Target* not Taerget 😂 👉🏻 Also I know I didn’t cover men’s/masc clothes let me know if you want me to do a video on that. I will do more research! (But also: Medieval Collectibles and Amazon).
Seconding Living Anachronism for men clothing references, but I have also found so many good mens items in thrift stores with just a bit of digging. 100% still look in the women's top section for flouncy blouses that can look like pirate shirts. I also have found boxy and square shaped tops with mandarin and nz collars on them (had to look that up) that make good male peasant shirts. I've even seen kurtas in my thrift stores (men's Indian clothing) which have a great look for the top, just hack off to the right length! If you have sewing abilities, I love getting men's cotton dress shirts (with no breast pocket) in at least 2 sizes too big and altering them. Sew up the center front to close the top and get rid of the buttons. Cut and hem your collar in any way you like (a simple flapped V for men, a squared or boat neck for women). Then for the sleeves just cut off the cuffs and hem at whatever length you desire; add elastic to scrunch it up if you want that style, works on short or long sleeved lengths. Oh, and straighten out and hem the bottom. FOR MENS PANTS, LOOK IN THE SCRUBS SECTION! Oh my goodness goldmine in there! Bare basic scrubs have only side pockets and a drawstring closure which work perfect for a ren faire look. Do NOT go for the fancy ones with cargo pockets all up the side of the leg, the more simple the better. They come in all sorts of colors that one could dye a better color if desired, but basic black, tan, and navy are very common and always available. If you get lucky you can also use karate/jujitsu/martial arts uniform pants too. They're harder to find but have a great shape and are of durable material. Though you're more likely to only find them in white, a simple tea or coffee dye and you're good to go!
Great resources! I'm a medieval reenactor and a jouster and I've worked at various Ren Faires in Canada over the past 5 years. No one expects the Faire patrons to be dressed "historically accurately". Lots of people don't even dress up at all. No one should feel pressured to dress up in a specific time period. It's very normal to wear a fantasy outfit or even just a t-shirt. My recommendation is just have fun and wear whatever makes you comfortable. All that being said, some basic sewing and thrifted/affordable fabric can get you a long way if you have some time but only a little money. Essentially for early medieval inspired looks, it's mostly rectangles sewn together.
Hey! I just wanted to say thanks for pitching in on the 'accurate clothing' topic, it was very reassuring. I'm Canadian and planning to go to my first fair this summer (Cooks Creek Medieval Fest), and I've been nervous about my friends and I sticking out in the wrong way. Hearing it from someone in the 'local' circuit means a lot! :)
They have a good selection of Boho type pieces that could work. Unfortunately like so many plus size/affordable retailers is it is difficult to find natural fabrics like cotton or linen. They so run a little larger which depending on your body type can be an advantage (I often must sz up to accomodate a larger chest/rib cage making fitted bodices/vests/corsets difficult)
I got introduced to renfaires when I was in high school by a lady at church. So, another way you can get garb is if you know someone who is willing to let you borrow/rent/buy/etc, you might be surprised by who has stuff. She set me up and let me borrow a full outfit for me and my brother for my first time going, and then I ended up working at the next faire and started making(mom helped a LOT) my own clothes slowly. At the end of working there, I bought myself a bodice with the money I made, lol. I have a full outfit, and though my weight has fluctuated over the years, I can still fit in everything but the bodice. I'm in the process of altering the bodice to see if I can make it fit again.
I have a tip for learning your machine and getting comfortable with it. I was scared of my old "new" sewing machine as well so I looked up the user manual online and printed it out. I took the print and glued it into a pretty journal so I had a beautiful reference to guide me every step and it made me feel good to look at it. I now sew like I'm a pro!
Yess! I wanna do a yard sale video at some point but it’s hard to film discreetly and don’t wanna film peoples property 😂 but may at least yard sale for a day and vlog inbetween and do a haul. You find amazing stuff yard saling ✨
I'm so glad that the ren faires are welcoming all types of costumes now. Many years ago, I attended several in my area and the people there were historical snobs. I love seeing the creativity now.
As a note, places like Shein and other fast fashion places do have search functions for fabric types, so you can filter to select only cotton, which when I can only afford there, I use that to find the higher quality items.
