Loaning Garb

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Have any co-workers or friends asked to borrow some of your garb? 

What has your response been? 

Do you have loaner garb that maybe you wore it but now you've moved on but you've kept it for cases like these?

If you loan it, do you ask people to return it cleaned, or do they just clean it before giving it back?

Do you set any stipulations (like please don't smoke while wearing it) when you give it to them?


I have gladly outfitted my close friends - and have gotten some of them hooked on faire!  But I'm talking about casual and/or work acquaintances.

I've been asked by someone I work with, not a close friend, but someone who knows we go to faire.  And honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about lending out my garb.  One time I was asked by someone who works for my husband and she didn't even clean the garb before giving it back.

I most likely will do it this time, but I was wondering if others have been in the same situation.

[gem]

We've loaned garb tons of times--but never to somebody who we weren't going to fair *with.* I guess I would definitely put whatever stipulations on it that you're comfortable with--and also only loan garb that's easy to care for (peasant skirts vs full court gown).

[LadyShadow]

I do have garb that I wore years ago, but still like, so I wont throw it away.  That is what I lend out, but I only lend to my friends and family.  Never to anyone I dont know very well.  To me it does not matter if they return it back washed or not, I will wash it either way (I'm allergic to some laundry soaps).  But I agree with Gem, if you do loan it out, put what ever stipulations on it that you want.

[GirlChris]

I loaned out some garb to a theatre company I had been with for years, with the stipulation that everything had to come back to me EXACTLY as it had left.

One of the things I lent was a floor length yellow silk skirt. It was actually a gift from my Dad's cousin, and it still had the original price tag from the 70's in it- $200. It came back HEMMED TO A SHORTER LENGTH.

I nearly killed the girl who had done that without permission. I no longer lend garb unless I've got a contract.

[Welsh Wench]

Rule of thumb--

Never lend anything you can't afford to lose.
Same goes with wearing/taking things to faire.

[DonaCatalina]

Have any co-workers or friends asked to borrow some of your garb?  Yes
What has your response been?  Never again

Do you have loaner garb that maybe you wore it but now you've moved on but you've kept it for cases like these? Not anymore considering the shape the 2 dresses came back in.
If you loan it, do you ask people to return it cleaned, or do they just clean it before giving it back? I asked.

Do you set any stipulations (like please don't smoke while wearing it) when you give it to them? I tried.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I now only loan garb to members of my immediate family. I loaned gowns to 2 ladies to wear to Pennsic for Court and both came back dirty and torn. One was so badly ripped up the back that I threw it away, not to mention it reeked of cigarettes. The other was a front lacing Venetian that had 1/3 of the grommets ripped out of the fabric. How they managed that I can't guess.

[Marietta Graziella]

I have garb that I loan out.  The medieval sideless surcoat outfit (chemise, gown, sideless overgown, hat) all came back exactly as I had lent them.  But I believe I was lucky-this lady is very particular and wouldn't dream of damaging someones things.

I now have other things I loan out, Moresca Max II, a beaded noble (that I wore once then shrank out of it), and a couple peasant style bodices.    So far, so good.   I do ask that people not smoke while wearing my garb.  Even after washing I can still smell it.

[Rowan MacD]

  I got off kind of easy when I got burned doing 'loaners' to folks I didn't know well.  It was a scented wooden fan that I was very fond of.  The lady I loaned it to was going to borrow it
'for just a moment', then she left it on her seat in a court area (apparently she thought it was safe)  Voila! It was snagged by a passer by who also helped themselves to other goodies in the unattended area.  Considering the nature of the objects that were missing, (sparklies mostly) it was probably a young(er) child.  
 
 I never loan garb to folks I am not going to be with all day unless they are family members using them for costume parties or events (Mom's closet is cheaper than a costume rental and the stuff is better quality)  I sew very few things and nearly all my pieces cost over 50$ new. Most come from good quality vendors like Sofi's stitches or Likely Lotus.  
 

[auntiegiggles]

I only lend out my wench garb.  I haven't worn it in about 10 yrs - so I do keep it for loaning out.  I haven't had any issues with the people I have loaned it too.  It has always come back cleaned and in the same shape.  I am picky about who borrows my garb.  If it is just a causal acquaintance - no.  I need to know the person pretty well - there's a better chance that they take care of my garb than.  

