Hello everyone! I've finally decided to go to faire in garb. My garb so far (as soon as it arrives) will be a natural color "Highlander" shirt, a black 2" double ring belt, a "Knights" pouch from Ravenswood Leather, and a pair of black ankle-high tramper boots from Minnetonka Moccasin. The problem I'm having is trying to figure out what kind of pants to wear.
On another forum, one of the members said that she took a pair of sweat pants and dyed them brown for her husbands first garb. I thought it sounded like a great idea as well as an inexpensive one. I've already found and purchased a pair of dark brown sweats, but after a garb-wearing friend of mine suggested that the sweats might be a bit too warm on a hot day, I wondered if a pair of dark colored scrub pants would do the trick? I'm not against purchasing more expensive/appropriate pants, but I thought I'd go low-budget for my first time. If I enjoy attending faire in garb (and expect that I will), maybe next year, I'll purchase something more appropriate.
Any opinions or suggestions?
Scrubs are a great idea - they're cheap and have a drawstring. What you might want to do is carefully pick off any back pocket w/a a seam ripper. I see them at Salvation Army/Goodwill on a regular basis.
Scrubs are great! One caution I've found, though. The ones at Walmart fall apart. Rip when you really don't want them to (like sitting at faire and hearing a big rrrrip).
There is a great website www.scrubs123.com
I have 2 of their scrub sets, my husband has 3. We wear them all the time, especially for lounging around the house. They are hospital quality, and last and last. Another good thing: the nurses, doctors, and techs must wash them daily, and they hold up to the washing and don't lose their color and fade and look crummy.
Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on November 02, 2008, 06:53:01 AM
Scrubs are great! One caution I've found, though. The ones at Walmart fall apart. Rip when you really don't want them to (like sitting at faire and hearing a big rrrrip).
There is a great website www.scrubs123.com
I have 2 of their scrub sets, my husband has 3. We wear them all the time, especially for lounging around the house. They are hospital quality, and last and last. Another good thing: the nurses, doctors, and techs must wash them daily, and they hold up to the washing and don't lose their color and fade and look crummy.
That's odd that your scrub bottoms from Walmart ripped so easily. I've only used Walmart scrub bottoms and I wear them almost daily for work. I even have two pairs that I bought several years ago that I'd wear to work out in the garden because they were so nice and cool and could handle kneeling in mud/dirt etc.
Quote from: Leyla on November 02, 2008, 07:39:23 AM
Quote from: Lady Renee Buchanan on November 02, 2008, 06:53:01 AM
Scrubs are great! One caution I've found, though. The ones at Walmart fall apart. Rip when you really don't want them to (like sitting at faire and hearing a big rrrrip).
There is a great website www.scrubs123.com
I have 2 of their scrub sets, my husband has 3. We wear them all the time, especially for lounging around the house. They are hospital quality, and last and last. Another good thing: the nurses, doctors, and techs must wash them daily, and they hold up to the washing and don't lose their color and fade and look crummy.
That's odd that your scrub bottoms from Walmart ripped so easily. I've only used Walmart scrub bottoms and I wear them almost daily for work. I even have two pairs that I bought several years ago that I'd wear to work out in the garden because they were so nice and cool and could handle kneeling in mud/dirt etc.
Well, I didn't have any luck with them, and a girlfriend works in a doctor's office and is the one who told me about the website. She says everyone in the office wears them, and the doctor is an orthopedic surgeon, and he wears them for the surgeries. So I took her advice and love them.
Son of Ugly, I think Leyla, Taffy, and I all agree that scrubs would be fine to wear. And you have several choices on where to purchase them. Have fun at faire!
I'd stay away from both options. Sweatpants always look like sweatpants and scrubs are sometimes used by security/staff at various locations.
If you are anti-sewing (you can make a pair out of linen or cotton for only a few $ right now. Sales next weekend.), try going to a thrift store and finding a simple pair of loose fitted pants out of a light wool or linen look fabric.
I don't recommend sweats, because of their weight and texture. They are heavy and will be uncomfortable on a hot day, and they have a tendency to pill.
Scrubs, on the other hand, are a great option! I've seen men and women wearing them with pirate/peasant garb and they pass quite well. They're lightweight, easy to find and inexpensive, so you can stock up.
I agree with Lady Renee about Wal Mart scrubs, they're not the best quality, but for an inexpensive starter pair they're a good choice. None of mine have torn, but they fade easily. Wash them in cold water and hang dry, away from the sun.