As a plus size person I have found things at Torrid (Boho/Goth heavy) Avenue, Bloomchic, & Scarlet Darkness that is affordable. Scarlet Darkness was probably the most "costume-y" for lack of a better word. For accessories like crowns, tiaras, masks, head pieces & jewelry Amazon is a pretty good option. If you can afford a higher price point both Holy Clothing & The Pyramid Collection have nice things. Peasant style dresses & tops make a good base for any fantasy look as do maxi length skirts in solid colors. Corset style belts are pretty easy to find in all price points.
I love seeing what people wear to the RenFaires that I participate in. Recently, a lot of mushroom hats have been in vogue among patrons, absolutely adorable. I see any attempt at garb as an invitation to interact (sometimes I'm wrong) and I always look for something to compliment them on.
I got a dress from Scarlett Darkness that I actually wore as is on Christmas Eve. It’s an earthy kind of green, has a square neckline in the front, v in the back, flared sleeves, some embroidery on the bodice and skirt… I’d like to play around with it and see how I could layer on top to make it a more appropriate red faire costume.
I'm so glad that I grew up learning to sew from my mom and grandma, and also learned the best place to find clothes for most occasions is to search the thrift stores and be willing to alter, remake, dye or fully sew garb out of random bedlinens to get rhe cheapest results. Last time I went to a renfaire I was even able to help my best friends find/alter last minute outfits to wear at the thrift store. Don't forget to shop your closets as well, layering pieces you may already have can work too.
Thank you for mentioning tiny peoples struggles😭 I’m hobbit sized and a lot of Brands meant for adults don’t have my size. I started learning how to alter clothes recently, but altering its not as simple as people think. Also, buying something to alter and it goes wrong really sucks when you’re living on a budget, but that’s part of the learning process.
My daughter and her husband met at the Minnesota REN Festival many years ago! Now that I think about it, over 35 years ago! Evidently, a good place to find your BFF, who then becomes your husband.
Grimfrost is really great for viking type clothes. They are a bit pricey but everything is made from linen, cotton, and wool. I own a few of their historical pieces and definitely not disappointed.
Grading on the fast fashion curve bloomchic is pretty good. I see a lot of their clothes secondhand and have bought a couple tops. They have held up pretty well. It seems like most of their clothes are polyester so definitely check the tag.
It would be super fun and helpful for a video of you and your husband building a outfit for him. Maybe two price points? Since he isn't super in to it he can have the smaller budget, ypu have the larger (but still reasonable) budget as you have a bigger knowledge base/ passion for the topic. I'm aware he likes to be comftable to so it will be interesting seeing what you both pick and how it looks in the end :) (hope that makes sense 😅 I'm tired).
I'm 100% on board with you on keeping costs down with getting dressed 🙏 I don't know how many times at a faire I've had non-dressed people ask me: "Where did you buy your costume?" I always say: "First off: It's not a 'costume', and I didn't 'buy' it, it's *REAL* armor. And are you crazy? I'm not a millionaire -- I can't afford to fly to Japan & spend a month there getting fitted & spend $10,000 for this! I *had to* build it; not just out of my love for it ❤ but because I had no other choice to get the *real deal*." Needless to say, they never believe me 🤷♂🙄
@@violetsidheFor real. When did shipping get so expensive?! I just saw on Etsy that it would cost $22 to ship to the US now. Sheeeesh. So the book is even more worth it (since it’s on Amazon)
I've bought from Medieval Collectables and love the site! Many of the brands you find on there also have their own websites (Epic Armory, Mytholon, Calimacil, etc) and are meant specifically for RenFaire and LARP. My last order took just a few days to ship and arrive. I've also had good customer service experiences with the live chat feature!
The SoCal Ren Faire has become very cosplay friendly, queer-friendly, and family friendly, so anything goes here! Love to see people getting weird, with or without the assistance of the Costume Tent. As an oldster, I generally dress with a nod to fantasy, so any wide belt and big boots accessories work out for me in combination with any poofy shirt, poofy pants, poofy skirt, and/or hat of unusual size 😁
Costurero Real has some really pretty wing capes too. I got one last year to wear to my first Ren Faire and I love it so much! The packaging they put it in was really pretty as well ☺
Thank you! That book looks great, I would love to try and make my own bodice, among other things like skirts and dresses. Sewing is so intimidating, but its something I've always wanted to learn how to do!
