I have started blogging again!  I am still in a phase where I am "making" more than I am researching, but I have started posting about my SCA Forestry projects.  

Last year, I learned that Æthelmearc was starting a Forestry Guild and a friend came out and prowled around the woods with me in garb.  It sounded fun, but at the time, most of what I saw folks dowing was more akin to building survival skills than anything else and 15 mile hikes at the buttcrack of dawn where you have to build your own shelter to keep from freezing for the night are just not my speed.  Once I started to learn more about it though, there are so many paths you can take!  Period fishing, herblore, foraging, plants and animals, and more.  Oh, yeah, and building out a period kit is actually an official part of it as well!

So yeah, that got me thinking more about it and suddenly I am knee-deep in a men's 14th Century kit and eating weeds from my back yard.

If you are interested in following along on my "wilderness" adventures, I started a sub-blog that can be found HERE. 

This article is the follow-up to my opinion piece HERE. 

This article is about Garb, and my personal perspective on it.  I ask that anyone who chooses to comment please read the whole thing first and understand that all comments must be positive in nature (I will delete anything else).  We have all heard about misdeeds of the past, and it serves no purpose here to retell these things.  Instead, I want a conversation about bringing more positivity and understanding to the game, about how to be more welcoming into our Society. There were be additional parts to this article coming soon.
 
I think I made my position on garb pretty clear in the first write-up in this series, I want to offer the reminder that we can be our own worst enemies at times.  I have spent more than one late night crying before an event because something I felt I “had” to have ready either wasn’t going to be finished or just plain wasn’t working out at all.  I think most SCA artisans do this at some point or another and we need to remember that none of this is actually necessary.
 
Would it be nice to show off the new dress?  Yes!  Should anyone else care if it is not ready?  Oh heck no.  Yet we put this pressure on ourselves and I find that newcomers, who might not even have been to an event before also feel that pressure to have the “right” outfit before they even know what “right” is.
 
Do you thrive under pressure and feel joy in wrangling that dress through the sewing machine at 3am?  Please, do so if you love it.  Do you really just _want_ more than anything to own that classic princess dress of your dreams?  Please then, make it!  But you are not require to put in these hours to please anyone else.

Other things to keep in mind when taking the dive:

• It is not necessary to make a new outfit for each event.  It is also not necessary to match the theme of the event if there is one.  I made that mistake for years and really got burnt out over it.
• Historically, most people had very few garments compared to today.  That means it is totally period to have a very small wardrobe!!! I even have a friend who goes to Pennsic (for a week or more) with only a couple of gowns and I think three underdresses is what she told me.  She washes out the underdresses after wearing them and so she always has something clean to wear.  This is a far more accurate way of doing it than my own rather expansive garb closet, lol.  Some people prefer to have enough garb to never do laundry at a long event, but this is still good to keep in mind that one can absolutely take this approach if needed.
• Don’t let the idea of perfection get in the way of actually coming out to play.  Your garb does not need to be perfect to come to an event.  This especially applies to relative newcomers, but still is good to keep in mind for long time players as well.  I would rather see someone show up in a tunic they just made tossed on over sweatpants because they did not have time to get the pants done, than to have them opt out totally due to lack of ‘period’ pants.
• You are not in a competition with anyone else.  Folks are not judging your garb by comparing it to the person next to you.  Even if you are entering a competition, you are likely being judged against a rubric (a set of criteria) and then whoever scores highest on that will win, rather than just comparing two entries to each other.
• We absolutely allow for accommodations.  Do you need to wear glasses at all times?  Do you have to wear sun glasses if the sun is bright?  Do you need to wear sneakers (or in my case, Birkenstocks) to prevent damage to your feet?  Do you not handle the heat well and find that short sleeves, even if not period for your persona, make Pennsic more tolerable?  Cannot afford wool or linen, cotton fabric is totally fine.  All of these things are more than reasonable choices and they should never be questioned. 
• Kids always get a pass.  Is your kid sensitive to certain fabrics?  Then don’t push linen or wool on them, a loose cotton tunic and PJ pants might be the way to go!  Does your little princess prefer to be a Disney princess?  Totally fine as long as they are happy.  The entire event is happier if the kids are happier so definitely do not fret kid garb!

 
Now let’s talk a bit about how to get garbed up. 
 
Sewing – This is the obvious one.  Learning to sew and taking time to make your own clothing is the most common approach.  The problem with this is that many people don’t like to sew, and they should not be pushed into doing something they really do not enjoy.  Some people know how and even enjoy it, but just do not have time for whatever reason.  Some people are happy to sew simple things, but not comfortable tackling bigger projects.  (For example, I don’t enjoy sewing, but will do so for some things, I do hate tailoring and pattern making with a passion though and go out of my way to avoid it.)  Others might want to learn, but have been unable to find a teacher and the pandemic has made SCA sewing gatherings much more difficult. So sewing your own garb is an option, and I will address some very simple options for that in the last part of these articles.  I will recommend that if you are new that you do opt for simple over complex for your first event.  One will see so many types of garb at an event that it can help overcome some uncertainty about what to make.
 
Gold Key – Is there are group local to you?  (https://www.sca.org/about/kingdoms/)  Many groups have what they call Gold Key Garb.  This is loaner gear that is set aside to help newcomers enjoy their first event with less pressure.  Some places have a well-stocked closet, others might have a simple cloak or tabard that one can wear and a mug to borrow to explore the event while you figure out what you might want to make or buy for your next one.  Talking to the local Chatelaine (an officer who can help with newcomer questions) can let you find out if they have loaner gear (and can often be helpful in other ways as well, these folks love to be helpful).
 