I only lend my court garb to my sister.  I know she will take care.  I  will never lend it to any other family member or friend.    I have put a  lot of time and energy into each piece and don't want to chance someone ruining any piece.  

[Hoowil]

Rule of thumb--

Never lend anything you can't afford to lose.
Same goes with wearing/taking things to faire.

When you're loaning something, you're just giving it away with the hope that its given back.

I've lent a few things out, and generally not had any bad experiences doing it, but its onlt been to close friends and family. Even then stuff doesn't always get back to me. With the time and money that generally go into garb, its a tough situation. Do you get somebody into the spirit, and hope they respect your work, or do you protect your work and goods (and not encourage somebody to dress)?
As to stipulations, I say yes. If its clean when I hand it to you, it had best be clean when you hand it back! I used to give peopel who borrowed my truck, even for an afternoon the choice of returning it freshly washed, or with a full tank (usually it came back washed). Its a bit of respect for not only the stuff, but for you, if people return things ready to use. And besides, it a bit of 'sweat rent'.

[Rowan MacD]

One was so badly ripped up the back that I threw it away, not to mention it reeked of cigarettes. The other was a front lacing Venetian that had 1/3 of the grommets ripped out of the fabric. How they managed that I can't guess.

What a horrible experience..
 Most smokers don't realize (and some don't care) that the stink clings to everything they wear, and everyone they smoke near.  
  As for the ripped grommets and seams;  some people will try to squeeze into garb that is just too small for them and just assume the piece was constructed for tight lacing.  An associate of mine owns a theater/event costume rental business (he also buys used garb.) He said rentals are so expensive for just this reason, most are returned needing mending of some sort.
   He quit renting the expensive court costumes to non theater individuals, because the gowns kept coming back with seams ripped out.  Damage still happens onstage, but they usually have someone there to fix it before it goes back to the shop, and (most) actors know to wear the proper undergarments.

[Butch]

I made pirate costumes for my children when they were young (3 and 6?).  They wore them twice, and then we put them away.  I have since loaned them out twice to two different people (the children are 16 and 19 now).  The costumes always came back clean and folded.

I loaned them to people with whom I worked.

But, as Welsh Wench so aptly put it:

Rule of thumb--

Never lend anything you can't afford to lose.
Same goes with wearing/taking things to faire.

I second that rule of thumb!

[Gwen aka Punstergal]

I've gone through so much garb over the years that I have an entire 22quart plastic tub of clothes that are specifically for "junk use". Junk use includes loaning-out, dressing fellow employees in a pinch after they've forgotten something at home, and wearing on days that are definitely going to be garb-killers (like severe thunderstorms, etc). I can comfortably garb about 8 women out of that tub, lol.. and another five if I delve into the GOOD GARB, which I do NOT loan to anyone except my sister, and that is a VERY rare occasion. Nothing in the junk-use tub would cause me significant distress if it disappeared, so I don't mind letting people use it.

Halloween costumes now, there's another story.. I've loaned out five in my live and gotten all of TWO of them back.. I'm still horribly angry about a coworker disappearing with my Brownies uniform.. you know how hard it is to get an authentic Brownies uniform to fit a grown woman?!

[dragongirl]

Because of my size, As you can see I'm a goddess sized woman, most of the people that I loan my things too are just so happy to find something that fits that they are very careful with it.  Since I have everything from wench, viking, court, elizabethian, and pirate, for a plus sized woman I am a treasure trove.  My stipulations are that they sign a reciept and leave collateral for the items borrowed, and they NOT launder them.  The reason why I do not want them to launder the items is that most people with throw items in the washer, dryer and call it good.  I'm particular about how my items are laundered, certin items are hand washed only, somethings are dry clean only, some I wash on delecate in cold water in a pillow case, ect....  this way I can take stock of any stains or wear and decide if that person can borrow again.  Since I will insist on a reciept and collateral I get my items back and in a reasonable time, but I do no lend out anything I truely value.   

[Pinn]

I had a strange request last night. A friend told me she had outgrown all of her garb and asked if I had something that could fit her.    Mind you she is taller than I am and weighs a good 30 lbs more than I do. Everything I have fits me or is too small for me. I don't think I have anything that would fit her.