Freaking the mundanes

[Anna Iram]

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.....

[raevyncait]

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.

[Lady Rebecca]

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.

[Rowan MacD]

  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.  

[Anna Iram]

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.

[Rowan MacD]

  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.   

[raevyncait]

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!

[Adriana Rose]

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

[lys1022]

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.

[Jade Sapphire Emerald]

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...

[Aiacha]

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).

[EmbyrretheFae]

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

[LadyStitch]

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. 

[Merlin]

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

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

[Merlin the Elder]

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