I was chatting with a friend at work today and we got on the subject of historical garb. I explained to her how much I had paid for my Katherine Parr dress made by LKoO and her mouth dropped open. I tried to explain to her that in all honesty I prefered historical garb over modern day "Mundane" clothing.
I could not get her to understand that wearing a corset was actually very feminie feeling nor wearing all the layers. When she asked me why and wanted detail, I told her it made me feel more feminine. That clothing all the way from the middle ages to WWII were mush more feminine and women did not dress and look like men. I think she understood a little, but I could see in her eye's that it wasn't fully.
So please post why you like wearing garb or like to see others wearing garb Both genders please feel free to post..
Personally I would love to wear garb from the times mentioned everyday but in the work I do, it would be impractical. Crawling around under desks as a Computer tech isn't practical in a skirt or dress let alone a corset.
The real question you already mentioned is the practicality of it all. While the clothing is more befitting a gentleman or a lady distinctly stating/showing the differances, for all intents and purposes, it would not work in this day and age. Since more women are doing the jobs that used to be "male only" fields, there is no real practical way for it to happen.
I for one, would much prefer to wear my garb on a daily basis, it sure beats the hell out of wearing a suit and tie every day like I currently have to do.
I wish I could get away with wearing a corset every day instead of a modern bra! I believe that a properly fitted corset would more comfortable crawling under desks than underwires.
I just bought my first bodice, and while it's not particularly H/A, it's well made and extremely comfortable! I'd give up bras to be able to wear it everyday.
And I know what you mean about feeling more feminine, Laney. I'm not much of a girlie-girl, but I like how feminine the garb makes me feel.
I wear skirts almost exclusively, I've been at my current workplace for a year and 1/2 and no one has ever seen me in pants.
Ren clothing definitely, a properly fitted corset and/or bodice is Much More Comfortable than a moder bra, plus in a bodice I have cleavage :D
My body was Made for Elizabethan/Ren clothing, small bust and waist, big backside with a natural bumroll. When I put on my garb, it feels like I'm where I belong, modern clothing is for skinny mini women who've thrown up everything they've ever eaten unless you're one of the few, the fortunate, the genetically gifted. Look in the shops, at least around here once you hit size 10, the majority of clothes are either polyester in horrible huge patterns or clothing So unfitted that you might as well go to Omars Tent and Awning.
I have No Quarrel with people who are Healthily Slim, however I am not. In modern clothing I look Fat and frumpy, in Ren/Eliz I look Gooood (or so I've been told by people who've seen me both ways and didn't realize I was the same person until they recognized Nixie). And why, praytell, would I Not want to look as good as I can?! ;)
Dayna
I, personally, rarely wear skirts. I'm not at all girly, never have been, really. If I want to climb a tree, I'm gonna climb a tree, durnit, and that's blasted hard in a dress.
In fact, I only own 1 skirt that isn't for costuming or Ren-wear purposes. Other than my wedding dress, I only own 1 dress. I have dress pants and nice tops that I wear for dressy occasions. Most of my shoes are sneakers.
I'm comfortable in my garb, and I adore it. I really would wear it every day if I could. But, honestly, if someone told me I had to give up my jeans, I'd probably die. At the same time, I, too, would rather wear a well-fitted bodice or corset than a modern bra. It's a more flattering silhouette that works better for my body-shape.
I like wearing modern clothes. I think a black cashmere sweater with jeans and black kitten heels is incredibly chic. I like capris and strappy sandals in the summer. I also can't live without my jeans!
One thing I love about garb is that it can be made to one's measurements and will flatter any body type. The most annoying thing about modern clothing is fit. The world is NOT a sample size and women with double digit dress sizes shouldn't be doomed to wear flowery tunics and pants with elastic waist bands. A fitted garment is much better than a boxy one! That's why I love bodices. If a women gets the right fit in her bodice she'll look beautiful no matter what her size is.