Good luck putting it all together, let us know how your new garb turns out!
Thank you all for the advice! I think I'll check out the scrub pants option.
Now, should I tuck the the pants into the boots, or wear them over the boots?
Tuck them in. That's how I see people wearing them and it makes the garb look more "period." Over the boot will scream "scrubs" but then again I have to wear them for work so I'm more prone to notice these things. :)
Quote from: Athena on November 02, 2008, 11:54:38 AM
Tuck them in. That's how I see people wearing them and it makes the garb look more "period." Over the boot will scream "scrubs" but then again I have to wear them for work so I'm more prone to notice these things. :)
That's pretty much what I figured. I've noticed that most of the guys I've seen at fest tend to tuck them in as well.
Now, hopefully I can get it all together before this year's festival ends.
Thanks again, everyone!
I always suggest mens drawstring lounging pants in a solid color. They are really inexpensive, as well as loose and comfy. My husband wears these and they work great for him. With the X-mas shopping season here, you can probably pick some up around 8.99. Make sure to get a lightweight, polyl/cotton blend and not fleece or you'll be too hot in summer.
Good luck!
I first bought my husband a pair of cotton style lounge pant, but they were forever coming untucked, getting bunched up and just not "fluffy" enough on top of the boot. Swan Lace carries a great pair of draw string pants that has about a 6" cuff at the bottom and he's been happy ever since. They can also be worn with shoes and still look great.
Yet more ideas! Thank you ladies!
I've purchased a pair of royal blue scrubs from a local medical supply store ($11.99 + tax) and have already removed the hip pocket. (who knew I'd ever have a need for a seam ripper LOL) I tried wearing them tucked into my ankle-high work boots and it seemed to work. The boots I ordered look like they will ride higher up on the leg than my work boots, so hopefully this will help in keeping the pants tucked in. (or maybe I can staple them to my leg :o ;)) If nothing else, I'll have a comfy pair of scrubs to wear around the house.
Maybe you could tuck the hems of your scrubs into the tops of your socks and blouse the pants over the tops of your boots. As long as you have enough length on the pants legs to do that, it ought not to show.
Quote from: Tipsy Gypsy on November 04, 2008, 05:20:40 AM
Maybe you could tuck the hems of your scrubs into the tops of your socks and blouse the pants over the tops of your boots. As long as you have enough length on the pants legs to do that, it ought not to show.
That's a good idea! Thanks!
The pants seem to be long enough, so I'll definitely try it. I've also read somewhere about tying off the bottoms with lengths of leather or cord. Not sure if that would work though.
Bit late with the reply, but another really good option is gi pants. You can get them for not that much at any martial arts supply store, and they don't have the pocket to remove.
Just about all the guys in my stage combat troupe wore them, and they looked great. They hold up extremely well too. In addition to wearing them all day at faire for the entire run, they were worn quite a few times throughout the year as well, as we did many performances all year long. And they were doing crazy things like rolls and high falls and performing fights in them, and too my knowledge, no one ever had a problem with them or ripped them.
Quote from: Elennare on November 05, 2008, 03:14:43 PM
Bit late with the reply, but another really good option is gi pants. You can get them for not that much at any martial arts supply store, and they don't have the pocket to remove.
Just about all the guys in my stage combat troupe wore them, and they looked great. They hold up extremely well too. In addition to wearing them all day at faire for the entire run, they were worn quite a few times throughout the year as well, as we did many performances all year long. And they were doing crazy things like rolls and high falls and performing fights in them, and too my knowledge, no one ever had a problem with them or ripped them.
Not too late as far as I'm concerned. I'm still open to suggestions.
Thanks for yet another good idea.
BTW, I had no idea what gi pants were. When I saw "gi", I assumed that they were some sort of military surplus pants. Then, I couldn't figure out why in the world they would be available in a martial arts supply store. After a little bit of googling, I now get it. LOL!
Last year as I was driving to KCRF, I realized I left my garb pants back at home, (in St Louis, atleast 2 hours behind me.)
