Quick and Easy Renaissance-Medieval Outfits

The clothing forms used in the Middle Ages are so basic, you can still find items in stores and thrifts that are usable right off the rack. Here are some ideas about what to look for:

Fabrics: Printed fabrics, as we know them today, were not used in Europe at this time, so although bright colors were often worn, even by the lower classes, stick with one-color garment. Most common people were wearing linen or wool. They did weave patterns and colors into fabrics, so tapestry fabrics and brocade pattered fabrics will work, and velvet and silk were available to merchants and upper classes. Stretch knits had not been developed - T-shirt and stretch polyester would not look correct, so avoid items made from those fabrics.

Misc: Zippers are not period, but many times the zipper is not obvious on the back of a dress. Athletic shoes are not period. Laces were more common in early period, buttons had begun to be used by upper and middle classes later in the period - often with buttons closely spaced and even running up the lower ends of long sleeves. Button loops were used rather than button holes, but only period-proper folks will notice.

Men: Earlier in the period, men wore both short and long tunics, either with a keyhole collar (head opening with a short slit in the front) or a larger rounded head opening. Sleeves could be long or short, often with a longer sleeved under garment and a shorter sleeved larger garment layered over it. Alternaltly, they would wear a tunic with long or short sleeves, and place a belted tabard over it - a long rectangle of cloth with a head hole in it. For pants, men either wore knee-length trousers or longer pants with straps bound around the lower leg. Later in the period, men were also wearing what we now call a poets shirt or a swordsman’s shirt, with a pointed collar and often a ruffled collar and sleeve. Over this, they would wear a long vest, often laced or buttoned in the front. Men wore knee length trousers or leggings. If you choose to wear leggings, please wear a pair of shorts and keep your shirt-tails long on any tops, as it can be difficult to find a codpiece and without them, leggings do not provide enough coverage in certain areas for men.
For shoes, any very simple laced leather shoe or plain boot will work, but a plain fabric shoe or a leather sandal is also appropriate.
For headwear, in the earlier period woodsman’s hoods were popular and later hats included brimless caps, Robin Hood hats, tall hats like knit hats and similar things. Fancy wide embroidered trim was popular on all outfits, wide belts were typically worn with tunic and with vests.

Women: Earlier in the period, women wore floor length long sleeved tunics with keyhole collars, square head openings or wide oval head openings and often wore another long dress over them, one with shorter but wider sleeves.
Later in the period, the sleeves became wider and often the dress work over the basic dress had the sleeves removed altogether and sometimes the armholes made so large there was little of the dress left in the front and the back. Working class women wore long shirts - sometimes one on top of the other - and a long or short sleeve wide-necked top with a close-fitting short vest over that - the vest being laced in the front, back or the sides.
For shoes, any simple leather shoe will work, but a plain fabric shoe or leather sandel is also appropriate. For headwear, women at renaissance faires typically wear their hair loose or braided and add a flower garland or other circlet. In period, women normally kept their hair covered, due to church preferences, and wore snood - and item like a heavy hair net and a headband to hold it in place, or a veil and wimple - like a nun. Later in the period, they wore snoods, pointed hats with attached veils, or at least a simple head scarf with their hair tucked up inside and the back tied in to cover it somewhat. Fancy wide embroidered trims were used by women as well, as were wide belts with pouches, since pockets were not included in garment for either sex yet. For comfort, some women will wear period men’s wear for an event like this - it depends on what you are doing at the event and how long you will be doing it.

Both: Both sexes wore capes both long and short for protection against the elements. In late period, larger over-suits for men and women often looked like a choir robe or graduation gown, with voluminous sleeves and long draped shape - opening in the front.

Shopping: Plain long sleeve dresses, shirts with keyhole necklines, simple sleeveless or short sleeved dresses, and simple long or knee-length pants are pretty common when shopping today. For a greater selection at a lower price, I usually cruise a thrift shop first because they have more variety in a smaller area. Bodices (short women’s vests) are easily made by cutting the skirt off a formal dress that has substantial shoulders in it. If you do not mind doing a little sewing, you can find plenty of linen garments at the thrift store as well and alter them to the style you want.

What’s a Labyrinthe?

A labyrinthe is like a flat simple maze that you traverse by walking a path in it. It winds about and ends up in the middle and the journey is used for meditations, the path representing some effort one is working past in reality or spirituality, etc. Ours is 24' across - 60% the size of the original, which is sometimes available the first Friday of the month...in France. But bring a can of food for the Foodbank or a dollar to donate to them and you can walk it

As you enter the event, we will ask if you are with a group - a group that gets 50 people to the event can use the labyrinthe for a day of their own event.