On Sat, 27 Apr 2019 19:55:22 -0700, Fran wrote:
One thing that interests me is modern
trends/fashions in historic costuming. Some are
widespread. Movies are a definite influence. The
Titanic movie set off a wave of interest in
1910s styles, and reenactment and dance events
to wear them at, that is still sloshing around.
The revival of Jane Austen's books, and the
movies made from them, has sparked tons of
interest in Empire styles. Books can be an
influence; for example the interest in the
Women's Institute One-Hour Dress booklets...
...The problem I see with that, sometimes, is
people insist that sensible compromises in
materials and labor are Total Accuracy because
they can't admit they are never 100% accurate.
What I find interesting is how trends in
portraying a particular era change over time.
Consider, for example, the differences in
costuming between _The Private Lives of Elizabeth
and Essex_, _Shakespeare in Love_, _Elizabeth:
The Golden Age_, and TV series such as _Elizabeth
R_ and _The Tudors_. (I'm sure you can find
similar examples for other times and periods;
this is just one I'm more familiar with.) There
are (obviously) a number of factors that go into
the evolution of theatrical costume
representation of a historical time and place,
but the ones most a propos to this group might be
related to new research in the era being
represented, different interpretations of the
same primary (or contemporary secondary) sources
of that era, and contemporary-to-the-production
trends in costuming. (For the second, I'll
mention the deep triangular-sleeved leinte of the
1990s renfaire circut. For the third, I'll
mention "proper table" and "Saint Agatha" bodices
from the same environment. I'm sure it's a naive
comparison, but I'd also pose the example of
Pre-Raphaelite interpretation of "medieval" and "Renaissance" attire.)
 Or sometimes, it's just the current
fashionable thing in a group. For example, a
longstanding Renaissance Faire performer (a
woman) once told me they had a new member who
made beautiful and expensive leather doublets.
All the men wanted one, and the doublet maker
racked up lots of preorders. This woman's
husband really wanted a leather doublet because
they were trendy, so she bought him one for
Christmas. (Or rather, got him on the preorder
list.) I admired her for not going round and
round about when and why leather doublets were
worn, just saying frankly that people in her
group wanted them because they were trendy.
That's something that keeps going round and round
with historical-fantasy interpretation, as
opposed to strict historical interpretation. It's
also something that keeps going round and round
with all-volunteer crews who must supply their
own attire. (I remember reading some "horror"
stories about American Civil War reenactors one
one of my costuming lists back in the day... not
sure if it was this list, SCA-costume, or someplace else.)
Brenda F. Bell
[email protected]
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