Household Garb Standards

Note: The consequences (which never had to be enforced) were sunset in 2018, but we do hold ourselves to a higher garb standard. 

This is new, I know, I know, but the Alterdamen have discussed it and with our first Peer we now want to codify what has always been our goal of dressing well and being good, if not great, examples.

New resolution for 2014: Aesthetics are the goal! 

We're all learning, none of us are perfect, and none of us know everything, but we want to move as a group toward better fleshing out our personas and dressing for that persona. For example, Simona is looking to do more period Florentine garb as complete ensembles including sleeves, Syele is working towards more German gowns complete with haberdashery, Elinor/Agricola is working towards an entirely new persona, Fortune on having a more well-rounded garb closet of work and play ensembles et cetera. We all have garb we have pushed to the back of the closet (or given to Gold Key) because while we may have thought it was a good idea when it was made/purchased, we've grown wiser since then. And yes, many of these are more geared towards women's garb.

Guidelines for Household Garb -

Please remember we have a 1 year grace period for newcomers and with anything, after dark, the rules get looser.

1. Period, period.  

• The only rule of garb in the SCA is "an attempt at pre-1600 clothing." However, we strive for excellence. If it's Renn Faire and you know it, wear it after dark. If at all.
   

2. Outfits should match in time and culture.

• A viking tunic with pumpkin pants won't fly, nor will an Elizabethan bodice with a saree.

3. Documentation is not other people and it is not merchants.

• Our goal as a household is to be an example. You will see many other people at events in garb that doesn't hold up to these standards and merchants sell many things, but that doesn't make them appropriate, that makes them sellable. SCA merchants, by and large, don't just do SCA events. They do Faires, they do Pirate Festivals, they do Steampunk, Hippies, Ravers, et cetera. They will select for the crowd, but they also know there is a huge crossover. It is up to you to make the informed buying decisions.  Most merchants will place something on hold for you for a few hours if you need to wrangle someone more knowledgeable for a consult. And just because it's a period material (ie. leather or silk), doesn't make it a period article of clothing.

4. Cover your head. (You probably should, unless you shouldn't)

• Almost all people in all periods covered their heads. It was cold. It was hot. Men would be driven to uncontrollable lust at the sight of your hair... there were many reasons.  

5. But I couldn't possibly live without my glasses/shoes...

• Certain things get a pass, but can be improved. Sometimes the state of one's feet or the state of the weather means that non-period footwear needs to be worn and glasses are necessary for many of us. But even here attempts should be made.

6. Torn, ripped, unrepaired or excessively dirty garb

• Honest work dirt and a few patches is one thing (and should be encouraged if you're wearing working-type clothing. That's what makes it *clothing* rather than costuming), but never-been-washed and shredded to the point of seeing bare skin is quite another. Nobody in our household is currently portraying the completely homeless poor; don't look like it.
   

Absolutely not during daytime hours:

• Any revealing of the midriff in non-Indian garb. 
• Very very very few places showed the midriff in period. India (where you didn't have to be dressed at all!) did show skin in period, and some ancient cultures like the Minoan (No top, but snakes...) Egyptian (topless with a wig? it's a lot of look), and South American cultures (enjoy being painted blue and sacrificed!).

• Leather Bodices
• A (very) few cultures did go for these. However, none of those were designed to give Victoria's Secret a run for its money.

• "Belly Bunny"
• The standard generic pseudo-Middle Eastern cabaret dancer clothing. If it's a bra and jingly belt, wait till later. Much later.

• Modern shorts/pants and tunic 

Absolutely not ever (after your first year):

• Anything with a zipper
• Anything pre-made for modern wear
• Pirate Frock Coats - please do not put Sam into a sputtering rage
• "Irish Gowns" - please do not put Fortune into a sputtering rage

Consequences for not adhering to standards:

Note: Again, these consequences never had to be enforced, thankfully, and remain here as household lore.

• 1^st offence: “Go change.” If you see a fellow Household member wearing something iffy, ask them about it. If it doesn't meet our written standards, please ask them to go change into something that does. If they don't have anything else, we can fix that. We have a variety of cultures and body sizes in our House; borrowing clothes is traditional.
  
• 2^nd offence: "Shame" dress (undyed t-tunic or surcoat and tablet belt, “You can’t be trusted to dress yourself so wear this.”) We're making a garment that is period but very simple and probably unflattering. The idea is to encourage improvement.
  
• 3^rd offence: Exile for the next event, may not camp/party/share meal plan/do things in our name for 1 event. Then taken back into the fold for hugs and garb nights.

We aren't setting any kind of impossibly high bar here. All we are asking is for honest, good-faith attempts to meet a minimum garb standard for historical clothing within an exceedingly generous range of cultures and time periods. We're doing some pretty awesome things these days - let's all dress like it!

Many bad garb mistakes can be fixed by continuing to analyze as you are sewing. One substitution is great, but as you work with what you have you can continue to make step after step away from a period garment. Don't waste your own time and effort and always re-evaluate as you sew the choices you are making.  Step back, critically look at what you are creating and compare it to the period garment you are trying to recreate. You've chosen an out of period color, but it's a period fabric. Great substitutes until you decided to re-work to make it short-sleeved, and use a printed ribbon trim and Velcro to make it easier to get done and don't make the appropriate undergarments to support it... and you've created a monstrosity.  It. Happens.

Examples of a good substitute: Cotton instead of linen. Bad substitute? Pleather instead of leather.

Often when looking at someone's garb at an event which seems completely off the wall try to mentally take a step back and think of what decisions brought that outfit into being. Peer-like qualities, keep the snark in at the event, use the old Kindergarten Teacher standby "Tell me about it....".