😊😊Love your videos!!! I watch them all as soon as they are posted. I'm in broadcasting, we repeat ourselves. Over and over, that's what we do no matter what the media is. Great content!!!!
Thanks for all the great informative videos. I'm putting together a costume for a performance but have fallen down the fartastycore and renfaire rabit hole.
good advice all around! going to my first fantasy faire soon and my heart longs for a cool cloak... but investing 150 euros is a Lot when tickets are already 40 euros and i dont even know yet if ill like these events! saving up for better stuff can always be done if i decide to make it a yearly thing, and until then ill just make do 😊
Very few people dress in Elizabethan period accurate clothing to attend fairs--it would be far too hot in the summer when most fantasy/ren faires are going. The fantasy anacronistic elements are pretty common now & accepted. This was not always true...I knew several theatre peeps back in the 80s who were Ren Faire brats & worked the Black Forest Ren Faire in NorCal (its now moved to Hollister I believe) & when I asked if I could be a wood nymph or something similar they were very dismissive. They also routinely made fun of people who dressed in "Arthurian" fantasy costumes. I am not an actor/theatre person & had no interest in interacting with the public so I was like "nah, I'm good. you guys do your thing." Imagine my surprize when several years later I saw people dressed as fairies etc & most faires had added Fantasy to their titles. I think that makes it more enjoyable for the atttendees & encourages people to come dressed up in home made costumes. It's more of a convention type event now than a historical reenactment. Which is totally fine :)
I probably will never attend a Ren Fair, I’m more into 1910 Eduardain but the algorithm gave me your video and I enjoyed it thanks! I am SUPER into saving people money and getting deals. 😂 Cute Dog!
I got 2 dresses from Bloom Chic and several bathing suits. The bathing suits were really good, but the dresses were on the very thin side and the fit was a bit odd on my body anyway.
Im very concerned that I ordered from Amazon for a basic base look. I dont know if thats how its done but the plan is get a feel of what i like, then go into better options. Its cotton, linen, and suade; no polyester.
Target* not Taerget 😂
👉🏻 Also I know I didn’t cover men’s/masc clothes let me know if you want me to do a video on that. I will do more research! (But also: Medieval Collectibles and Amazon).
The TH-cam channel Living Anachronism has great tutorials on men's garb.
Seconding Living Anachronism for men clothing references, but I have also found so many good mens items in thrift stores with just a bit of digging.
100% still look in the women's top section for flouncy blouses that can look like pirate shirts. I also have found boxy and square shaped tops with mandarin and nz collars on them (had to look that up) that make good male peasant shirts. I've even seen kurtas in my thrift stores (men's Indian clothing) which have a great look for the top, just hack off to the right length!
If you have sewing abilities, I love getting men's cotton dress shirts (with no breast pocket) in at least 2 sizes too big and altering them. Sew up the center front to close the top and get rid of the buttons. Cut and hem your collar in any way you like (a simple flapped V for men, a squared or boat neck for women). Then for the sleeves just cut off the cuffs and hem at whatever length you desire; add elastic to scrunch it up if you want that style, works on short or long sleeved lengths. Oh, and straighten out and hem the bottom.
FOR MENS PANTS, LOOK IN THE SCRUBS SECTION! Oh my goodness goldmine in there! Bare basic scrubs have only side pockets and a drawstring closure which work perfect for a ren faire look. Do NOT go for the fancy ones with cargo pockets all up the side of the leg, the more simple the better. They come in all sorts of colors that one could dye a better color if desired, but basic black, tan, and navy are very common and always available.
If you get lucky you can also use karate/jujitsu/martial arts uniform pants too. They're harder to find but have a great shape and are of durable material. Though you're more likely to only find them in white, a simple tea or coffee dye and you're good to go!
Would love ideas for men too!
Just came to the comments to request this. Thanks!
Great resources!
