Costuming - Ren Faire Flair
Photo by Justin Jajalla Photography (2021)
I’ve been costuming for about two years now, but because of the pandemic, I haven’t yet been able to “event,” as they say in the costuming world. From what I can tell as a newbie, this entails wearing self-made costume items to a themed event in order to showcase your work alongside other hobbyists and professionals - and enjoy some theme-specific activities as well!
So, when the New York Renaissance Faire announced they were resuming in 2021 after they had canceled in 2020, I relished the opportunity to take one of my costumes for a ride. This one I’ve been calling “Spirit of Beltane.” If you click on the gallery icon above, you can see photos from every angle when I did a photo shoot in July with Justin Jajalla Photography. Beltane (or, as it is most commonly known, May Day) signifies the end of spring and the start of summer. To me, the spirit of summer is playful, lively, and a little mischievous, and I always think of the old madrigal, Now Is The Month Of Maying, every time summer rolls around! This meant lots of color, nods to floral embellishment, and some roguish touches (like the leather belt, pouch, dice, and quarterstaff you might see in some of the photos).
Photo by Justin Jajalla Photography (2021)
Now that I had a design, I constructed this costume with two goals in mind: function and comfort. Attending the Ren Faire usually means a long day full of walking and sitting in the hot summer sun. As a performer of music, theater, and dance, I’ve worn many costumes over the years that have neither been comfortable nor functional, which has made for a lot of pinching, prodding, and sweating on stage too many times. The best thing about sewing your own clothes is you can make them to fit your body comfortably, and add whatever flair you like in the process! In this costume, that meant a breathable top, voluminous petticoat, and large pockets for carrying all the gold and dice a traveling rogue might need.
Photo by Justin Jajalla Photography (2021)
Even at the Faire, the term “renaissance” is applied loosely, so I didn’t keep to a strict historical period when designing this outfit. The bodice is in the more recognizable “renaissance” style (the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe), while the petticoat follows that of the apron-style pleated garment from the 18th century in Europe. In fact, I used the Petticoat Sew-Along tutorials from Burnley & Trowbridge to make this piece, as well as purchased the fabric from them (a bright red “worsted” wool that is delightful to wear and sturdy to boot). Burnley & Trowbridge is a purveyor of historical replica fabrics and is widely used in the costuming community.
The shirt? Well, I currently have no interest in sewing shirts, navigating the (seeming) millions of little pleats around the shoulder or a cuff, and encountering a sewist’s greatest enemy (sleeves). So, this one I bought online by Googling “ladies pirate shirt.” I was pleased with the results.
On the day of, I paired my costume with a well-loved flower crown from Rosie’s Posies East on Spende Penny Lane at the NY Ren Faire; my husband’s leather belt; a pouch which usually holds my game dice; and, as I mentioned earlier, pockets!
These pockets I made in the 18th-century style. As I mentioned, so was my petticoat, and it was an “apron” style, meaning the front and back panels tie around my waist and allow for two slits on either side. These “pockets” (above) also tie around my waist underneath the petticoat like two bags resting on my hips. Because of the petticoat style, I can easily reach inside to access two purse-sized pockets, completely eliminating the need for an extra bag at an event. These pockets hold my phone, keys, lip balm, money, hand sanitizer, pocket mirror, extra masks, etc. Everything! No cross-body bag required. It is the best decision I ever made for costuming while out and about for a whole day.
The result was a very successful day out with my brother, husband, and best friend, full of laughs, “huzzah!”s and food and drink. Spirit of Beltane did her job well, and held up over a whole day of wear and tear. It was a great first post-pandemic “event” for a novice costumer like me since, as NY Ren Faire says, “after the plague comes the Renaissance!”
