Question to Seasoned Participants: Dressing Noble on Schedule

[Celtic_Fae]

While I am not officially on *cast*, I do dress as nobility and I do have to make it in time for morning meeting for my job. My question to you is in two parts. First, what time do you get up in the morning to get ready (and still avoid the mad last minute dash)? We usually stay 1-2 miles from faire. Second, what part of your hair-makeup-garb process do you do at home/hotel and what part do you just save until you get to faire so that you don't miss the morning meeting?

[Ambios]

For us (Lady Maud & myself), Fae, it's a 2-stage process.  We try to be in the BARF green room at 8am (9am meeting call).  We're "half" garbed when we arrive....I'm already in boots, tights, slops & shirt.  Karen is in her undergarments...chemise, bloomers, shoes, etc., with her makeup done, when we get there.  That means we're usually up at 6:30am, living 20 minutes from site.  The rest we assemble in the green room (mostly Karen, which of course includes hoops, bum, 2 skirts, corset, bodice, and accessories).  I'm usually tying her, and helping a couple of the other ladies in waiting, as we go.  Hope that helps!

[Celtic_Fae]

It does, thank you, especially since we do the same faire!

[Master James]

For VARF, we have court cast call at 8:30 for notes on the previous day or what will be going on that day from the court perspective.  Being a soft site, we then have to be sure we're all set and ready for the day.  We're usually done by 8:45 and people start getting dressed.  We have full cast meeting at 9 for 15 minutes and then its back to the nobles glade for final dressing.  We have a LARGE number of ladies on court so most of them help each other get dressed.  We have lacing "conga lines"    We open at 10 and usually everyone is ready by about 10 of so it works out well.  Hope that helps.

[Dayna]

Arrive in bloomers, chemise, stockings, footwear, headgear and sunscreen.  I do Not wear makeup, as it isn't period and sweats off within minutes.

After morning meeting, retreat to be laced and then finish by putting on the outer garments and jewelry.

Dayna

[Celtic_Fae]

Thanks, guys, really. Especially since I rely on someone else who garbs for transportation, who is only a less-strict schedule, there have been times that I've had to squeeze through the privy walls to get in! 

[Katie Bookwench]

I get up at 6:30 to make it to faire and attend the meeting. I plan to leave my house at 7:30 to get to faire by about 8 (I live about 35 minutes from site) given the traffic.

At MIRF, the morning meeting is at 9 - but it is expected that we are to be dressed by then, and ready to go out.  The morning meeting lasts for about 15 minutes, and then they would like us to go out in front of the gate and interact with the first guests starting at 9:30 - so there is but a 15 minute window to make final arrangements (stow our baskets, get coffee, etc) before we go out to meet the public.

I take care of my hair (coif) and make up at home, and arrive in bloomers, chemise and petticoat, and corseted. (my husband helps me with the corset, and I drive without the busk in it.) 

Once I arrive and get checked in, I get my corest tightened if needed, and put on the over-clothes, usually 2 pieces. I'm usually ready by the meeting time, and get that last minute tweak right afterward.

I've been told that you should find out how long it takes you to dress from start to finish, and then double it. That gives you time in case there is a minor costume malfunction.

I also factor in extra time because I'm terminally tardy. 

[Lady Rosalind]

I get up a bit after 6:20. I do my hair first, then makeup. (makeup tips: I replace my moisturizer with a 50spf sport sunscreen. I use a really good Revlon color stay base, followed by powder. I also darken eyebrows and wear mascara, so that features are visible in photos and from a distance.) Last step before leaving the house is to put on my escoffion, stockings, and faire shoes. I always wear my faire shoes to the site, as I do not want to leave them behind. I wear street clothes to the faire site, which is about 35-40 minutes from home, depending on traffic. I usually get there around 8:10, and begin getting dressed immediately. We have a space cleared out in the castle loft, and we ladies help each other dress. I'm usually chasing the Queen around with her sleeves or jewelry, as she is busy organizing and putting out fires (she's our community relations director, too). I've hunted her down to make her get dressed before, too, LOL! We have a fairly small space, so it takes awhile for everyone to get dressed and jewelried up.

The gentlemen arrive around 8:30 to set up the furniture, fill the water cooler, etc., but everyone has to be dressed and ready at the court space by 9am sharp. The ladies make the space look pretty, as the guys are good at moving stuff, but not necessarily decorating.  We then send the guys out to get people to move any vehicles, or score ice.