I have to admit I do feel very girly navigating thoses big hoops and wearing poufy sleeves and ruffles and all that. Yes the corset makes my waist much daintier too and the other assets sit a bit higher, but perhaps because my garb is *not* my day to day wear, while it's more fun at the same time it's more of an effort to wear than my normal clothing. I always feel a bit like my garb is wearing me and I must dictate to *it's* whims. I'm much more comfortable in a skirt or capris and preferably no closed toes shoes. Good heavens no stockings!
I concur with much of what has already been written.
Wearing my garb makes me feel as if I stepped into the 16th century, but with the modern ammenities we take for granted..like running indoor plumbing!!! ;)
I do feel pretty in my skirts, corset, hoops, even when I wear other periods at various events. My favorite line is..."I dress like this all the time." Eyebrows go up and I hear a lot of "Oh really?"
I have a hard time finding outfits that I like in many modern clothing stores. Heck I work for one, and still have problems.
The happiest I have been at work was when i got to wear garb. I found a way that I can wear my medival/ renisance mocasins to work. I would rather wear them than store bought shoes.
Yeah I feel fore femine, and prettier in period garb. I feel like I can be myself in period garb. If it wasn't worn at least 50 years ago I'm not happy.
I have to agree a properly fitting corset/bodice is much better than some bras. They show off my natural hour glass waist. ;D
It truly depends on the day, what I am doing, and just overall mood. I definately prefer modern shirts over historical. Just a nice fitting t-shirt for me. Headgear? Sometimes you'll find me in a baseball cap, sometimes a head scarf. I on occasion will wear my harem pants around the house or if I am running to the store quick. A kilt I'll wear most any day. But then again sometimes a nice pair of worn in jeans is what I want.
So for me, I have to preference...I just go with what I like and how I am feeling at the time.
Sean
My daily outfit consists of jeans and a t - seriously, I have about 40 Rolling Stones t's, and lots of Disney t's. I had to wear skirt suits, blouse, pantyhose & heels for ages & never again (knock wood).
But I live for the days I get to put Tia Juana and Tia Mana in a bodice & re-introduce them to the world. And like many fluffy women, I have my own built in bum roll that makes off the rack clothing difficult. I love my garb to pieces, love making, buying and decorating it - really gives me an outlet for my creative side - but will admit to pulling up my chemise to my neck & changing in the parking lot.
For non-faire days - my daily uniform, but for faire days - BRING ON THE BODICE AND BIG HAT!
I love my RENN GARB!The funny thing is during renn the neighbors can't wait for us to walk out the door to see what we have on. Though they don't completely understand the renn faire they just love the clothes and the way we look. The women go crazy over our hats. I always feel like I belong in these clothes. :)
You know Lady Joyce, I notice that a lot too. People love to see me and the wife dressed in our garb, when we do. Makes me believe their's a closet rennie in everyone.
As for me on the issue. I I'm floating my stick along side you Rafe, it depends on the day. But I'll wear what I feel like most of the time.
I really enjoy the support of a bodice! My back feels so much better than wearing a modern brassiere (even though mine are industrial strength)! I also like wearing jeans, though. They don't collect dog hair like many other fabrics and are a great biting creature deterrent. Believe me, the biting bugs adore me, so this is a serious plus factor. I feel prettier in garb, though, it is made for those of a truly feminine figure.
I enjoy lingerie of any era... :o
I always though corsets and such were constricting and uncomfortable and women hated them? I guess not? lol
I do wonder how people handle bathroom visits under all those layers of clothing. I mean no wonder the nobles had people helping them get dressed, sheesh.
I find it frustrating enough to put on a suit and tie , if I had to start with all those layers I'm not sure I could handle it lol.
Of course I suspect the modern renditions of this garb is probably way more comfortable than what was churned out on the old looms and what not?
Quote from: Sir Robert of Essex on August 08, 2008, 01:34:31 PM
Of course I suspect the modern renditions of this garb is probably way more comfortable than what was churned out on the old looms and what not?
