Lessons Learned - First Outing Garbing

[scarletnyx]

Hello all my dear Garbers!

Today was the Husband and mine's first time out in garb here at our local Celtic festival ( Sherwood Celtic, Paige TX ). We woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed, carefully arranged our garb in the ways that we have been practicing, and headed out to see what the masses thought of our set up. Needless to say, I think it went over well! 4 or so people (most with very nice quality cameras) stopped us for photos. I am sure in time the novelty of having someone stopping you and asking for a picture will wear off, but today it felt super nice! However, the husband and I learned a few things, had a few thoughts, ect, and we just wanted to share them with other first timers for a heads up, or for learned ones to contribute so that we can have a better garbing experience. I will list the things I learned about my garb experience first, and then my husband will chime in  --

1. Different looks, different times. - One of my garb pieces is a cloak, and while it is light, airy and barely there, it is still a dark green and tends to draw in heat. I noticed that it did over time add to how hot I felt, so I got in the habit of wearing it for awhile, then quickly folding it up and stashing it in my purse to sorta "air out". In the future, I may go without the cloak if it forecast to be too hot.

2. Bigger purse! -I have a small bag I bought off of ebay, and while it can hold two water bottles, if I want to be tramping around all day and buying stuff I need one at least twice as big. Never afraid to go bigger on your purses/bags!

3. Get there when ya get there. -When we got there at opening, the place was still kinda warming up. I felt out of place without a larger crowd to blend into, and sometimes I felt awkward in the smaller shops or passing by a vendor who called out to me. So in the future, we may not arrive right at cannon, but a few hours after to allow the shops to fill up and the crowds to swell ( and the heat to go down), so if need be we can kinda "melt" into them.

I still feel "clunky" in my character, I don't know the "right" times to be in character and not, and while I'm excited to be doing this, at times I feel "out of place" and unsure of what I am doing.  Thats just the fact that today was seriously the first time I had done this in public, in complete garb, in public! Overall, however, my first outing garbing was quite, quite fun and I am still very much addicted!

I hope what we have learned today can help other first time garbers have a better experience, and any of you long time faire goers have anything to add, words of encouragement, ect, please share your pearls of wisdom!

I wonder if I will see any of the photos taken of us on the Net..... That would be sweet!

[gem]

Huzzah!!

For what it's worth, I've been going in garb for more than ten years, and you ALWAYS learn new things. Like today, I realized I *always* need to make the back necklines of my gowns higher, to keep the straps from slipping off my (extremely) narrow shoulders. I had read that somewhere, but it didn't click for me until today. Now I know for next time!  I also only started carrying a basket (instead of strapping all my belongings to my belt) last season, and can't believe how much I prefer it. I never would have thought I'd *enjoy* toting something around by hand all day, but it makes the day go so much smoother, especially if we have our dogs out with us.

As for character... I don't. I just don't. We wear the garb, and that's where the whole "character" thing ends for us. If you're not a natural performer, don't worry about it. Just being in garb is usually enough to make you feel part of the experience.  And *my* favorite time at Fair is actually right when the gates open, when the only people there are the cast and the village looks really authentic (before it fills up with folk in their mundanes), or on Sunday evening, when everybody's clearing out. So your mileage may definitely vary on that one.

Oh, and this:

I am sure in time the novelty of having someone stopping you and asking for a picture will wear off

...Pretty much no.  It's still a thrill.

Have fun with your garb!! In time you'll feel absolutely naked without it. (Um, I mean, if you were at Fair in mundanes. Not if you were, you know, without any garb. Ahem.)

[<Alex>]

   Husband here, chiming in with my own experience/observations...

1.   I learned that wearing your garb while walking several miles, stooping, sitting, and being more active in 100 degree weather is not the same as modeling it around the house.

I ended up having to go without some pieces of my garb (pants and cloak) because the heat was too much. I  kept reaching for pockets to put things away/retrieve them, only to remember that my garb didn't have any pockets.  I wasn't used to the wide sleeves on my tunic, so I kept snagging them on things. The prayer beads I had hanging from my sash came loose, and I broke a delicate part of my pipe by performing a sudden maneuver. 

   Next time, I plan on making sure my garb is more rugged, my accessories are better secured, and that I spend more time outside in my garb, so that I feel more comfortable wearing it.

2.  The crowds don't seem to get there until closer to mid-day. Also, 10-1 is the hottest part of the day.  We arrived at opening to find sparse crowds, a couple of stalls that hadn't gotten fully up and running, and the hottest part of the day yet to come. We spent a lot of time sitting around, being hot(ter), with fewer people to talk to.  Had we shown up later on, the temp would have been easier to handle, festivities would have been well underway, and there would have been more fellow patrons to watch and interact with.

  Next time, I plan on showing up later, probably after noon.

   
3.  I can pull part of my turban around to veil my face.  I thought it looked pretty cool, but I was concerned about the heat and left it down much of our visit. The wind and dust got so annoying, however, that I decided that it was worth it and put the veil up.  I noticed a sharp increase in the number of heads turning, eye contact, comments, questions, etc.  Oh, and it actually did keep the dust out of my face. It improved my experience quite a bit. 

  Next time, I plan on keeping the veil up longer.

[gem]

From the comments both of you made about the heat, I want to make sure you know that your garb should be from natural materials (linen, wool, cotton, or silk--in that order) as much as you possibly can. They will do an infinitely better job keeping you cooler on hot days AND warmer on cold days than synthetics like polyester. Layers and hats are your friends, and when it's very sunny out, you actually want to keep your head/skin covered and protected from the sun. The more garb you acquire, the better you'll be able to manage ALL types of weather. When the weather is more temperate (like the lower 60s we had today at KCRF), you can break out your velvets and brocades and that chemise you just loved, even though it was a cotton/poly blend. 