Thrifting – Some people love to haunt thrift shops, Goodwill, and yard sales.  Some items can be taken apart and have the fabric repurposed for SCA use.  A large men’s wool sport coat can have the fabric salvaged for a woman’s bodice, hats or other items.  Curtains or bedding offer large lengths of fabric that could become any number of garb items with some sewing skill.  Other things can be purchased and used as-is, because they meet the “attempt” that is required.  Long, full skirts, particularly in solid colors, can make a great base wardrobe item.  Modern tunics in woven fabrics (rather than knit like t-shirt fabric) might work over a long skirt or cotton PJ pants as suitable first garb.  Shawls can become cloaks, as can heavy wool blankets.  I know people who have found long, loose summer dresses in 100% linen at Goodwill.  Something like that can be a great item to have in the garb closet and you can accessorize it with a belt or sash and a veil and look fantastic at an event while learning more about different garb types to decide what you might like to pursue.
 
I think at this time I need to talk briefly about fibre types and how they might affect your comfort levels.  Linen is going to typically be your coolest fabric in hot weather due to the way it wicks sweat and draws it away from the body to evaporate.  One of the real pluses to linen is that it dries rapidly, which means you can wash out linen garments at Pennsic and hang in the sun during the afternoon and they will almost assuredly be dry by nightfall.  Linen-cotton blend is also a good call for hot weather.  Many people also find cotton comfortable enough (particularly very light weight gauzy cottons).  Wool is fantastic for keeping you both warm and dry, and very, very light weight wools can even be comfortable in the summer.  Rayon is a cellulose based fibre as well, but it is heavily processed and wrinkles very easily, but many applications of that have a nice drape that people enjoy.  It also can shrink drastically, but it can also be comfortable in hot weather for many individuals.  Synthetics like acetate or polyester typically do not breath well at all, but the nice patterns we sometimes find on home goods still make up into lovely garb (it just might not be the best choice for hot and humid events like Pennsic).  Synthetics typically will not do well around fire.  A pretty chiffon skirt might look lovely for dancing, but you will not want to wear it near a fire because one spark could cause it to either melt to you or go up in flames.  Learning about different weaves and fibre types can help you better search out thrifted items to expand your wardrobe.
 
SCA/LARP Vendors – Of course there are vendors that cater specifically to our hobby and I love to see folks supporting them as much as possible.  There are dozens of them out there, and I am only going to list a couple here because I have personally seen their wares and because they offer items at a low price point (such as basic tunics in linen for under $100).  There are artisan vendors that can make pretty much anything you would like to wear if one is willing to pay for it.


Neverland Designs - http://www.neverlandgarb.flyingcart.com/
This company offers a number of simple designs in linen or cotton that tend to be durable.  You can layer a shorter linen tunic over a longer one for a great look.  They have aprondresses as well. A long linen gown, a shorter flared linen tunic (listen under men’s on their site) and an aprondress could provide a versatile wardrobe.  Either dress could be worn under the aprondress, or alone, or both gowns could be worn layered together.  They also have decently priced chemises for those who like to wear bodices and skirts.
 
Linen Garb - https://www.linengarb.com/
This company is also fantastic for producing basic garments that have real lasting power.  They are currently trying to find a new source for linen, but I hope to see them start vending at events again soon.  They produce very nice tunics, pants and dresses and also have some fantastically embroidered specialty items as well.
 
Bad Ass Garb - https://badass-garb.myshopify.com/
I personally have not handled the clothing from this shop but know several folks who swear by it.  They do offer 100% linen tunics for men at reasonable prices on their site and the photos also show a variety of women’s wear.
 
Hooded Hare - https://thehoodedhare.com/
This company makes tunics, dresses and aprondresses in 100% linen that one can use for many years.  The decorated tunics are a somewhat fantasy interpretation, but they are a staple for many SCA wardrobes.  They are more pricey due to the work that goes into them but look and wear well.  They do offer simpler undertunics that fall under $100 for a 100% linen garment as well.

Grimfrost - https://grimfrost.com/ (Updated 4/1/22) - I was aware of this vendor but did not know anyone who has specifically purchased clothing there until last night so I am now adding them.  I have long known that the clothing was not suitable for serious reenactment, but based on the review last night the garments sound sturdy and they offer things like linen gowns for $75 and tunics for $69 which is not bad at all.  Their aprondresses with the side slits are a modern interpretation rather than historic, but they would still be more than suitable for SCA purposes if accuracy is not the goal.  
 
There are many additional SCA and LARP vendors online, but I have not personally been able to vet their wares, so will not go into detail about them here.  I would LOVE, however, if those who have purchased from other outlets would chime in in the comments with other options for affordable garb that folks can use to get started.  I will note that if you can afford an entire outfit to start, that Historic Enterprises (https://historicenterprises.com/) offers whole outfits and even does custom sizing.
 
Easy to Purchase/Inexpensive Mundane Crossovers – Another way to get quick and low priced garb is to search online for vendors that sell basic garments in natural fibres that can be repurposed to SCA use.  There are a few things to watch out for when selecting vendors:

• Don’t buy from Wish.  Just please don’t.  There are many unreputable vendors there who sell items that lie about metal or fibre content, and many that are just scams outright.  It is not worth the problems you can get by purchasing from this source.  See my rant about Wish here if you like.
• Vet other sources carefully.  There are plenty of vendors on Amazon that are overseas and it can take weeks to get your items, or where they are not returnable at all, or that the sizing is based on sizing charts in China and not what you might be used to in the US.  Read reviews carefully and also ask friends or SCA groups online if they have used these vendors.  If something seems too good to be true, it likely is.
• Facebook hosts a ton of scam ads.  Unless you know the company is legitimate, just avoid these completely. 

 
I personally have found a ton of wonderful linen or wool scarves/shawls on Amazon or Etsy that made for fantastic veils for SCA use (you can search this blog for headcoverings or scarf to see some I have reviewed in the past).  There is a brand named FLAX that sells very basic linen dresses, that while not cheap would make lovely additions to an SCA wardrobe (and occasionally these show up in thrift shops).  Garments like this can also serve two purposes as both SCA and modern apparel.