Probably not! For one thing, most people couldn't afford more than one full set of clothes (with a few changes of things like smocks and sleeves)--which means they were wearing them day in and day out. They were probably even more comfortably broken in than your favorite pair of jeans! Secondly, with only natural fibers to work with, no period tailor ever found himself tempted by poly chenille upholstery fabric , and he had better access to wonderful things like wool damask and silk velvet. Also, *most* people in Renaissance Europe didn't have to contend with the extremes of weather so many of us see during Fair season.* Lastly, these were the comfortable and familiar clothes of the day, not a costume put on at most 20 times a year. The mere familiarity of wearing the styles would have bred comfort.
*There are exceptions, of course. While year-round temps in England generally hovered not too far outside the 50s and 60s, it does get quite hot--90s--in parts of Spain, and Mediterranean Italy probably had its share of warm weather. Also, we tend to forget about the exploration of the New World that was going on all during the Renaissance--you had the French exploring Kansas, Spaniards in Florida, etc, all of whom had to contend with North American weather while garbed up. ;)
I have yet to find someone that doesn't at least look okay in H/A garb but there are always plenty of people that just look terrible in modern clothing. Part of the reason is the unreasonable expectations of constraining the modern body to the modern silhouette with just the use of control top pantyhose and sports bras. :) Most women have curves. Most men are not elongated rectangles either. The modern silhouette calls for both sexes to be nearly indistinguishable from one another in a waif looking silhouette. The historical silhouettes changed drastically through out the ages but the feminine and masculine silhouettes were always distinguishable from one another.
What most women think of when they hear you like dressing up in a corset is "pain". Thanks to years of the uneducated masses stating that you had to be corseted up to an 18" waist in order to be fashionable (let's forget that Queen Victoria was a 55" or so waist), many people simply immediately think that a corset must be painful. Trying to re-educate and explain that it was a very select few that dared to even attempt such sizes and only for a very small period in history (late 19th c) gets frustrating to say the least!
Corsets, as many of us ladies know, are not the least bit painful. If made correctly to your size, they are 1000% more comfortable than any modern bra. They keep things in place and you never need worry about your stomach sticking out when you sit down. ;) They do not constrict as much as they hold and give a proper period silhouette.
For men, most men are aghast at a straight man thinking it's okay to put on a pair of hosen or giggle at the idea of a cod-piece. Little realize the range of clothing styles (t-tunic and pants? jacket and liene? doublet and breeches?) that will fit into anyone's current clothing style. Like shorts and a t-shirt? Try the doublet and venetians! Like pants instead? Try the brais and tunic for the summer weather.
The problem involves the lack of proper education in our modern (American) society in which the vast majority of historical information comes not from a history book but from Hollywood. Given shows like "The Tudors" or a book like "The Other Boleyn Girl" in which only the names (which most people can remember from school) are the same and the information is so drastically incorrect to down right pathetically wrong, it's not hard to see why so many people have this misconstructions not only on clothing but on the Renaissance in general. The most anyone can do is to re-educate and explain, via portraits, how the clothing was actually worn and how it functioned.
Now in response to Sir Robert:
I always though corsets and such were constricting and uncomfortable and women hated them? I guess not? lol
As I said above, this is a popular mis-conception based on a very small period of time during the Victorian age by a very small amount of people. This did NOT happen in any way, shape, or form during the 16th century. Why make something uncomfortable that you MUST wear all the time every day? It's simple not logical and, unlike today, our ancestors were very logical people.
The corset of the 16th c contained, not constricted. It was meant to give a conical (cone) shape, not an hourglass shape (19th c). It didn't matter what size you were, it mattered that you had the proper, fashionable shape. The two are so intertwined in the modern silhouette (waif) that it is hard to understand that there is a clear line between size and shape.
I do wonder how people handle bathroom visits under all those layers of clothing. I mean no wonder the nobles had people helping them get dressed, sheesh.
Hardly. The drawers, even up into the Victorian era, had open crotches to allow bathroom use. Also, the idea of a fly on Men's garments is nothing new. The cod piece hid the fly to breeches in the mid 16th c and the fly was buttoned or laced later on. The only reason the nobles needed help was simply so they did not messy or prick their fingers on the jewels they had on their outfits. Also, servants were needed to lace them up the back.
