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Costumes for SCA and Renaissance Faires - Page 3

© Shira

One direction you could take with your costuming is the Ottoman look that pervaded the Muslim world for many centuries, as shown in the drawing below:

This illustration comes from an Italian book titled Costumi Orientali (Oriental costume), published in the 17th century.

Although not visible in this picture, pantaloons were worn as an undergarment. They were very full -- 60 inches across the width of each leg. Drawstrings were used at the waist. At the ankle, the lower edge could either pulled up into a drawstring, or it could be gathered to a cuff that buttons or hooks. Cuffs were typically embroidered.

Over the pantaloons women wore a skirt, with a sash tied at the hips. On their upper half, they wore a sheer V-necked blouse with full sleeves. Over this was a hip-length coat, flared below the waist.

The headdress is not a turban, because turbans were worn by men. This is a fancy adaptation of a pillbox hat.

The Ottoman empire begin in the 15th century, and endured until after World War I. Over the centuries its influence expanded to cover the entire northern coast of Africa, much of eastern Europe, and most of the Arabic countries. Much trade occurred within the empire, and carried the cultural influence of the Turks across many lands. This style of women's clothing was widely worn throughout the Ottoman empire and eventually inspired the garb of the 18th-century Ghawazee in Egypt.

Another historical costuming approach could be a modeled on the dresses worn by women of the eastern Mediterranean area in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, etc.

The above picture shows the cover of a pattern sold by Folkwear Patterns for making a Syrian dress. See Folkwear's web site at http://www.folkwear.com for patterns for additional historic garments from the Middle East.

I like to use patterns made by Folkwear because many of them contain historical information about the garment. Often, Folkwear's patterns will include embroidery designs based on those found on genuine antique garments.

Practical Considerations

Historical re-enactment events often take place outdoors in hot weather and dusty conditions. Consider that when deciding what to wear. Here are some thoughts to keep you comfortable while you look great.

• Jewelry. Metal jewelry looks wonderful, but could become very hot and even painfully uncomfortable if you're likely to spend a lot of time in the sun.
• Keep Cool. Wrap ice in a small towel that has been soaked in cold water and hide it under your headdress for merciful relief from hot conditions.

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