I'm a medieval reenactor and a jouster and I've worked at various Ren Faires in Canada over the past 5 years. No one expects the Faire patrons to be dressed "historically accurately". Lots of people don't even dress up at all. No one should feel pressured to dress up in a specific time period. It's very normal to wear a fantasy outfit or even just a t-shirt.
My recommendation is just have fun and wear whatever makes you comfortable.
All that being said, some basic sewing and thrifted/affordable fabric can get you a long way if you have some time but only a little money. Essentially for early medieval inspired looks, it's mostly rectangles sewn together.
Hey! I just wanted to say thanks for pitching in on the 'accurate clothing' topic, it was very reassuring. I'm Canadian and planning to go to my first fair this summer (Cooks Creek Medieval Fest), and I've been nervous about my friends and I sticking out in the wrong way. Hearing it from someone in the 'local' circuit means a lot! :)
@@cyanrosespirit You're welcome!
I was at Cooks Creek in 2018, it's a great faire. One of the larger ones I've been to. I'm sure you'll have fun 😊
Bloomchic is good quality, I have not had a bad experience with them yet! Good sizing for larger sizes.
That’s good to hear! I was delighted to see they had a good range and they’re also affordable ❤️
@@DressMeUpScottyThey are specifically for sizes 10-30 us
They have a good selection of Boho type pieces that could work. Unfortunately like so many plus size/affordable retailers is it is difficult to find natural fabrics like cotton or linen. They so run a little larger which depending on your body type can be an advantage (I often must sz up to accomodate a larger chest/rib cage making fitted bodices/vests/corsets difficult)
I got introduced to renfaires when I was in high school by a lady at church. So, another way you can get garb is if you know someone who is willing to let you borrow/rent/buy/etc, you might be surprised by who has stuff. She set me up and let me borrow a full outfit for me and my brother for my first time going, and then I ended up working at the next faire and started making(mom helped a LOT) my own clothes slowly. At the end of working there, I bought myself a bodice with the money I made, lol. I have a full outfit, and though my weight has fluctuated over the years, I can still fit in everything but the bodice. I'm in the process of altering the bodice to see if I can make it fit again.
I have a tip for learning your machine and getting comfortable with it. I was scared of my old "new" sewing machine as well so I looked up the user manual online and printed it out. I took the print and glued it into a pretty journal so I had a beautiful reference to guide me every step and it made me feel good to look at it. I now sew like I'm a pro!
Hold on, this is exactly what I needed , thank you !
What a great idea!
Yard sales are another place to find cheap clothing. A lot of churches in my area do annual yard sales and it’s cheaper than a thrift store.
Yess! I wanna do a yard sale video at some point but it’s hard to film discreetly and don’t wanna film peoples property 😂 but may at least yard sale for a day and vlog inbetween and do a haul. You find amazing stuff yard saling ✨
I'm so glad that the ren faires are welcoming all types of costumes now. Many years ago, I attended several in my area and the people there were historical snobs. I love seeing the creativity now.
For amazing brand scarlet darkness has never let me down.
As a note, places like Shein and other fast fashion places do have search functions for fabric types, so you can filter to select only cotton, which when I can only afford there, I use that to find the higher quality items.
Oh good to know!
As a plus size person I have found things at Torrid (Boho/Goth heavy) Avenue, Bloomchic, & Scarlet Darkness that is affordable. Scarlet Darkness was probably the most "costume-y" for lack of a better word. For accessories like crowns, tiaras, masks, head pieces & jewelry Amazon is a pretty good option. If you can afford a higher price point both Holy Clothing & The Pyramid Collection have nice things. Peasant style dresses & tops make a good base for any fantasy look as do maxi length skirts in solid colors. Corset style belts are pretty easy to find in all price points.
I love seeing what people wear to the RenFaires that I participate in. Recently, a lot of mushroom hats have been in vogue among patrons, absolutely adorable. I see any attempt at garb as an invitation to interact (sometimes I'm wrong) and I always look for something to compliment them on.
I highly recommend Scarlet Darkness, I own many of their pieces. The dresses, tops, and skirts are fantastic! 💖
I got a dress from Scarlett Darkness that I actually wore as is on Christmas Eve. It’s an earthy kind of green, has a square neckline in the front, v in the back, flared sleeves, some embroidery on the bodice and skirt… I’d like to play around with it and see how I could layer on top to make it a more appropriate red faire costume.
