Some recent bits of costume, for viginiadear!

[katexxxxxx]

I hadn't realized until I looked that so little of this has gone up on LJ.  Most of it has been on FB because that's where all the discussions have been.  So, here we go!

Nesta's Clothes!

Comments

[virginiadear]

*giggle* "ViRginiadear."

First: very, very nice!
Second: Thank you!

Y'know, although I'm not sure, despite some of your articles of clothing, what era or century your character represents, and because I have a clear recollection of an experience of years ago of emphatic assurance (plus a virtual swat on the nose) that, "It's L.A.R.P! No one cares if it's accurate!" from my frame of reference which is medieval and Renaissance Europe and the British Isles (as they weren't at the time), I'm going to tell you you're not cheating as much as some folks might think.

The Romans dressed for the weather, especially after they got to Britain.
Tunics, even in Rome (winter in Rome surprises a lot of people who think it--or Athens---is a place of perpetual sunshine and spring, summer or autumn temperatures) could be and were often woven "double walled" and of wool; the double "wall" essentially was like having an insulated lining.
One article of clothing, called "feminalia," were leg wrappings or leggings intended to keep the lower extremities warm. Before their arrival in Britain, Romans maintained these were proper to women, children, the infirm, and old men but not to citizens or soldiers. And then they encountered winter in what today is the north of England.
The Greeks and the Romans, both, knew what socks are, and wore them. Initially they were protection against chafing or blistering of the skin from footwear, especially in wet weather.

Somewhere, there's an illustration of either a knight being handed one of a pair of hose by his squire before [the knight] arises from his bed, or a lady being handed one of a pair of her hose by her maid before completing dressing for the morning. And these hose are long; they come well above the knee of the wearer, regardless the wearer's gender.

Boots weren't unknown. It was common, during cold or inclement weather, to stuff or pad shoes or boots with moss or straw to provide a bit of insulation against the cold.

And as for dressing in layers, it's what makes medieval clothing so wonderfully practical! If a medieval person needed the two layer of both a coat and a cape, and they had both coat and cape to wear, then they wore both.

[katexxxxxx]

Rats! I will try to edit that. Sometimes the keys stick...

Nesta's nation, The Marches, is basically Middle Class Middle England in the Middle Ages! Think anywhere between about 1200 and 1400, but we're not too fussy. It's low fantasy LASRP rather than reenactment. Susan's hunting dress in Narnia is about as posh as we get!

One of the nations (The league) is more rennaissance Venice with added Bogia, another is built out of ocs! There is magic and mayhem, commerce and singing... My group run a pub, which is lots of fun, and good for making friends!

[virginiadear]

"It's low fantasy LASRP rather than reenactment."

Understood!
But, m'dear, 'twas your very self who spoke of cheating when the weather turns wet and cold. That suggested strongly to me that the thought has been hovering around your mind.
I was only saying you're cheating much less than might be supposed. The biggest single cheat would be the (presumably) synthetic soles on your hiking boots. By 1300-someting or other, double soles on shoes can be documented anywhere paved streets and roads existed, so if Nesta lives where roadways or streets were paved.... No problems with "cheating" that I can see.

Not that you asked, and not that you were worried. I understand: it's a non-issue. It was just a thought you had on a non-issue, and I was responding to say it's not truly a detectable "cheat" and wouldn't be even among the more historical accuracy-minded.

I hope we're okay...?

[katexxxxxx]

We run on several sayings:

Safety above all things! So if there is slippery mud all over the place, hikinh boots win!

And stay warm in the cold and cool in the sun! So if you WANT to be 100% authentic, go for it, but Su and I aim more for 'coolthentic': looks good and reasonably historic, but we stay warm or cool as the season and temperatures dictate.

But really, fantasy rules apply! :D

Cheating is 'looks authentic but don't look under the skirts!'

And yes, of course we're OK! :) Your knowledge and views are always interesting.

[virginiadear]

Is that more of your lucet cord lacing your bitter chocolate under gown?

[katexxxxxx]

No, sadly. It's just waxed cotton jewelery thong.

[seraphinawitch]

As my professor of mediaeval history used to say, it's not the fall of the Roman Empire that's important, but the continuity. My favourite example was the law they passed in 225 AD, when the SPQR got its feminalia knotted about breeks in the forum...the barbarians were taking over! They passed a law against it - no trousis in the forum! And Charlemagne on his way to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD had to pause twenty five miles from Rome and change out of his nice cosy woollen breeks and get into a draughty toga instead...he was crowned at Christmas, and Rome in December can be fairly horribly cold and wet!