Things like woven (not knit t-shirt) PJ pants in solids or sometimes plaids are a great way to cheaply purchase pants to extend a wardrobe.  No one will see the waist band when a tunic is worn over them.  And if you already have solid ones that are knit fabric in your drawer, they will be passable for a first event as well.  Likewise, a simple pair of modern summer linen pants will be comfortable and passable when under a tunic.
 
I recently saw a conversation on Facebook about beginner garb and someone linked a shop called AnySize on Amazon that has cotton linen blend dresses at reasonable prices.  I decided to get one to check it out for myself and it arrived this week.

I opted for THIS ONE with ¾ sleeves, despite that that is not the most period of choices for many times and places.  I want the dress for working in camp at Pennsic and for working outside in the summer and that is just more practical for me for that purpose (and it is totally fine by SCA standards as well).  It washed and dried well (despite saying Dry Clean Only) and did not seem to shrink too much as the fit felt pretty similar before and after washing.  The fabric has a texture to it, almost like a very heavy gauze (or Deva cloth, for the local folks who might remember that stuff).  The weight is not bad for hot weather, I don’t think, but I have not been able to test it yet given that it has been snowing on and off here for the last few days.  It is not as smooth as a good quality 100% linen (though not scratchy at all), and it might further soften with wear and additional washing.  For me it will still be perfectly comfortable.  Long sleeve version is HERE (they have more than one long sleeve style so looking at their storefront can help you find those).
 
Regarding sizing - I ordered the Medium and it has almost exactly the bust size that the underdresses I make myself have (39-40” in circumference is what I usually make, my bust measurement is 34”).  I would say these run pretty true to size.  I am 5’6” so it is mid-calf on me, which is fine for me for hot weather or a work dress or for layering.  Some folks prefer to wear shorter garments regardless of any other factors (when I started I made a bunch of Ren bodices and skirts and those skirts were never longer than mid-calf on me, and I usually wore Docs for shoes and the world did not end over it).
 
The dresses also come in long and short sleeve versions.  These are essentially T-tunics and could serve well for a first dress or for bulking up a wardrobe for Pennsic.  In addition to having the option of wearing it on its own, I dressed up my dummy to show some additional options.  While I used this Amazon dress in my photos here, these would work with any basic garment (and serve to show why anyone could make use of a few simple tunics/dresses whether from Amazon, Neverland, or elsewhere) as part of their wardrobe.  While browsing Amazon I saw a number of vendors selling men's simple caftans in linen-cotton blend (my partner purchased one and I will review later when it arrives) and even cotton-linen drawstring men's pants.  If ordering something from a new source, I do recommend ordering a single item first and checking quality before stocking up.  lol

I also purchased another linen scarf (which can be found at Amazon HERE) that can be seen in these photos.  This one would make a great head wrap, veil or sash.  It comes in other colors as well, but note that some colors are cotton and others are linen.

This is where I need to crowd source.  Do you have basic garments that are reasonably priced (under $100) that you use for events that you love?  Please leave a review and a link in the comments so that others can see what their options are!

This is the basic AnySize dress that I chose.  If I was not trying to use it for gardening as well, I might have chosen the long sleeve version instead to test out.  It is comfortable and fits well enough, even if a little short.  This fabric does wrinkle though, but it survived washing and drying well.

This is a very common SCA look.  It is not pretending to be any specific time and place, but rather is a serviceable, comfortable attempt at a medieval look.  In the photo I have the AnySize dress over a plain linen skirt, and am wearing it with a ring belt (something far more common in the SCA than in history, but it absolutely works).  The last installment of this article will have some instructions for a basic skirt.

This is what I love to call an Ugly Skirt.  I love them.  This is actually a very period item for Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in Northern Europe (and possibly Central Europe as well).  The skirt is a rectangle of cloth sewn up one side and the top and bottom edges are hemmed.  I have a wool woven belt that holds the skirt up.  (A wool belt is key here as you need the grip to keep the skirt from slipping out.). This is an instance where the 3/4 sleeves are perfectly period, so this look works pretty well over all.  You can typical find basic tablet or inkle woven wool belts at events for sale or on sites like Etsy.

Here I have the dress under a long-ish aprondress for a Viking look.  The brooches here are reproduction ones, but you can find reasonably priced ones at Raymond's Quiet Press.

This aprondress is a wrap style.  Apron dresses that had some sort of opening to them used to be considered likely, but those theories have fallen out of favor with academics.  Despite that, some people like them still because they like the versatility in sizing that they get from the garment.  I personally do not prefer them because they do not sit well with big, heavy brooches without a belt but they still look nice.

Many vendors sell aprondresses now, and there are a variety of styles to choose from.  Some are more period than others, so whatever direction you opt to go with this garment is up to you.  Perfection is not required!  And if you sew, there are some very easy to make styles out there.  The Second Breakfast Dress that I talk about HERE is one of the simplest.

I love a peplos!  This garment can serve for early Celtic, early Saxon, Greek, Roman, and Migration period in Northern Europe. Depending on time and location, it can be worn over a sleeved underdress, a sleeveless rectangular tunic, or on its own in hot weather.  

For Fibula here I have some of the simplest ones that ThorThor sells.  His work is very good quality and very, very well priced.  It never hurts to have an extra set of pins or two around!

This, honestly, is a look I never stop loving in the SCA.  Here I have the Amazon dress over one of the underdresses that I usually wear with an aprondress or under a gown.  I like the layers and the drape.  Adding a veil, purse of some sort and a brooch at the neck of the underdress (or a simple bead necklace) and make this look "complete" with little effort.