I'm so glad that I grew up learning to sew from my mom and grandma, and also learned the best place to find clothes for most occasions is to search the thrift stores and be willing to alter, remake, dye or fully sew garb out of random bedlinens to get rhe cheapest results. Last time I went to a renfaire I was even able to help my best friends find/alter last minute outfits to wear at the thrift store. Don't forget to shop your closets as well, layering pieces you may already have can work too.
FYI: I work for a library system and we do have several copies of that book and similar books on DIY's.
My friend is getting married this summer at a ren fair. I’ve never been to one and had no idea what to wear. Thanks for this lol I’ve subscribed!
Thank you for mentioning tiny peoples struggles😭 I’m hobbit sized and a lot of Brands meant for adults don’t have my size. I started learning how to alter clothes recently, but altering its not as simple as people think. Also, buying something to alter and it goes wrong really sucks when you’re living on a budget, but that’s part of the learning process.
My daughter and her husband met at the Minnesota REN Festival many years ago! Now that I think about it, over 35 years ago! Evidently, a good place to find your BFF, who then becomes your husband.
Aww, your dog is so cute. A have an aussie too
I hope to go to a ren faire one day when I'm out of Mississippi! I love to dress up and would love a ren faire outfit!
Great tips! Thank you!
Im going to the Irwindale one as a mermaid next month!
Yay!! Exciting! 🤩
Grimfrost is really great for viking type clothes. They are a bit pricey but everything is made from linen, cotton, and wool. I own a few of their historical pieces and definitely not disappointed.
Can’t wait to get to a den fair this summer!
I love Medieval Collectables! I get most of my stuff from there. Shipping times are great. Usually only a day or two, as long as items are in stock.
Grading on the fast fashion curve bloomchic is pretty good. I see a lot of their clothes secondhand and have bought a couple tops. They have held up pretty well. It seems like most of their clothes are polyester so definitely check the tag.
I'm going to my first ren faire this summer and I am SO excited!!! Thank you so much, your videos are so helpful!
That’s so exciting! I hope you have so much fun! - since it’s a summer faire make sure you take heat precautions! ❤️
@@DressMeUpScotty I know! Thank you so much!!! 💜
Poppy is such a cutie
This is such a great resource! Thanks so much for making this video!
It would be super fun and helpful for a video of you and your husband building a outfit for him. Maybe two price points? Since he isn't super in to it he can have the smaller budget, ypu have the larger (but still reasonable) budget as you have a bigger knowledge base/ passion for the topic. I'm aware he likes to be comftable to so it will be interesting seeing what you both pick and how it looks in the end :) (hope that makes sense 😅 I'm tired).
I love your videos, they're so helpful!
I'm 100% on board with you on keeping costs down with getting dressed 🙏 I don't know how many times at a faire I've had non-dressed people ask me: "Where did you buy your costume?" I always say: "First off: It's not a 'costume', and I didn't 'buy' it, it's *REAL* armor. And are you crazy? I'm not a millionaire -- I can't afford to fly to Japan & spend a month there getting fitted & spend $10,000 for this! I *had to* build it; not just out of my love for it ❤ but because I had no other choice to get the *real deal*." Needless to say, they never believe me 🤷♂🙄
14:31 ooo I have this book and I’m looking forward to making something from it for when it’s warmer here in new zealand lol
I love that they made this book - they are the masters of not gatekeeping for that one 👏
@@DressMeUpScotty agree I would love to own things from them but shipping and exchange rates make them very expensive… worth it
@@violetsidheFor real. When did shipping get so expensive?! I just saw on Etsy that it would cost $22 to ship to the US now. Sheeeesh. So the book is even more worth it (since it’s on Amazon)
@@DressMeUpScotty the book is definitely worth it.
I've bought from Medieval Collectables and love the site! Many of the brands you find on there also have their own websites (Epic Armory, Mytholon, Calimacil, etc) and are meant specifically for RenFaire and LARP. My last order took just a few days to ship and arrive. I've also had good customer service experiences with the live chat feature!