[scarletnyx]

Both of our garb outfits are 100% cotton from my robe to his gandora. Trust me, we had that synthetic discussion at the start of our garbing experience. I just think the Texas heat was bad today, and we aren't used to that kind of heat in this kind of clothing if that makes sense. We weren't dying from the heat, and we were staying hydrated and taking it easy.. It's just surprising how different you feel in a robe than pants!

Yeah, I'm thinking about dropping my character, unless a child comes up to me or someone interacts with me in that way first. I love stories and characters, and I think I got a bit carried away thinking I should have my character up all the time. I wonder if that is where the clunkiness I felt today came from....

[Butch]

Yeah, layers are the key!  For us guys, carrying a sporran or some sort of belt pouch will quickly make you forget your pockets!  Or, do some research and find out what your character would have used for pockets; some sort of sling pouch, perhaps?

Gem is right about the baskets for women!  One can carry quite a bit!  Also, you may wish to add several muslin bags to keep in your basket to "hide" items in your basket.  Also, you can tie the strings of the bag to your basket.

Along with Gem, I also enjoy being at the gates for opening cannon, and just watching through the day as the lanes get packed!

Regarding being in character:  I prefer to be in character most of the time, but do drop out when I go into stores, or am talking with friends.  It is fun to practice your character when interacting with mbrs of cast!

Finally, I prefer to have quite a sparse wardrobe for myself, but my son's wardrobe is really growing!  My character is a simple mariner, so I have a basic shirt, jerkin, slops, socks, shoes, and hat that I always wear.  I add a frock when it gets cooler, and I have a large (heavy) wool cloak for cold/wet weather.

[operafantomet]

As for character... I don't. I just don't. We wear the garb, and that's where the whole "character" thing ends for us. If you're not a natural performer, don't worry about it. Just being in garb is usually enough to make you feel part of the experience. 

I'm glad to read I'm not the only one. Though I have a costume on, I'm not on stage. I'm not a performer, never has been. I love to talk about the outfits, about sewing, about historical fashion, but I can't act the part. I just wanna participate in the fun.

[DonaCatalina]

Glad you had fun wearing your garb. In Texas cloaks are usually not neccesary until late October and maybe not even then. Things will break. You will figure out how to make them better. But one of the reasons I don't think of my garb is a costume is that it is constructed to be as durable as everyday clothes. Everytime we wear our garb and go to fair we learn one more thing about what works and what doesn't. Keep garbing and having fun and I hope to see you at fair some day.

[SethB]

As for character... I don't. I just don't. We wear the garb, and that's where the whole "character" thing ends for us. If you're not a natural performer, don't worry about it. Just being in garb is usually enough to make you feel part of the experience. 

I'm glad to read I'm not the only one. Though I have a costume on, I'm not on stage. I'm not a performer, never has been. I love to talk about the outfits, about sewing, about historical fashion, but I can't act the part. I just wanna participate in the fun.

I am the same. I do not feel comfortable enough in my acting skills, or my Irish accent,  to assume a character so I am just me.

[Alexandra Johanna]

I'll chime in too... while I don't have a character that I portray, being in garb at faire makes it so much easier for me to strike up a conversation with someone, garbed or not. It just seems to open up that door and makes it easier to laugh and play and enjoy the day with everyone. I would love to take it farther and actually "play" the part, but I'm not there yet. Someday!

[isabelladangelo]

I also don't do the character thing.  I did when I worked at the renn faire but that was because I was paid to do so.   Even then, I researched like crazy -including where the name I was given originated.   I've found that some people -both actors and participants- do a lot of research and have wonderful, thoughtful characters and others don't put any thought into their character other than to use an accent that makes Kevin Costner's sound good.     

As for garb wise stuff -oxyclean is your friend.   So are stockings.   

Read weather reports.   Silk and wet do not mix.   Wool and wet does unless it's 100F out.  Linen is your friend.

You will always need to edit the pattern to make it fit you no matter how good everyone says it is.

The owners of the store will lie and say that it looks cute on you just to get you to buy it.   

[scarletnyx]

Glad you had fun wearing your garb. In Texas cloaks are usually not neccesary until late October and maybe not even then. Things will break. You will figure out how to make them better. But one of the reasons I don't think of my garb is a costume is that it is constructed to be as durable as everyday clothes. Everytime we wear our garb and go to fair we learn one more thing about what works and what doesn't. Keep garbing and having fun and I hope to see you at fair some day.

Dona, I thought I would be ok - This cloak is super thin, and rarely hangs on my body. It has a nice billowing effect and is 100% cotton, so I thought if anything it would keep me cool. But now I know, and I like changing my look during the day. I found this way to kinda roll it up in my purse with the clasp facing up so all I have to do is grab, shake, and put it on. We will be at TRF, 1001 dreams weekend, and SWFF and Scarby, so hopefully I will meet you at one of our fairs!

As for having a character, I firmly decided that unless TRF completely blows my mind in another direction ( and it may ) I will just keep my character to interacting with kids and people who first engage me in such a manner. I'm already talkative and I don't need a character to build on that. Finding that balance seems to be pretty key for me, so I'll be sure to work on that in upcoming faires.

Thank you everyone for your tips and feedback! My husband and I are learning a good deal from all ye learn'd ones!