I always wear a headcovering of some sort at events, and this linen scarf from Amazon makes a beautiful veil or head wrap and would work with any of the garments I showed in photos here.

A few final comments to wrap this up.  This dress would also work over PJ pants or poofy pants.  I know lots of folks who like to wear pants for events where they will be doing a lot of walking, and this still looks lovely with pants and a belt or sash.  While these photos really focus on women's wear, many men like long tunics they can wear on their own or over shorts (or pants), for basic garb.  Having a few basic tunics that you can wear in a variety of ways can really help expand a wardrobe.

Again, please feel free to leave your own suggestions for simple garb and reviews of items you have bought in the comments.  Please keep all comments positive (though I will allow negative reviews) and have fun!

This article is about Garb, and my personal perspective on it.  I ask that anyone who chooses to comment please read the whole thing first and understand that all comments must be positive in nature (I will delete anything else).  We have all heard about misdeeds of the past, and it serves no purpose here to retell these things.  Instead, I want a conversation about bringing more positivity and understanding to the game, about how to be more welcoming into our Society. There were be additional parts to this article coming soon.
 
So to discuss Garb, I want to first note what our governing documents say about it:

• Members dress in pre-17th century clothing styles worn all over the world and participate in activities based on the civil and martial skills of the period.
• Requirements for Participants at Society Events - Anyone may attend Society events provided they wear an attempt at pre-17th century clothing, conform to the provisions in Corpora, and comply with any other requirements (including but not limited to site fees or waivers) which may be imposed. At business meetings and informal classes, the requirement to wear pre-17th century dress may be waived. All participants are expected to behave in an appropriate and respectful manner.

This is what is required to participate in events.  Nowhere here does it say that the clothing need to conform to any set of standards.  Some other groups have guidebooks on the minimum requirements for participation, but we do not. These other groups actually recreate specific periods of history in a manner that is very much in the public-eye.  We are not those groups.

I have said this before, and will say it again, we have a minimum requirement for entry and that is actually a really, really good thing.  This allows us to show up at an event and test the waters before really making a commitment.  This allows us to wear something simple, if we choose, while trying to decide what it is that we really want to dive into.  This also allows those who really don’t much care about garb to show up in the basics and pursue their other passions, whether it is archery, or cooking, or illumination, without having to invest too deeply (in time or money) into a field that holds little interest for them. 
 
The exception here is those who are wanting to be considered for a Peerage.  There is an additional bullet under the General Requirements for Patent of Arms that reads, “They shall have demonstrated support for the aims and ideals of the Society by being as authentic in dress, equipment and behavior as is within their power.”  This is an entirely different situation than any I will discuss here, as I am mostly talking about newcomers, those in the Society who are still trying to figure out what they like, those who have interests that do not include garb at all, and casual players who want to be involved but with little commitment.
 
So let’s start with an example that I have used online before.  One year at Pennsic I was visiting Merchant Row (probably for the 20th time that day).  I love to browse the shops and chat with merchants and just really soak up the atmosphere there.  In one of the leather worker’s shops I saw a young man, adult but barely so (if he was old enough to drink it was just barely).  He was wearing dark sweatpants, an oversized t-shirt, that was bloused over a modern belt, and he had a cloak of some sort that might previously have been a curtain or sheer or something. 

This young man was excited to be there.  You can feel the joy of Pennsic rolling off of him.  He was in the process of buying a standard SCA-style belt pouch.  Based on the animated conversation the young man was having with the merchant, I am guessing it was probably his first purchased piece of garb and I was happy for him.  I was happy that he was there.  I was delighted that he was enthusiastic about his new purchase and the game he being drawn into.

THIS is the person I want to come to events, and to keep coming back to events.  It did not matter at all that his costume was comprised of modern bits, what mattered was that he made an attempt and showed up and was happily engaging in what it is that we do.  This meets the definition of “an attempt at pre-17th Century clothing” that is the base requirement for participation as far as I am concerned.

The fact is, he might have been anxious about his clothing choices before showing up at the event (many people are).  He might have become even more anxious about it once he saw some of the masterworks of art that surrounded him.  Some people are very unsure about what events are like, if their gear is “good enough” to even show up, or if they will fit in at all.  But he was still there making the best effort he could, and hopefully he is still around. 

Ultimately, the fact remains that this young man did not need my advice or help in any way.  He did not need me to tell him how to make a tunic or what he could do to improve his garb.  If he wanted assistance, there were plenty of folks to ask, or classes to take (it was Pennsic after all).  If he struck up a conversation with me about garb, that would open a doorway, but until then, there was nothing for me to do beyond smile at him let him finish his transaction with the merchant.

There are folks who come to an event because they heard about it online and really do not know what to expect.  They might show up in a cosplay creation, or something far more fantasy than medieval, or they might just be making do with a bedsheet toga because it was all they could manage on short notice.  Make them feel welcome.  Let them see what it is that we do and hopefully they have enough fun that they stick around and can learn our ways.  We are increasingly seeing more and more crossover with other genres of playing dress-up, and we need to be welcome them as the newcomers that they are if we want them to keep coming back and bringing their friends.  Yes, modern faeriefest attire is not part of what we do, but if we treat these folks kindly, they will stick around and learn what our hobby is all about and hopefully will dive in.  (Yes, the first SCA event did, in fact, have fantasy as part of it, but the group has evolved a great deal since then and we have formal mission statements, a historic focus, and even rules about certain things.  If anyone has an issue with that, that should be addressed to the BoD, and not screamed on public forums, or my blog either, because that serves no point at this time.)
 
For some people, glorious garb is part of what they bring to the game.  It really does help provide atmosphere in the way that pretty back drops or an elegantly dressed feast table does.  For others, what they bring to events is their service, or their prowess on the field, their laughter as they listen to a story while we feast.  Everyone chooses how they participate and what they will bring to the table at events, and I think we all need to respect that our choices in what to offer might differ than another’s and, yes, we are all most definitely welcome here.
 
