his mom was standing at their garage door a couple houses down.  She slammed the door down and I could almost hear the bolt being thrown. 

I guess we are now officially the "crazy" neighbors. :)

When we moved in to our house we made a point to let everyone know we were definitely the crazy people.  That way there were no surprises! ;)  Now we are known as "that house". ::)

I don't know why the idea of people dressing up and going to Ren Faires freaks people out so much.  When we stop somewhere in garb, either going to or coming from faire, and people ask - and they do ask - why we're dressed that way, I tell them we are historical re-enactors of the Renaissance era, and 100% of the time, their answer is "how cool!"

You are putting it too nicely, Lady Renee  ;)

 We had new neighbours move in two doors down.  The first time they saw me I was in my  Renaissance garb. I got a couple of weird  looks. Unfortunately I came  home and woke up with laryngitis.  What  voice I had sounded awful.  I was taking the dog out,  and the neighbor and I waved waved,  then he asked  how I was. I tried to answer,  but it sounded a lot like barking.   The look on his face as he backed up and went inside!

Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on July 23, 2013, 05:51:53 AM
I don't know why the idea of people dressing up and going to Ren Faires freaks people out so much.  When we stop somewhere in garb, either going to or coming from faire, and people ask - and they do ask - why we're dressed that way, I tell them we are historical re-enactors of the Renaissance era, and 100% of the time, their answer is "how cool!"

A lot has to do with how you are dressed.  Nobles, peasants and trades people can get away with 'historical re-enactors', some folks will know you are with the Ren faire; while others will want to know where  'Shakespeare in the Park'  is at.   
  Fairies, Trolls and Elves are in a different category.   People are more likely to ask where the children's birthday party is!  ;D

Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on July 23, 2013, 05:51:53 AM
I don't know why the idea of people dressing up and going to Ren Faires freaks people out so much.  When we stop somewhere in garb, either going to or coming from faire, and people ask - and they do ask - why we're dressed that way, I tell them we are historical re-enactors of the Renaissance era, and 100% of the time, their answer is "how cool!"

My grandma once told me it's because society dictates that adults aren't supposed to act like kids.  Her response was "Then why would I want to act like an adult?"  Go grandma! ;D

Quote from: Dinobabe on July 23, 2013, 06:04:14 PM

Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on July 23, 2013, 05:51:53 AM
I don't know why the idea of people dressing up and going to Ren Faires freaks people out so much.  When we stop somewhere in garb, either going to or coming from faire, and people ask - and they do ask - why we're dressed that way, I tell them we are historical re-enactors of the Renaissance era, and 100% of the time, their answer is "how cool!"

My grandma once told me it's because society dictates that adults aren't supposed to act like kids.  Her response was "Then why would I want to act like an adult?"  Go grandma! ;D

I'll second the "Go grandma!" and raise you one grandpa! (me)

My siblings and I will stop by our local McDs on our way to faire. We worked there for a few years and our mom still does.
It's always funny when we go in because we get funny looks from the other customers and the new employees. The ones that have been there awhile will say hi and ask which faire we are going to and if its new garb.

Also, the gas station up the street from me doesn't even bat an eye when they see me in garb anymore

We used to stop at the bakery on the way in Saturday morning for sausage kolaches. Every time the girl at the register asked for for free tickets. Not that we ever gave her any; but she knew about Scarborough Faire and assumed that anyone as dressed up as we were worked there.