I find it frustrating enough to put on a suit and tie , if I had to start with all those layers I'm not sure I could handle it lol.
The suit and tie come out of the 18th c fashions, not the 16th c fashions. If you can get your jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket on, you can wear 16th c fashions. After all, you are only talking about two layers. I hope most people wear two layers today! (Underwear and clothing)
Of course I suspect the modern renditions of this garb is probably way more comfortable than what was churned out on the old looms and what not?
As Gem stated, nope. Again, another horrible Hollywood created misconception. The fabrics even going back to the Vikings were NOT itchy. There have been silks found from 3000 years ago that are so fine that we can just barely get the same sheerness today on machine. Our ancestors had smooth linens, soft silks, hemp, and many other fibers that they could weave into any sort of fabric they so chose. Jacquards, damasks, satins, velvets...all these were well known in the 16th c and earlier. Fabric pieces that have been found or are still extant show superior craftsmanship and a perfect soft hand. No one today would find these fabrics the least bit uncomfortable.
I'm with the other ladies, I love to wear my garb, and most of it is comfortable. I hope it is as flattering as I feel it is, too. I do wear jeans and shirts most of the time, though,as they fit my lifestyle( I live in the country with lots of pets and livestock, and work in a research greenhouse) As far as seeing others in garb, I really enjoy seeing men in garb at Faire, and I love a man in a kilt! ( I even like Utilikilts!) :)
Quote from: isabelladangelo on August 10, 2008, 10:46:02 AM
I have yet to find someone that doesn't at least look okay in H/A garb but there are always plenty of people that just look terrible in modern clothing. Part of the reason is the unreasonable expectations of constraining the modern body to the modern silhouette with just the use of control top pantyhose and sports bras. :) Most women have curves. Most men are not elongated rectangles either. The modern silhouette calls for both sexes to be nearly indistinguishable from one another in a waif looking silhouette. The historical silhouettes changed drastically through out the ages but the feminine and masculine silhouettes were always distinguishable from one another.
What most women think of when they hear you like dressing up in a corset is "pain". Thanks to years of the uneducated masses stating that you had to be corseted up to an 18" waist in order to be fashionable (let's forget that Queen Victoria was a 55" or so waist), many people simply immediately think that a corset must be painful. Trying to re-educate and explain that it was a very select few that dared to even attempt such sizes and only for a very small period in history (late 19th c) gets frustrating to say the least!
Corsets, as many of us ladies know, are not the least bit painful. If made correctly to your size, they are 1000% more comfortable than any modern bra. They keep things in place and you never need worry about your stomach sticking out when you sit down. ;) They do not constrict as much as they hold and give a proper period silhouette.
For men, most men are aghast at a straight man thinking it's okay to put on a pair of hosen or giggle at the idea of a cod-piece. Little realize the range of clothing styles (t-tunic and pants? jacket and liene? doublet and breeches?) that will fit into anyone's current clothing style. Like shorts and a t-shirt? Try the doublet and venetians! Like pants instead? Try the brais and tunic for the summer weather.
The problem involves the lack of proper education in our modern (American) society in which the vast majority of historical information comes not from a history book but from Hollywood. Given shows like "The Tudors" or a book like "The Other Boleyn Girl" in which only the names (which most people can remember from school) are the same and the information is so drastically incorrect to down right pathetically wrong, it's not hard to see why so many people have this misconstructions not only on clothing but on the Renaissance in general. The most anyone can do is to re-educate and explain, via portraits, how the clothing was actually worn and how it functioned.
Now in response to Sir Robert:
I always though corsets and such were constricting and uncomfortable and women hated them? I guess not? lol
As I said above, this is a popular mis-conception based on a very small period of time during the Victorian age by a very small amount of people. This did NOT happen in any way, shape, or form during the 16th century. Why make something uncomfortable that you MUST wear all the time every day? It's simple not logical and, unlike today, our ancestors were very logical people.