So, this is where I stand, and yes, it is a hill on which I will die.  And while I don’t usually sling around an SCA title in conversations, I will do it here.  I am a Laurel whose focus is on clothing and textiles and material culture, and no, I am absolutely not judging anyone in their choices.  Most of the Laurel’s out there feel similarly, likewise with others who passionately work towards authenticity in dress as much as their ability (and wallet) will allow.  Everyone starts somewhere and follows their own path and own timeline and own passions.  We all need to embrace that idea a little bit harder and keep an open mind (and a closed-mouth if need be) when it comes to how others choose to participate.  When do we need to speak up?  When we need to encourage others, and to combat the misinformation that exists (did you know that many of the Ren Faire folks are afraid to try an SCA event because they heard that you have to have authentic clothes?).

And yes, this article is only Part 1.  Part 2 can be found HERE and 3 will follow soon, and hopefully it will help those who need to pull together easy garb for a first event, or perhaps it can even help experienced players to bulk up the wardrobe for events like Pennsic.

One thing I love about the SCA is that it is full of communities of all sorts.  I think very few of us only fit in in one spot, but rather, have a wealth of “micro communities” within the Society that have different roles in our lives at different times.
 
I fall into the community of my household, Shire and Kingdom.  I have tangential households that I do not belong to but I know that will always welcome me.  Likewise there are other regional groups in which lived in the past (or have never lived, lol), where I know many people and feel “at home” with them.  I belong to an incredible group that is headed by my Laurel that includes her apprentices, as well as those of us who have been elevated and our apprentices and students.
 
There are also groups that have focuses on certain areas or topics.  Things like guilds fall under this, where there might be experienced folks helping newer people better their skills with a certain craft (such as a spinning guild or cooking guild).  We also have people who flock to the fighting field or the archery range and participate heavily in those communities at events.  I will migrate to costumers, weavers, spinners at events, as well as those who are dressed in early period clothing, because we all share a common interest.
 
e-SCA, with all of its imperfections, is also full of communities.  I will be honest that I largely find the bigger, more general Facebook groups, to have more than their share lurking trolls and malcontents that are just there to stir up drama.  Over time, I find less and less value in these avenues (though can still be amazing resources for newcomers looking for advice on how to get started with various things).  Where online communities really shine for the SCA is the niche groups. 
 
I belong to a number of Facebook groups for Viking clothing and material culture, bead making, weaving, and other interests that closely match mine.  Many of these are not SCA specific, but I think that is a good thing as we can sometimes get too easily caught up in our own ideas that get circulated around the SCA and it is good to see what discoveries other reenactors have made.  I even belong to some groups, like one for Elizabethan Clothing, even though I will never make an Elizabethan dress, just because the group is well managed and I enjoy seeing the content that comes through my feed on Facebook.
 
I have also seen groups that get some occasional activity, but there are days between posts (or weeks), and in a couple of cases the group admin said they wanted to shut the group down because of lack of activity.  People often do not realize you have to “grow” a group, and feeding and nurturing it is part of that.  Rarely will you be able to start up a group and have it take off and flourish without at least some work.

If you are considering starting a new group, consider first whether there is a need for it.  I started my Viking groups on Facebook because one of the popular groups had a few nasty people in it that the mods rarely did anything about, and the other rocked back and forth between two wishy-washy and too strict for my tastes.  The subject matter is wildly popular right now, so there was definitely “room” online for another in this field.
 
It is also a good idea to frame out the purpose of the group from the start.  There are groups for Viking clothing and groups for weapons and other gear.  Many of those interested in textiles and sewing techniques do not want to drown in miles of posts about sword types, so the division makes perfect sense.  Do understand that the narrower the subject matter, the fewer people will likely find it suits their interest (and that is really ok, quality engagement with like-minded individuals is far better than trying to collect overall audience numbers).
 
Consider also if you know enough about the topic yourself to provide assistance for others if they need it (or do you at least know where or to whom to point them).  A bunch of unanswered questions day-after-day will cause the group to falter.  You do not need to be an expert, and it is totally ok to start a group with the intent of learning about a topic _with_ others, just make that clear that that is the purpose of the outlet. 
 
Hopefully you know several others who either share your field of interest that you can invite to the group from the start.  If you do, strike up a conversation and invite them to share their work, research or expertise there.  If you do not personally know anyone, seek out those that you see in related forums and invite them to participate.  Not everyone will have time to join every group invite they get, but it never hurts to have that conversation.  You do not want the group to become an echo chamber of your own ideas.  We can best learn by sharing our ideas, getting feedback, and listening to the views of others.
 
I would also recommend that in addition to being clear about defining your group parameters (historic time and place, culture, craft, etc.), that you develop a set of clear rules for group behavior.  One of my groups is very clear that if you post a photo of your work that it is open for commentary (the purpose of the group is not to blindly say “oooo pretty shiny thing”, there are other outlets for a stream of constant feedback of that sort).  It is also clear in the rules that if you give feedback it must be kind and constructive.  If someone questions your comments, you better be prepared to back it up with a source (and “I read it somewhere” is not a source).
 
Finally, be prepared to feed content into your own group.  This is where the earlier examples lapsed before they complained about their groups failing.  This also helps to illustrate the type of content you hope others will share there.

Group members might not have time (or confidence in some cases) to contribute original posts, but love to read posts or look at pictures.  This is especially useful in niche groups for things that are less commonly studied.  This is the type of thing that can inspire someone with a mild interest in your field to dive in completely.  There is a wealth of things that can be shared such as artifact photos, amazing recreations, links to academic articles, lectures or publications, the list is really as endless as the internet is.

