Medieval & Renaissance Costumes

Looking for the perfect medieval renaissance costumes? Attending a medieval festival or renaissance festival and want to be the perfect Lord, Lady, or wench?

The great news is that for most events, no one will notice if you’re at a medieval event in a renaissance costume, or at a renaissance event in a medieval costume! This isn’t strictly true for SCA events and other places that take history seriously, but most faires and events are built on the idea of fun- not necessarily fact.

This freedom means that you can choose from a much larger variety of clothing. Prefer the maidenly Guinevere styles? Go for it. Have a yearning to appear as the Virgin Queen? Why not? Have the personality of a saucy serving wench? Dress the part! (One of the more entertaining attendees at our local Renaissance Festival loved to dress as Queen Elizabeth… And he truly was Queen for the day!)

Men, this is your chance to truly be your Lady’s Knight in Shining Armor. Granted, good armor will run you a pretty penny, but isn’t she worth it?

In addition to being extremely flexible, medieval renaissance costumes are supremely easy to make, and can often be found second hand on auction sites. Costumes can be purchased on site at most events, but then you’ll have the problem of finding a place to stash your modern clothes.

The best solution is to buy the basic pieces that you’ll need ahead of time (for women, a chemise and skirt or bloomers, for men a tunic and trousers/trews or kilt). Once you’re there, you can add to your ensemble- belts, hats, pouches, even period shoes can be had for a price.

You can even find renaissance costume patterns that are easy to use, such as the patterns available from Simplicity. Many of their patterns have gone out of production, but once you have a few basic pieces, you can mix and match, or even alter patterns to suit. Varying the colors and types of fabric that you use can really make a difference, too.

If you really want to be period correct, you’ll need to stick to natural fabrics. Woven (not knit) wool, linen, and cotton are all suitable. Silk is also period, but is still very expensive, so if you’re going to make your own garb, make certain to practice your pattern before springing for pricey fabric. Simple cotton broadcloth, natural muslin, and even homespun are affordable and breathe well (essential for summer events). Surprisingly, corduroy is period, if it’s made from a natural fabric and is of the whalebone variety (widely spaced cords- not common in present day fabrics).

If you choose to purchase your rennaisance costumes, be certain to find out what materials are used. Modern fabrics pass most inspections as long as it’s something like a poly-cotton blend, or the patterns look more like a tapestry. If you plan to purchase a bodice or corset, look for “spring steel boning”. Plastic and flat steel boning tend to bend and warp. They may look nice at first, but they tend to not stay nice, and will not cinch as well, nor be as comfortable over long periods of time. It’s well worth the additional cost, and if the bodice or corset that you love is only available with flat steel or plastic boning, then contact a tailor or seamstress locally to have the boning replaced as soon as you can.

If you’re looking for period garb for other time periods such as Napoleonic reenactment uniforms, or perhaps Colonial costumes or Civil War costumes instead of medieval renaissance costumes, please be patient because there will be more historical costumes coming soon!

Medieval Renaissance Costumes