The corset of the 16th c contained, not constricted. It was meant to give a conical (cone) shape, not an hourglass shape (19th c). It didn't matter what size you were, it mattered that you had the proper, fashionable shape. The two are so intertwined in the modern silhouette (waif) that it is hard to understand that there is a clear line between size and shape.
I do wonder how people handle bathroom visits under all those layers of clothing. I mean no wonder the nobles had people helping them get dressed, sheesh.
Hardly. The drawers, even up into the Victorian era, had open crotches to allow bathroom use. Also, the idea of a fly on Men's garments is nothing new. The cod piece hid the fly to breeches in the mid 16th c and the fly was buttoned or laced later on. The only reason the nobles needed help was simply so they did not messy or prick their fingers on the jewels they had on their outfits. Also, servants were needed to lace them up the back.
I find it frustrating enough to put on a suit and tie , if I had to start with all those layers I'm not sure I could handle it lol.
The suit and tie come out of the 18th c fashions, not the 16th c fashions. If you can get your jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket on, you can wear 16th c fashions. After all, you are only talking about two layers. I hope most people wear two layers today! (Underwear and clothing)
Of course I suspect the modern renditions of this garb is probably way more comfortable than what was churned out on the old looms and what not?
As Gem stated, nope. Again, another horrible Hollywood created misconception. The fabrics even going back to the Vikings were NOT itchy. There have been silks found from 3000 years ago that are so fine that we can just barely get the same sheerness today on machine. Our ancestors had smooth linens, soft silks, hemp, and many other fibers that they could weave into any sort of fabric they so chose. Jacquards, damasks, satins, velvets...all these were well known in the 16th c and earlier. Fabric pieces that have been found or are still extant show superior craftsmanship and a perfect soft hand. No one today would find these fabrics the least bit uncomfortable.
Wow, very educational thanks! I'm learning a lot about how it REALLY is/was - I'm glad I stopped in here!
I love wearing my garb but it is pretty impractical for day to day here in the modern world unfortunately. Swords get in the way and walking into an airport carrying one can get you arrested these days! ::)
So I make a comprimise. I own a UtiliKilt and wear it darn near everyday I can. I can't really wear it to work as the boss doesn't look to kindly on it but the minute I get home it goes on! I love it and prefer it to jeans or shorts. Gotta get me a few more so I don't wear this one out too quickly! LOL
haha! I thought about a kilt but I don't think I could pull off the accent to go with it.
Not to mention I probably don't have the legs for it!
I am on the i would wear a corset every day if I could boat, I have back problems and it makes my back feel fantastic! But seeming how I am a stay at home mom I stick to my comfy cloths. But I do wear some of my garb day to day I love my bloomers and my skirts.
Heck one day on a whim I tightend my Victorian corset till I could not take it any more and I made it to 18 inches granted I could barely breath and had to get help out of the damn thing less than 5 minutes after that but I did it, I will never do it again!
So to stick to the topic I am in the middle of the road on this but I love my garb!
Part of the problem with modern day clothing is that most of us tend to dress like peasants most of the time; jeans and a tee shirt with sneakers. Of course we're going to look better when we dress in garb, unless we're wearing peasant garb, in which case there won't be much change.
As for complaining about the number of layers, let's compare apples to apples here. Consider what a well dressed modern day business man wears: Boxers/Briefs, Undershirt, Long-Sleeved Shirt, Necktie, Trousers, socks, Stylish shoes, Belt, Vest, and Jacket. Now add wallet, watch, PDA/Cell, briefcase, Class Ring, and Wedding Band. Vary the cut of a few of those items for a business woman. Now compare that to the garb of a Pirate Captain, or an English Noble. Not that different, is it?
My avatar picture was taken at TRF during the start of the season while it was hot. I was dressed as lower middle-class, wearing a shirt, pants, socks, shoes, undergarments, a belt, a pouch, and a hat. Exchange the pouch for a wallet and Cell, and you have what I wear pretty much every day. Later on in the season, when it cools, I'll layer on a doublet and possibly a cloak. Of course, IRL, I will have added a sweater and possibly a jacket to my daily wear. Still works out to about the same thing. It's really only when I move up a class that I add more layers.