And that last actually leads me to another thought I want to share.  For a couple of years I saw one person complaining over and over online that there wasn’t a Laurel in their Kingdom to talk to about their specific area of interest.  There actually were a few, and there were also loads of other non-Laurels with excellent work or research in that specific field as well (plus many more with over-lapping fields), but this person was so hung up on their desire to have a direct-dial connection to a Peer that they were missing opportunity to try to BUILD a community of like-minded individuals.  As artisans and researchers, networking is very, very important.  Our work does not exist in a vacuum and you never know who can help you fill in pieces of your interest’s specific puzzles.  Building framework for a specific community is a great way to do this.  It can generate more interest in your area, which creates (eventually) more subject matter experts, and the result is that we can all exponentially grow from those connections.  It also better rounds out the knowledge base in an area.  The more people involved also mean that there will eventually be more classes on topics and hopefully judges better equipped to handle entries from this field in competitions.  (Laurel hint here – being able to connect people with like interests is actually part of the job as I see it.  As you grow as an artisan or researcher, you meet people in your field, but also those in tangential fields.  You learn who does what in that way and then when someone comes to you with questions you cannot answer, you know exactly where to send them.)
 
My final comment here is one of thanks to those who, over the years, have helped groups online succeed, both the groups I run and those in which I love to participate.  Those who answer question, provide content, who call in the admins when trolls go wild, every one of those people contribute to the overall success of an online community and I absolutely appreciate their work and inspiration.

Whether or not one is a Laurel in the SCA, there needs to be a clear understanding that the research is never really done.  Modern science provides a rapidly moving target in some fields, with newer, better, research being added daily to our understanding of the past.  We have to be willing to flex with new methods of research and reframe our understanding with each new discovery.

Do you remember the time when we thought that the aprondress was a ubiquitous female Viking garment that was essentially a tabard type thing?​  Yes, I am talking about the "tea towel" version of the aprondress that is two rectangular panels with straps and brooches.  This garment is far from functional and, honestly, makes little sense.

Now the reigning theories point towards closed garments (rather than flaps or wraps), with narrow looped straps for the most part.  

We also now understand that the aprondress might not have been worn by all women, or in all locations, or at all periods of time in the Viking Age.  The garment fell out of fashion earlier in some areas, such as Denmark.  In other areas it might only have been for the wealthy (those who could afford brooches).  And my personal opinion is that it was also not a work garment, but something for more special occasions (again, making it a status garment).  (I talk a bit about these ideas in my article HERE.) 

These are not the only ways in which research changes.  You can look at my Egtved bibliography HERE and see that new ideas about her origins were published, but there was a rebuttal to that science shortly after.  

When starting a new endeavor, it is critical that we look for current information as one could easily waste time with decades old ideas that have been pretty well debunked.  That being said, it is also often well worth the time to read older works as well, because there might be other details in those pages that are not included in a more specific modern article.

Another very recent examples of this is one that a friend (Countess Gwendolen in the SCA) alerted me to the fact that the most recent issue of ATN (Issue 62, available HERE) is now available.  Here Karina Grömer has an article that re-examines two formerly-though-to-be Bronze Age linen twills from Hallstatt.  They have been carbon dated now to the 15th-17th century CE.  

This knowledge drastically changes our view of Bronze Age Hallstatt textiles. These were the only linen examples we had (there is one disintegrated blob that possibly contains wool and a bast fibre, but this removes two of the three twills from the catalog of Bronze Age Hallstatt textiles (the third is wool).  This means that tabby weave really is your best choice in fabric for the period.  It also removes the only example of stem stitch from the period (which means sticking with hem/overcast and buttonhole are still your best options for sewing).

​Sometimes we think we have the academic article that will help prove a point we want to make, provide the perfect foundation from which to expand our work, or just help fill in the gaps the way other things have not previously done so.  We might get lucky and have this item show up on a service like Academia.edu in all of its intellectual glory, just waiting for us to hit ‘download’ but sometimes it is not that easy at all. 

Academia.edu is a fantastic start, but not everything is posted there in full (or at all).  You can also try services such as ResearchGate, Google Scholar, or JStor as well.  If that fails, look for the author’s site (or their page of an institution site) online as sometimes they have links there for their articles.  If the article is older, sometimes writing to them will also help, as they can sometimes freely send out a PDF for the piece.  (Note that if you do not pay for Academia.edu you cannot fully search the site, but you can often get to the thing you need by using the researchers name, or the name of the paper, and "academia.edu" in a google search.)
 
You can also search the publisher’s website.  Sometimes they offer things for free (occasionally even whole books), or at least for a reasonable fee for a chance to read it for 24 hours.  If the article is part of an academic book rather than a journal, you might even find it accessible, at least in part, via Google Books.  (Hint, if you cannot view all of the pages for something, grab a sentence from the last page you could view and search for it again in a different browser or on a different device.  Sometimes that will let you see more of the document.)
 
Sometimes, just typing in the title of the article and “PDF” will take you to a page that has a download for the item.  Be careful here though in making sure that this is a legitimate source as there are sometimes sites, often foreign, that are just looking to hijack your computer with malware or a virus. 
 
If you have access to a university library, they can usually source needed items for you as well (and sometimes that can even happen through your local library, especially using ILL for books that are not journals).
 
Another option is to try to search for other items by the same author.  Often, as part of their body of work on a subject, a researcher will write about the topic from several different directions, or include various parts of the information in short articles.  You might even try looking for that person's dissertation or thesis online if it was on the same subject.  It is possible that the knowledge you seek is located in more than one place, in more than just that one article that you think you need.  It is also quite likely that you will learn something you didn’t even know you wanted to know by looking at the bigger picture.
 