I bought a pair of loose brown cotten slacks at walmart as a replacement and with my shirt hiding the top of the pants and the legs tucked into my boots, no one even realized I wasn't wearing my normal garb pants. It was so nice having pockets with my garb, I started wearing them at my home faire! :D
(shhh, the costuming diva's at my faire havent realized I've been wearing slacks yet ;))
If there's a bit of hem, you could take that seam ripper, rip out about 1/2 inch of the hem at the seam in the inside & run a cord or elastic through the hem. Use a safety pin as the needle to pull the cord/elastic through. Stitch to finish off.
Or you could take a wide-ish piece of elastic & stitch to both seams to make stirrups - hey, it worked in the '80's!
Well, as you can see from the responses, finding the right pants can be a real challenge. Go with a kilt. Any kilt would look great with your outfit. ;D
Quote from: jcbanner on November 07, 2008, 01:05:10 AM
Last year as I was driving to KCRF, I realized I left my garb pants back at home, (in St Louis, atleast 2 hours behind me.)
I bought a pair of loose brown cotten slacks at walmart as a replacement and with my shirt hiding the top of the pants and the legs tucked into my boots, no one even realized I wasn't wearing my normal garb pants. It was so nice having pockets with my garb, I started wearing them at my home faire! :D
(shhh, the costuming diva's at my faire havent realized I've been wearing slacks yet ;))
Pockets would be nice! Thanks for the idea!
(don't worry, your secret is safe with me ;)) lol
Quote from: Taffy Saltwater on November 07, 2008, 06:15:34 AM
If there's a bit of hem, you could take that seam ripper, rip out about 1/2 inch of the hem at the seam in the inside & run a cord or elastic through the hem. Use a safety pin as the needle to pull the cord/elastic through. Stitch to finish off.
Or you could take a wide-ish piece of elastic & stitch to both seams to make stirrups - hey, it worked in the '80's!
I was wondering about doing something like that. If I can't get by with just tucking them in, I'll have to find a way to try one of your ideas. (my sewing skills are pretty sad) Thank you.
Quote from: iain robb on November 07, 2008, 07:43:23 AM
Well, as you can see from the responses, finding the right pants can be a real challenge. Go with a kilt. Any kilt would look great with your outfit. ;D
I'm definitely not against wearing a kilt (I do have a bit of Scottish blood running through my veins), but I think for my first time in garb, I'll go for pants. Thanks!
You could always try what we did in the military. We used elastisized bands (ours are purpose made with hooks on both ends) to "blouse" the pants over the tops of the boots. Some people tuck them into the boots but I think the blousing looks much nicer. The elastic would help hold things in place and keep things looking neat.
Quote from: Marietta Graziella on November 08, 2008, 08:41:12 AM
You could always try what we did in the military. We used elastisized bands (ours are purpose made with hooks on both ends) to "blouse" the pants over the tops of the boots. Some people tuck them into the boots but I think the blousing looks much nicer. The elastic would help hold things in place and keep things looking neat.
Interesting. Where would I find these bands?
I must say that all of the suggestions that I've read have been really helpful to me. My son is the bestman at my wedding but he cannot afford anything real expensive so this has been great new for us.
As for the elastic bands, I would think that you could go to any fabric store and buy a package of wide elastic. All you would need to do is measure around your leg where you want the band to be, mark it just a wee bit shorter than what you measured, stitch it up, and cut away the exces. Hopefully my explanation is clearer than mud :).
Quote from: Celtic Lady on November 09, 2008, 10:40:42 AM
I must say that all of the suggestions that I've read have been really helpful to me. My son is the bestman at my wedding but he cannot afford anything real expensive so this has been great new for us.
As for the elastic bands, I would think that you could go to any fabric store and buy a package of wide elastic. All you would need to do is measure around your leg where you want the band to be, mark it just a wee bit shorter than what you measured, stitch it up, and cut away the exces. Hopefully my explanation is clearer than mud :).
That sounds like a great idea as well. After doing a little googling for "blousing straps", I found quite a few places that sell them. (including a military surplus store that's not far from me) I also found a post in a forum saying that they used an elastic hair band to blouse the bottoms of their pants. I guess if a person found one that was large enough that it wouldn't cut off circulation, it would probably work.
I went to the Texas Renaissance Festival yesterday (still without garb since it has yet to arrive) and was talking to a garbed fellow that informed me that he was actually wearing a pair of women's pants. They looked great plus, he got them really cheap at a thrift store. At first I wasn't sure I'd be comfortable knowing that the pants I was wearing were made for women, but after I thought about it, I figured what the heck? After all, it's not like they've got "Hey look, I'm wearing women's pants!" silk screened across the rear. Anyway, this may be another possible solution.