Just my 2 cents,
Randal
FYI, I love my garb, but it's because I'm also putting on a role when I put on the clothes.
I adore my garb. I, like many others who have posted, am curvy, and my garb is the only clothing I put on and think "I look so good". I bought an Irish Tudor gown this past weekend, and it was instant love. I was sucked in, supported, the skirt hid my legs (one of my *wince* areas confidence wise) and gave me a beautiful figure. And when I'm done being sucked in, there's the romantic, billowy chemise to curl up on the couch in.
I prefer the historical version of femininity rather than the modern.
I've yet to wear a proper dress to a faire, though I may eventually go H/A slavic, but my boyfriend can't figure out why I'll "puppyfluff" at the faire, but he (let alone anyone else) never sees my chest below my shoulders outside of either a faire or his house.
Until the 1800s, mens and womens clothes were more cognates of each other than now - for nobles at least.
(http://englishhistory.net/tudor/eliz1-ermine.jpg)
(http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/images2/FashMen1.jpeg)
Except for fit and a few small alterations, the top halves were very similar - the laced doublet somewhat analogous to a bodice. Displaying "assets" was more egalitarian - women had corsets, men had codpieces - today, women show everything and men just wear a lot of baggy stuff.
I enjoy my garb for the faire and it would be just fine in terms of comfort for everyday wear. For the most part at the faire I wear a kilt, shirt, boots, belt, and sporran. I think I look pretty sharp. It's plenty comfortable and on a hot day beats the heck out of pants. If I have some sort of mental lapse and wear pants they are just as comfortable. I haven't tried tights yet but may have to give it a go next season. Not sure the tights would go over too well in the office though.
For both faire and everyday I would prefer natural fibers. Wool is by far my favorite. It wicks well and light weight wool is plenty cool in hot weather and heavier weights will handle a pretty good chill. If it is really nasty cold a heavy felted wool is tough to beat.
If given the choice I would much prefer to see ladies dressed in the historical over modern. As mentioned by others there is a distinct feminine quality to the historic. The historic also gives an aire of confidence to most who wear it. Most modern styles seem to be tailored to a size zero world and that just isn't reality.
I will add that I have a personal preference for ladies that have shape and curves. The historic flatters and accentuates the female form unlike a majority of the modern styles.
Quote from: Cormac on October 16, 2008, 05:17:22 PM
Most modern styles seem to be tailored to a size zero world and that just isn't reality.
I will add that I have a personal preference for ladies that have shape and curves. The historic flatters and accentuates the female form unlike a majority of the modern styles.
There's the case of custom-tailored vs. mass-produced. Until very recently, clothes were self- or custom-made, so there wasn't the problem of someone trying to put a size 9 weed puller in a pair of size 0 jeans simply to say they can wear a size 0 (another case of "just because you can doesn't mean you should"). I'm 115 lbs and can't get a size 0 up my LEGS, so that should say something.
If clothes are custom-made, there's not a big ordeal about whether your clothes flatter or not because you don't have to fit into one-size-fits all. While someone can wear size 0 for vanity, if your bust is 40 you can't just chainge it.
Please don't throw rocks at me, but I am a Tshirt/sweatshirt and jeans person. I love my faire garb, which I made all of it myself, but I don't want to wear it all day everyday. I don't wear my other good clothes every day either. No one sees me anyway, so I don't think it really matters what I wear.
I love my garb, and I wish I could wear them all the time! And I will take ANY excuse to wear one of my corsets. Seriously. Party at so-and-so's house? Well, let me just throw on this here corset...
I agree with all the people who said corsets make them feel more feminine. I mean, it's enhancing the feminine shape! And it's like a big long hug. And I never have to worry about muffin-top, lol.
I love my garb, but don't want to wear it every day. To me, garb means "faire," which is a wondrous, magical time. I only get to go to faire a limited time during the year, so it is so special a thing to me, that I think if I wore my garb every day, then the magic of dressing up and pretending would become well, for a lack of a better word, mundane.