At 9, we usually run through the opening gate show if possible, with the morning meeting taking place at 9:30. Opening gate starts at 9:50, and all of the court is involved (about 16 people). We have a very full schedule, so it is critical that everyone is on time and ready for the day by 9, so we can smooth out any problems before the faire opens.

[lys1022]

We generally arrive around 8 a.m. in order to be dressed and ready for 8:30 a.m. fight call.  The rare years that we aren't in Chess Match or doing a Lane Fight, we'll show up around 8:15 a.m.  Morning meeting is at 9:00 a.m. and there are usually people still getting dressed or doing make-up / finishing touches while that goes on.  It's allowed, as long as you're listening to the announcements too.

Personally, I like to do my make-up in the car while the hubby is driving, so that it's done when I get to site.  I put on my bloomers, chemise, thick socks, boots, and snood before we leave the house (non-faire clothing goes with us in duffelbags in case we want to go somewhere for dinner after closing cannon).  Once we get there, I put on everything from the hoops on out to the jewelry.

Speaking of make-up tips, a sure way to keep it from melting off is Milk of Magnesia.  I know it sounds crazy, but it works!  (Tip stolen from Tyra Banks who was talking about keeping make-up in place under crazy-hot conditions like studio lights and steamy beach / jungle photoshoots.)  It goes like this:

Apply moisturizer and let soak in for 10-15 minutes while getting ready
Apply sunscreen and let soak in for another 10 minutes or so.
Apply a very thin layer of Milk of Magnesia with a cotton ball.  Let dry.
Apply make-up as normal.

The MoM will keep you from sweating off your make-up and you'll look nice and fresh all day!  Believe me, several of us at Scarby have used this through 100+ degree days and through rainstorms.  It's a lifesaver!

[GirlChris]

I'd be happy if it just kept my sunscreen from melting into my eyes! That STINGS!

[gypsylakat]

(I don't dress noble, but I often do my hair/makeup before going to other non rennie events) If you're going to do makeup/hair before you get dressed in your final outfit, wear a button down top or something that closes in the front, and does not need to be pulled over the head.

[McGuinness]

Speaking of make-up tips, a sure way to keep it from melting off is Milk of Magnesia.  I know it sounds crazy, but it works!  (Tip stolen from Tyra Banks who was talking about keeping make-up in place under crazy-hot conditions like studio lights and steamy beach / jungle photoshoots.)  It goes like this:

Apply moisturizer and let soak in for 10-15 minutes while getting ready
Apply sunscreen and let soak in for another 10 minutes or so.
Apply a very thin layer of Milk of Magnesia with a cotton ball.  Let dry.
Apply make-up as normal.

Great tip, thanks for passing it along! We go from 100+ degree days to snow flurries during our Aug-Oct season at PaRF and I've been trying ti figureo ut how to keep my makeup on for several seasons now. I have found though that the new Outlast gloss lipstick stays on NO MATTER WHAT. Even after a hot shower, I still have to scrub that stuff off!

As far as timing...I usually get to faire with my hair and makeup done about an hours or so before our cast morning meeting to get all of my stuff on and ready. Some days its nice and leisurely, other days nothing goes right and it takes that long! Its all about getting it down to a science after awhile.

[Don_Juan_deCordoba]

Since I drive, I'm wearing my small clothes with shorts. I finish dressing on arrival at 8:00 am which takes about 10 minutes with my Lady Wife's assistance.
She arrives fully dressed after getting up at 4:30am and spending about an hour getting dressed from the chemise out.

[stonebiscuit]

This is a little old, but I figured I'd throw in my two cents.

GARF cast call is at 9:30 for a 10:15 opening gate show start. When I was on court, I would put on deodorant, sunscreen, chemise, bloomers, boots, and corset before leaving, do makeup* in the car (mr. biscuit usually drives, as his costume is much simpler than any of mine have ever or will ever be, and his car is generally tidier ), and put on the rest of the ensemble before/during morning meeting. That's typically my routine for all characters: I wear as much in the car as I possibly can, do what can be done without too much hassle in the car (though I have definitely re-threaded elastic through a skirt while driving; that was fun) and take care of the rest upon arrival.

I've never avoided the last-minute rush. Between primping and lacing and straightening and last minute costume emergencies, there's always something.

*I've found that Bare Minerals is not prone to sweating off. Temperatures can easily reach the upper 90s here, but I've never had a problem with it. Plus, it has built-in sunscreen. Good stuff!