Clothing and Garb for newcomers

Clothing/Garb

Garb For your first one or two events, if you don't have medieval style clothes of your own, these can be borrowed from your local Hospitaller. Please contact them well before the event you are planning to attend to arrange this as they may not have appropriate gear with them at the event. This is only a temporary measure and you are expected to get your own gear as soon as possible. When you do start getting your first set of garb together keep the following hints in mind.

Women:-
Try searching op-shops for long dresses that can be modified easily. Cloaks can be made fairly easily and they hide a multitude of sins. If it is winter and cold, try getting something a bit too big so that you can wear warm mundane clothes underneath. Modern looking slippers, boots and shoes can often hidden under long skirts.

Men:-
Garb 2 - Newcomers Plain trousers, karate pants, tracksuit pants all look OK under a short tunic. Plain boots that look medieval-ish are easy to find. Ugh boots have been around for over 1000 years. A tunic looks like a large plain T-shirt and a bit of braid around the collar and sleeves can disguise the modern style of dress. A Surcoat (a big, rectangular, strip of cloth with a hole for the head) can disguise a more mundane item of clothing underneath. Long sleeved skivvies can be worn under tunics and Surcoat for warmth in winter. Get a good plain colour belt to wear around your tunic.

Things to Avoid in Costuming:-
Anything that is uncomfortable or dangerous. Many ladies realise too late that the long trailing dress that looks so nice can trip you up if you aren't used to it. Men find the same thing wearing swords. If you are uncomfortable in your clothing then you will not enjoy the event you are attending quite as much.

BELTS - Don't wear anything that looks like a white belt. The white belt is reserved for knights.

JEWELLERY - Don't wear a plain chain without a pendant hanging off it - these are reserved for knights. Don't wear spurs for the same reason.

DON'T wear crowns, tiaras, or coronets. These are reserved for royalty and peers. A good guideline is if it is wider than 2cm, it if has decorations that extend above or below the circlet, if it isn't plain straight circlet which has no points or jewels then don't wear it. Plain circlets decorate along the band are OK but avoid anything decorated with stones, jewels, or pearls.

When in doubt ask someone who has been in the SCA much longer than you.

SWORDS / KNIVES / BLADES - avoid wearing sharp weapons without scabbards - they are dangerous. Make sure all blades are secured in their scabbards - so they can't fall out. Be very careful wearing a sword - it can stick out behind you and trip others or damage their clothes.

The Op-Shop is your friend!

If you plan on getting involved with the SCA then your local op-shop, lifeline or St Vinnie's could be a major source of very useful items at a very cheap price.

Look around - the clothes may not be quite period now but with a little work they might be made so. Belts and shoes, bags and jewelry, all can be found and modified for SCA use. Cheap cloth can also be found here.

But I can't sew... I don't have a sewing machine ... help!

If you can't sew and have no idea about putting clothing together, ask around as there are people who can help you. Arts and Sciences meetings are a good place to start. Often you can get the difficult bits done for you leaving the easy sewing for you to do. And early period garb is really easy! You don't need sewing experience to start making garb!