Outside of our way too short faire season, I have had a couple of times to dress in garb. We did a Renaissance Christmas holiday feast in the windows of our restaurant last year, and I wore my pirate garb to work on St. Patrick's Day (and won the prize for best dressed, I went as Grace O'Malley, the Irish Pirate Queen). So the magic was there again, and I was excited to wear the garb. But if I wore it day in and day out, it would become my regular clothes to me and I would miss the excitement and joy of wearing it to my special place -- faire.
I totally agree with Lady Renee.
If I wore garb every day, it would diminish the treat and excitement there is of wearing it.
In mundania, I like shorts and tank tops, jeans and sweaters, and a skirt with a pair of stilettos heels.
I agree with much of what has been said here. I love wearing my garb. I love wearing a corset! However, I do ride horses and doubt very much that I'd enjoy wearing garb every time I ride. However, if I could choose any era of clothing to wear everyday (save faire days) I'd love love love to dress like the 40s. I am a hat freak, so if I had a hat to wear with everything, I'd be happy! I love the 40's style too. Everything was so clean cut and women looked like women.
So, as much as I love wearing my garb, I don't think so for every day wear.
Personally, I love my bodice! And nothing makes me feel more "girly" than....oh wait....ummmm....wrong forum! :o
Seriously, though, I have an odd inseam, so most off-the-rack jeans/pants/slacks end up too long or too short. Due to that I tend to live in shorts so a kilt was a no brainer for me when I started shopping for garb. I love the dang thing and were I a little braver, I'd probably where one all the time. As it is, I love dragging it out for faire, but for the most part tend to prefer the convenience of modern clothes.
While I'd love to wear the little garb I get to make for myself, there are fewer opportunities here in the UK unless you belong to a group that holds historical events. Nevertheless, when I get the chance, it is a lot of fun.
As I usually work at home. I get a VERY wide dress code! I've been known to get stuck into some research before eight in the morning and not be dressed by lunchtime! ;D If I have clients coming, I'm always tidy, and usually try to wear something I have made, though this is less relevant when they are coming for wedding or historical stuff. As I often need to crawl on the floor or climb into the loft for stuff, I tend to wear comfortable knits with elastic waists. Teaching and being a mum taught me that everything needs to be washable, too! ::) So while it would be fun to greet the clients dressed like this...
(http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Costuming/Kate%27s_Klobber/DSCF0043.JPG)
...THIS is more likely!
(http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk/KatePages/Sewing_Projects/Chocolate_velour/DSCF0030.JPG)
Yes, I do climb the loft ladder in a skirt and high heels if I have to, though I tend to wear trousers if I suspect a loft-ladder day is ahead. After all, as a kid I climbed trees in dresses!
Lady Renee makes a very valid point here. Faire is magical for me as well, and while I agree with some others that the positive attention it garners from people not normally involved in our historical interests is fulfilling and wonderful, I wouldn't want to wear it everyday. I absolutely love the feeling I have when wearing it, not only the more feminine aspect but just the good feeling of being immersed in history through clothing makes me happier than anything. I agree that wearing it daily would take that *high* away and make it not as special.
There is something to be said for wearing skirts though, come wintertime they seem warmer with a pair of stockings then any jeans or other slacks can boast, or at least for me that is. ;)
do you think that people in 500 years from now will want to dress up in "20th Century Garb"?... cargo shorts, concert T-shirt, Nike shoes, ball cap (on backwards!!!)... etc.
I just got back into "Faire" after being away from it for 20 years... Garb is great, and when "Playtrons" wear grab it adds to the visual... but I can't see laying around on the couch in a Doublet, ruff shirt, Paned Slops and knee boots. I think most people that say they would wear garb everyday would get bored with it... it wouldn't be "GARB" anymore... it would just be plain old clothes.
there are similar modern clothes like 16th century... i wear cargo shorts every day summer and winter and they are almost the same shape and cut as Venetian pants... and a (modern) leather jacket which is similar to a doublet and your almost living in your modern garb.
but i do have to say... nothing looks better than a woman (any size) in a low cut chemise and tight bodice!!!
thanks