I will point out this... in regards to women's pants.. If you're unused to wearing "tighter" fitted pants.. you may find that they lack room in "certain" places *ahem*
Quote from: gypsylakat on November 09, 2008, 04:37:09 PM
I will point out this... in regards to women's pants.. If you're unused to wearing "tighter" fitted pants.. you may find that they lack room in "certain" places *ahem*
Good point! I wasn't really all that crazy about wearing women's pants anyway.;D
Glad you found a source for the blousing straps. They are terrific for keeping things in place. I must've gone thru a dozen pair! I had a set in the pockets of every pair of GI pants I owned. (a little pun from the gi pants). ;)
Quote from: Marietta Graziella on November 10, 2008, 07:32:54 AM
Glad you found a source for the blousing straps. They are terrific for keeping things in place. I must've gone thru a dozen pair! I had a set in the pockets of every pair of GI pants I owned. (a little pun from the gi pants). ;)
Hey, I guess a pair of blousing straps would turn almost any pair of pants into GI pants! ;D
I think I'll purchase more than one pair so I'll have a few spares.
You can get those straps at an army navy surplus store.
I've got the boyfriend picking some up today.
He is former army and told me about them.
I'm hoping they will help hold up my boots.
You should post a pic when you get it all ready
Quote from: Auryn on November 10, 2008, 02:09:07 PM
You can get those straps at an army navy surplus store.
I've got the boyfriend picking some up today.
He is former army and told me about them.
I'm hoping they will help hold up my boots.
You should post a pic when you get it all ready
Yeah, I found them available at a military surplus store that's only 10 to 15 miles from my home. (how convenient!)
My moccasins arrived about 20 minutes ago and I've tried them on. They're very comfortable, but I think I'm going to have to get some cushion insoles as one of my garb wearing friends suggested. (I can't imagine walking around all day without them) Now if the rest of it will just get here, I'll be able to attend the last weekend of TRF in garb.
I'll post a photo as soon as I get it all together.
be sure to break in the moccasins before going to faire. your feet will hate you if you don't
Quote from: jcbanner on November 11, 2008, 07:28:18 AM
be sure to break in the moccasins before going to faire. your feet will hate you if you don't
Thanks for the tip. I wore them around the house a bit last night. There's still a couple of weeks before my next visit to TRF, so I've got time to break them in a little.
I've got a question about the fringe around the top of the moccasins. Should I leave it as is or trim it off? I think they look fine with the fringe, but my garb wearing buddy suggested that I cut it off to make it look less native American. Here's a link to a photo: http://www.minnetonkamoccasinshop.com/minnetonka_ankle_hi_tramper_boot.htm
Any opinions?
I would cut the fringe off leaving the cuff. I had a tall pair of these at one point that I left the fringe on but attached coins to the ends of each strand, but I was a gypsy.
Quote from: Sitara on November 11, 2008, 02:13:38 PM
I would cut the fringe off leaving the cuff. I had a tall pair of these at one point that I left the fringe on but attached coins to the ends of each strand, but I was a gypsy.
So you're saying to cut off the fringe itself and leave the inch or so of the remaining leather as a cuff? In other words, don't trim it all the way to the top of the boot?
Yes, trim just the part that is fringed and leave the rest.
I agree with Sitara, cut the fringe and leave the cuff. the fringe makes it look distinctively Native American.
Cool, I'll trim it off then. Thanks to you both!!
Well, luckily for me, the rest of my garb arrived in time (just barely) for my final visit to TRF this year. The double ring belt took a little getting used to, but I figured it out. I also wore a pouch and tankard strap that I made myself. For pants, I wound up purchasing a pair of black Fruit of the Loom "Jersey Pants". (about $8.00 at Walmart) They're similar to sweats but made of a thinner material that was 100% cotton. It was also really nice having the extra pockets. I felt totally comfortable all day long and had a great time. From now on, if I'm at fest, I'll be wearing garb. Maybe I can even add to it a little for next year.
Thank you everyone for the advice!
Good to see you in garb. It's a lot more fun to join in & garb for faire than to go in danes. You'll find yourself looking at regular stuff & thinking ... hmm, this would make a great *fill in the blank*.
My husband says that all pants should be red.
the nice part of the blousing straps is on a hot day you can blouse the pants up around your knee.