Also, do not hesitate to network with others who share your interest.  Often it is likely that someone else has already pulled that piece and they might be willing to send you a copy.  Fellow researchers tend to love to geek out when others share their interests and there is so much more we can learn together!

Did you ever have a project that you were SO geeked up about that you were working and working on it and waiting until you were totally finished to share it?  But then, life happens, and it still isn't done?  Well this post is about one of those projects.  I started this a year and a half ago, but it was taking so long I had to stop to do Pennsic prep and then got side tracked with life.  The project recently resurfaced because I had questions about something tangental to it, and so I am going to go ahead and talk about it here.

​Munsell's system for coding colors is a little like Pantone (something with which people are often more familiar, especially given the popular media stir created annually when they announce the Color of the Year).  Munsell's was developed nearly a decade ago to create a guide to help classify soil samples by color.  It takes into account hue (color), chroma (how intense it is) and value (how light or dark the color is).  It is used in a variety of applications, but there are specific field guides that relate to archaeology, including the aforementioned guide for soils, and one for ceramics and one for glass beads.  The last is the one that I find most interesting.

I learned about the guide when I was doing Viking Age bead research and stumbled across Matthew Delveaux's blog https://textandtrowel.wordpress.com/  He has a specific article about Viking Age glass colors (HERE) and wrote a piece housed on the Munsell site (HERE). 

So this is all super cool, right?  I personally love it, but there are some issues I have discovered:

• The book is insanely expensive.  It IS available via ILL as I mentioned, but you would need to have all of your samples ready before getting it, I would think.
• Not everyone uses this system for categorizing colors.  Delveaux did amazing work with the Viking Age beads he worked with (and also, if you want to totally freak out over an incredible data set, check this out.... https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/RODUZG ). I think his work is the only Viking Age work I have seen.  I have some English beads categorized like this and a few other papers here and there, but I really wish there were more that were relevant to my interests.
• Vision and color are funny things.  Some people have a very limited range for color vision, while others can determine different colors in a similar set more readily.  Education and understanding of color (which I fortunately have) also helps better interpret results.  I feel it still give a good base starting place for my selecting colors.
• Certain glass colors can change over time (or being buried in certain conditions), so results can sometimes be off despite best efforts unless there happens to be a more recently broken sample where the inside can be categorized.
• Glass changes depending on the temperature at which you work it, how long you work it, how it is annealed, etc.  Even buying standard glass colors can have a broad range between batches (the image to the right are all Effetre #444).

Once I do complete this project, I will most definitely be sharing the results here.  But while I am at it, I also want to recommend looking at Moa Råhlander's (Sigrid Beadmaker in the SCA) work, particularly her article Spår av tillverkningsmetoder i glas.  She is a researcher AND beadmaker and kindly shares her comparison to standard Effetre colors for the historic samples!

I have had several conversations lately with individuals who are starting to build out time and place specific personas (or kit) in the SCA and I wanted to put a few tips into writing for those interested in pursuing that path.  Some people are drawn to a rough time frame (i.e. 12th Century or "early Medieval Spain" or Viking Age), but even within those parameters, one is really looking at a broad scope of events and material culture and dialing into fine details can make a huge difference in how realistic a portrayal can be.

​I was looking at building a kit for a wealthy woman from Kaupang, a Viking trade centre in Norway.  The site was established around 800 CE and was abandoned in the mid-900s CE.  I specifically was looking at 850ish for my time frame.

Fortunately for me, Kaupang has a wealth of preserved material culture, including a number of textiles.  The famous grave of the "Oseberg Queen" is also not far away chronologically (834 CE) or geographically (it is within the same modern day county).  The grave provides information on shoes and textiles, as well as other material culture, and the settlement and graves give me additional textiles and a wealth of jewelry and beads to work from.  In reality, I did not have to stray too far to build out plans for moving forward.  

Were I looking for additional details, trade routes come into heavy play, and I could easily tap into Denmark (assuming I stick to 9th century), but I would most definitely avoid something like finds specific 10th Century Birka unless I had no other option for evidence.

Iron Age Celtic is much more difficult.  I am working primarily from finds from Durrnberg/Hallein.  again, I have a wealth of material goods from the numerous graves near the site, and a wealth of textiles from the salt mines.  Jewelry is dated in the archaeological reports, making it easy for me to build specific kits for various time frames.  The difficulty in this comes in piecing together clothing items.  When researchers write about Celtic clothing, the figurative sources are so few that they are often compiled within documents together, as if they form a cohesive look at a moment in time.  The reality is that they often span 4-8 centuries of material (depending on the paper).  Written history comes from other cultures (which sometimes might be written in a way to provoke a desired response in readers of that time), and again, is often compiled from documents spanning many centuries.

And entire extant garments?  We just don't them for this time+place+culture.  This begins a delicate game of research where you have to start building a puzzle with pieces that definitely do not belong together, but if you manage to chose the right ones, you can still form a plausible picture in the end.

An example is the Iron Age textiles from Vedretta di Ries in Italy.  There are shaped leggings as well as shoe linings.  These could be a basis for leg coverings, though they potentially date early for my La Tene A kit (socks date 795-466BCE; La Tene A is 450-380BCE).  They are from Italy but not horribly far from Hallein.  There are socks from Martres de Veyre in France, but these date late 2nd-early 3rd century CE, and are much, much further from Hallein.  Additionally, they are completely separated from my chosen location by the Alps.  If I were to have only these options to work from, the Italian find is much better fit for my puzzle.  (Of course, I could also analyze both and draw comparisons between the two - and any other relevant leg coverings I could track down - and possibly even make a case for similarities and possible use across a more broad span of time, if I felt like trying to go down that particular path.)  It not always easy to juggle the priority of time, place, and culture to make the best guesses we can.