Also, girl, you are speaking my language. I love your channel ❤
The SoCal Ren Faire has become very cosplay friendly, queer-friendly, and family friendly, so anything goes here! Love to see people getting weird, with or without the assistance of the Costume Tent. As an oldster, I generally dress with a nod to fantasy, so any wide belt and big boots accessories work out for me in combination with any poofy shirt, poofy pants, poofy skirt, and/or hat of unusual size 😁
Costurero Real has some really pretty wing capes too. I got one last year to wear to my first Ren Faire and I love it so much! The packaging they put it in was really pretty as well ☺
Thank you! That book looks great, I would love to try and make my own bodice, among other things like skirts and dresses. Sewing is so intimidating, but its something I've always wanted to learn how to do!
Any mistakes in sewing will only make the outfit look even more authentic for a ren fair.
😊😊Love your videos!!! I watch them all as soon as they are posted. I'm in broadcasting, we repeat ourselves. Over and over, that's what we do no matter what the media is. Great content!!!!
Thanks so much for your kind words about Costurero ❤ you pronounce it fine!! 💚
Also thanks for all the other stores! I just found some nice dresses for me (I am 3x)
Another thing to do: just borrow clothes from people for costumes and then return them with chocolate chip cookies as payment.
Thanks for all the great informative videos. I'm putting together a costume for a performance but have fallen down the fartastycore and renfaire rabit hole.
A lot of my stuff is from target, but I like that style and wear it as regular wear so, getting to use it for renn faire is my bonus
The scream I screamt when I saw the Portlandia reference😭 girl you’ve got good taste in everything
Any tips on shoes? I hate to wear sneakers but I've ruined cute sandals at ren fairs in the past >:(
You could just cover your sneakers with a pair of spats, or tie a rag around your shoes to hide them.
good advice all around! going to my first fantasy faire soon and my heart longs for a cool cloak... but investing 150 euros is a Lot when tickets are already 40 euros and i dont even know yet if ill like these events! saving up for better stuff can always be done if i decide to make it a yearly thing, and until then ill just make do 😊
Very few people dress in Elizabethan period accurate clothing to attend fairs--it would be far too hot in the summer when most fantasy/ren faires are going. The fantasy anacronistic elements are pretty common now & accepted. This was not always true...I knew several theatre peeps back in the 80s who were Ren Faire brats & worked the Black Forest Ren Faire in NorCal (its now moved to Hollister I believe) & when I asked if I could be a wood nymph or something similar they were very dismissive. They also routinely made fun of people who dressed in "Arthurian" fantasy costumes. I am not an actor/theatre person & had no interest in interacting with the public so I was like "nah, I'm good. you guys do your thing." Imagine my surprize when several years later I saw people dressed as fairies etc & most faires had added Fantasy to their titles. I think that makes it more enjoyable for the atttendees & encourages people to come dressed up in home made costumes. It's more of a convention type event now than a historical reenactment. Which is totally fine :)
Oh so cool ! I so your pic in Etsy modeling the corset I am getting ! ❤ takes one to know one. Yayyyy 😂
my university is having a fantasy graduation ball but im broke as fuuuuuu.... so this video, very well timed, VERY MUCH NEEDED
I probably will never attend a Ren Fair, I’m more into 1910 Eduardain but the algorithm gave me your video and I enjoyed it thanks! I am SUPER into saving people money and getting deals. 😂
Cute Dog!
ohhhhh yr pupper !!! thanks for the help.
I got 2 dresses from Bloom Chic and several bathing suits. The bathing suits were really good, but the dresses were on the very thin side and the fit was a bit odd on my body anyway.
Im very concerned that I ordered from Amazon for a basic base look. I dont know if thats how its done but the plan is get a feel of what i like, then go into better options. Its cotton, linen, and suade; no polyester.
Cute dog :)
Ty! She’s a little superstar ⭐️🥰
Can you please consistently add what you’re wearing in your description? I need that dress.
Sorry I’ve worn it so many times I forget. I have it along with several other color ways in my Amazon store front. The brand is R. Vivimos
Do my dresses need to be linen or cotton?
Historically accurate fairy?
❤❤
comment bc cute doggo