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Building A Costume Is The Best Part Of Every Renaissance Festival!
I am going to go out on a limb to reveal my complete and utter inner nerd when I say that after the Christmas season ends, my next major event to look forward to is the annual Arizona Renaissance Festival.
My husband and I go each year, and before he was in my life, I had a previous longstanding tradition with my friends.
The Arizona Renaissance Festival (often nicknamed "the Faire") is one of the largest in the country, but perhaps what makes it most distinctive is that there is a permanent establishment specifically designated to host the Faire, complete with buildings and a jousting arena.
Renaissance Festivals or Faires are meant to be a step back in time. Typically, the characters, merchandise, and overall atmosphere is meant to represent Great Britain anywhere from 1100 A.D. to about 1600.
I say Great Britain because a great many of these festivals have characters that act as the "royalty," and of those, they often choose Elizabeth I of England to represent the queen. Others do not choose particular historical characters, but instead they specify their country during jousting events.
One thing that makes each faire more memorable is to begin building your own costume. But with such a wide range of history, what sort of characters or costumes do you have to choose from?
Well, you might want to brush up a little on your history for accuracy, but there are a great many influences and a wide range of people distributed throughout the Isles in this half-millennium I have mentioned.
While the Vikings predated 1100, it is not uncommon to see a Faire-goer dressed to the nines in furs, a hat with horns, and a battle-axe or broadsword at his side.
Naturally, the Celtic influence from Scotland, Wales, Brittany, and Ireland is felt. Many people dress as Druids in simple robes, and, of course, there are men that dress as Scottish highlanders in traditional tartan kilts. But of course, these are just a few.
Naturally, there are just the basics for both men and women. Many people acquire a single article of clothing at a time--a tunic, a chemise, a skirt, or maybe a pair of boots. But many others choose a single accessory to build their entire costume around.
For many men I have met at festivals, this accessory is a weapon swords, battle axes, daggers, or well-crafted bows and arrows all serve as potential inspiration. For women, it is often a piece of jewelry, a headdress, or even a hairstyle.
Whatever your inspiration or your budget you can easily build a fetching costume, suited for a king (even if you're dressed as a peasant). That is one of the best parts of every festival!
About the Author Cook Ecommerce, LLC (http://www.swordsoftheeast.com/) is about swords. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
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