Q&A for How to Dress for the Renaissance Fair

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  • Question
    Can an upper class male wear a bit of eyeliner?
    Community Answer
    It would probably be fine for an aristocrat to wear some eyeliner. A good option for application is to rim your eyes to make them pop and look sensual.
  • Question
    If I'm going to a renaissance festival and I am a woman. I am riding horses and shooting archery. Is it acceptable to wear pants?
    Community Answer
    For your line of work, such items of clothing are probably necessary and would not cause a problem. If you wanted to stay more true to the era, you could choose to wear leggings with boots and a skirt with slits in the sides, to allow both movement and coverage.
  • Question
    Would a light shawl or thin cape for women would be okay? I burn easily so I'm trying to minimize sun exposure.
    Community Answer
    Yes. In the renaissance period, many working class women wore shawls over their loops to protect their skin and to lessen exposure.
  • Question
    Would light eyeliner and eyeshadow be acceptable for a lower/middle class female?
    Community Answer
    It's unlikely that a lower or middle class female would be able to afford makeup, so you might want to forego it if that's the character you'll be playing.
  • Question
    What kind of mythological character would be good for a Ren Fest?
    Community Answer
    There are so many possibilities, including: A centaur, Ashwinder, Chimera, Dragon, The Wendigo, Thunderbird, Kracken, Manticore, Basilisk, Griffin, Ghoul, Banshee, Chupacabra, or Hippocampus.
  • Question
    Would it be OK for a peasant woman to have skirts and a blouse but not a bodice?
    Community Answer
    Yes! As long as you look the part enough, you're good to go; the bodice is not going to break the appearance of your outfit.
  • Question
    Would a viking costume be okay?
    Isolde
    Top Answerer
    The periods do not coincide and thus it is not accurate for a viking to be at a Renaissance Fair. However, if you were a Renaissance person dressing up as a viking, then this meta approach to your costume would be okay. Just find out how much leeway you have from the Fair organizers in terms of out-of-period costumes.
  • Question
    What would I wear as a non-binary?
    Jesse Pacat
    Community Answer
    Being non-binary, you can wear either a feminine or a masculine ensemble, since you can wear both and pull it off.
  • Question
    I need to make a cheap costume for the Renaissance Faire. What can I do to make it look like a middle class woman outfit without doing too much work?
    Isabel Fosler
    Community Answer
    Wear a simple dress with a white apron then tie something around your waist, like ribbon.
  • Question
    Would a samurai outfit be okay? It is around the time period.
    Iris8989
    Community Answer
    No, because samurais existed in Japan. Japan is in Asia. Renaissance fairs usually cover the 1400s-1600s period in Europe (England, Spain, Italy, Germany, etc.), not Asia (Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, etc.).
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