A-Dressing the Realm

There are certain activities in which one can partake where particular costumes are required. One would be a gala at a museum. Another would be a music festival. A third would be a Renaissance Festival. Out of these three, I personally find the third the most fun to attend. Why? Well because underneath my fashionista veneer I am completely and utterly a nerd. There is nothing I enjoy more on a summer Saturday than dressing up in a ren-fest costume I made myself and trudging around a made up renaissance village looking at odd nick nacks, watching innuendo filled shows, and being flattered by men dressed up as blacksmiths, knights, and celts all while listening to the drone of the bagpipes. Yes, to me that is the essence of perfection. Add on top of that some people dressed up as anyone from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and others making obscure history references to William Wallace and I am in heaven. However, upon commencing a journey to a land that time forgot, one must be aware. There are four kind of people that go to Ren Fests. 1) Those who wish they could dress up, but do not have a costume, 2) those who think they are too cool for costumes, and therefore spend the day making fun of those dressed up, 3) those who enjoy dressing up just for the sake of dressing up and because they like to pretend every once in a while that they are princesses or knights or bar wenches or fools, and 4) those who wish they actually lived in another time period and thus focus their lives around the few weekends in which they can dress up as someone else and live a completely different life and take the matter far too seriously all together. Of these four types of people there are two to beware of, those would be the 2s and the 4s. The 2s should just not go to Ren Fests in the first place and the 4s are just a little dangerously stuck in a life they cannot have and probably have some other issues that I am sure Freud has covered. However, the 1s and 3s are perfectly safe. Everyone starts out as a 1, but (depending on their level of enjoyment during the first time, they will most likely become 3s in the future). Now of course, those who work at the festivals are completely exempt from this list as they are dressing up as part of their job and lively hood–which brings up other questions regarding their mental statuses, beyond simply the motives behind donning their costumes in the mornings. If you have never gone to a renaissance festival/fair, I highly recommend that you attend one soon, as your life will surely be benefitted by the experience. And as we all need to escape the daily restrictions of our modern fashions (like pants. pants are evil) I recommend, nay, command you, to where a costume of some sort, because we all need to embrace our inner nerd every once in a while–and it is just so darn fun.
In order to convince you, I shall now share with you some pictures I took during today's venture to the Larkspur, Colorado Renaissance Festival

This year I chose to go with the bar wench look instead of a Princess,
you know, gotta switch some stuff up sometimes (costume made by yours truly)

My Sister in her customary Pirate garb
(bought at the same ren fest 4 years ago. except the bloomers. those I made)

This Woman's full hoop skirt and silk dress is quite beautiful, but probably very hot,
so I would recommend bringing a fan. unless you enjoy sweating. 

And of course, you can always purchase costumes at the fairs. 

That is, of course, if you are willing to spend your entire pay check on something you'll wear, um, once. 

This is Twig. She is a real fairy. She gave me a magic rock with fairy dust one it.
And I like her wings. 

There is a certain style to wear antlers or animal ears. That is always an option. I am not one to judge (only at the renaissance festival. Every where else I get to be part of the fashion police.) 

This young man opted more for a Victorian, slightly steam punk look,
Complete with a magnifying glass thing-a-ma-jig on his glasses

Cool shoes are a must.

This man is my favorite. I can't even describe how much he is my favorite. So I will just leave it at that. 

The Ren Fest is one of the only situations in which the men have as many, if not more, clothing and accessory options as women. So guys (I mean gentlemen) live it up!

It is nice to remember that just because it says "Renaissance Festival", one does not have to dress up in Renaissance costume. Alice in Wonderland works just as well. As is a jester. After all, I don't think anyone at the fairs actually knows when or what the Renaissance was anyways, so it doesn't matter!

I hope my friends that you inspired to go out there, find a costume, and go on an adventure at a Renaissance Festival. However, if I have not yet given you enough inspiration, here is a picture of the village idiot. Now you have to go. 

Now that I have taken a nice reprieve from the modern world and spent a day as a bar wench eating turkey legs and flirting shamelessly with men in tights and chain male, I shall now return to the real world, content to live in the century into which I was born (like I had any choice...). It is pink dresses and heels on the morrow as usual.

xoxo
JusticeMae