I also enjoy all of this as a bit of experimental archaeology as well.  If I have several possible items, I might make them and test them out.  Do they work in reality?  Are they functional?  Do they serve a purpose or in some way pull other things together?  It is fascinating what you can learn by wearing and doing.

In the end though, we sometimes we have to use what we have until something better is found.  We go early or late, and skip across modern borders, to build out the best look that we can, while realizing all the while that it is the best we can do ​now, and the process is never truly done and we will always find more pieces to our puzzle.

There has been a great deal of discussion over the last few years in the SCA bout diversity and equality, about opening our arms and (helpfully) making others welcome.  I think that this is not only essential to the survival of the Society, but it is, honestly, the right thing to do all around.

One topic that I saw just recently is that some PoC feel uncomfortable with titles such as Master or Mistress.  I can say that I never really looked at it in that manner, but yes, I can see that being a problem.  While some are resistant to change, I have seen the vast majority my friends embracing the idea.  It is an opportunity to make a welcoming place for others, and I am very much on-board.

Yes, it is one step, a first step for many, and hopefully we will be able to work to make additional changes as needed to welcome others into this weird world of the modern Middle Ages.

On a personal level, I never have the expectation that anyone remember my title, let be required to use it (though I am flattered if someone does).  MOST Laurels that I know feel this way.  Really.  I know newcomers can be flustered by all the coronets or regalia or titles, but it is perfectly ok to ease into the in-game culture and we ALL forget (ALL the time).  

It is OK.

So now I am actually enjoying the exploration I am seeing for alternative titles.  A few friends are going to opt for Laurel (FirstName).  That absolutely works, and might make for a safe new “general” title that anyone could use if they do not know the preferred persona-based title someone might use, but want to make a formal introduction.

For a new cultural based title I have been following conversations online, and have seen variants of teacher or professor and find that line of thought very appealing (I love teaching so very much).  I sourced Laurel Fridrikr Thomasson (I am unsure of his chosen title), as he is a student of Old Norse, and he suggested Lærimoðir, which translates as “lore mother”.  I LOVE this.  Love it so much.  I asked for the pronunciation and was told “lair-i-moth-er”, which is indeed awful close to the translation of Lore Mother that I wonder if just using that would be “ok”?  Even more exciting was my discovery that it is already on an accepted alternative title list - http://heraldry.sca.org/titles.html#Viking%20Icelandic.

So yes, I can identify with this.  

But the reality is, if you are shouting across a crowed room for me, the absolute best way to get my attention is to just call for Elf, because I will more readily respond to that than even my given name (especially in an SCA environment).

So a friend recently did an awesome thing, and I have to share it.  It is not only unique and visually quite stunning, but I absolutely love how she handled the overall process and I want to get it the bandwidth it deserves.

For those who have not met her, Hypatissa Anna Dokeianina Syrakousina, runs the blog Anna's New Rome, and is a Baroness and amazing researcher and artisan in the SCA.  She is also mundanely a historian, and that shows in her work, but I also think that this specific project really shows how others can make a step forward into new areas even without modern credentials to back them.

Her COVID project was Hittite clothing.  This is (I think) and unexplored are in the SCA and I love that people are starting to step away from the things we see at every event and digging into lesser known cultures or periods.  

Here entire thought process is part of her blog post which can be found HERE.  Please take your time to read it and check out the photos of the two outfits she presents as part of her first draft of this work.

I think it is obvious that I love to blog my own projects and experiences (even if rural internet is my downfall lately as it makes posting very difficult).  But I also love to look at the work of others and want to share some things I love about this project in particular.  If you are trying to figure out how to start something new, or want to organize it for a blog, this definitely serves as a nice example on How-to.

1. It is well, and simply, organized.  She gives a brief introduction on who the Hittites were.  This is key because it is a lesser known culture in an SCA context and this allows the reader, who might love the outfit enough to want to craft one, to be able to also relay that information when someone complements their garb.
2. She was starting fresh with this project (her area of expertise is Byzantine), so she gave a run-down of the types of sources there are, and what she knows about them. 
3. As she lists her choices, she gives the rationale behind each.  This helps others understand they why's behind what they see and also might inspire other ideas for things to try.
4. Photos!  Nice, clear photos that make the garments easily readable to others.
5. Observations - this is one of the best parts of this blog post. She already is learning what works and what might need changed, so that she (and the reader) can take the next steps better informed.

I do want to call out one additional, and very key, item.  Early in her post she makes the statement, "At this point, as the research appears to be super-new, I understand that this body of work will raise more questions than it will serve as answers, and I am willing to bring forth that needed dialogue, and accept changes will need to be made this early in the study. As far as I know, I am the first SCAdian, and possibly scholar/experimental archaeologist to try this. Please be patient with me as I iron out the kinks, and work to determine the best patterns and ideas before adding a ton of information that may not be correct. I know that some of this reads a bit choppy, I plan to flesh it out as I continue to build my arsenal of sources."

I think that sometimes we can be paralyzed with the idea of starting a new work, especially if it is something less well known.  There can be fear and trepidation of somehow doing it all wrong.  Be honest as to where you stand with the work and how far into the process.  Every single thing we do in the SCA had a start somewhere.  At one time all the Viking women were wearing two tea towels pinned at the shoulders and the more we learn, well, the more we learn.  

Part of working with history in the manner in which we do is accepting that this is an ever-evolving science, in our own personal work, as a group of re-enactors as a whole, and in the broad scope of historic studies in the world today.  We all start somewhere, and it might not be right the first time around, this is why we document things, share them, discuss them, research more, and then revise the whole process. Admitting that we do not know everything there is to know about something (even if we are currently wearing it) is not something to be ashamed of, but rather it speaks to our curiosity and our willingness to keep learning.  Baroness Anna is already digging into more resources and talking to others who work in this field to help expand her work in the area, and I absolutely am looking forward to seeing more.