Go Medieval With an Authentic Looking Renaissance Costume Right Out of the Middle Ages

Life in Renaissance times was more then drinking ale and chasing after maidens. Certainly you had the look the part if you were a knight or of you were a royal you had to wear that fluffy white Seinfeld shirt. Here's some tips for putting together a well thought out medieval costume.

For some reason, the medieval and renaissance times are ones people flock to for costumes. Maybe they stir up, the valor of the knights, the innocence of the maidens the romance, and the dreams of being swept away on a white horse and of course, the huge meals eaten with no utensils!

Choosing the Right Woman's Medieval Costume

Wondering what to be for this Halloween? Perhaps you should consider a medieval costume. These costumes are great because there's a style to fit everyone, whether you're petite or plus size. And, with the right accessories, your costume can stand out from the crowd.

Most woman's medieval costumes involve a dress or skirt, and the type usually defines the outfit. One piece dresses can be great for queens and princesses, and skirts paired with bodices and chemises can work for saucy tavern wenches and common peasant girls.

Medieval Costume Ideas For Men and Women

If you are going to a medieval faire and are not sure what to wear, you have come to the right place. Medieval clothing can be a lot of fun to experiment with.

Let's start with the women. Their clothing was for more than just covering the ladies body. It told their social status and marital status. You could tell by the quality of the material if they were upper class or peasant. The women that were married usually had their hair up, while the unmarried wore it loose. Medieval clothing for the women include pieces such as a kirtle, dress, bodice, corset, and headdress. Combining these medieval clothing pieces in different ways allows you to create costumes for a medieval princess, lady, or wench. All of this clothing for the women was very sexy for its time period, too.

Medieval clothing for the men worked basically the same way as far as the social status. The better the material, the higher class the man. Also, the fit of the sleeve was a sign of your status. The typical inventory of clothing for men usually consisted of vests, tunics, doublets, cloaks, stockings, and breeches. To match, you can go to the faire as a Knight, a gentleman or perhaps a sorcerer.

Medieval Costumes - From Jester to Ladies and Beyond

Ah, the Renaissance. Romeo and Juliet, lords and ladies and of course, the Lord High Executioner. If you are sick of the same packaged and typical costumes, it is time to go to a whole new level with medieval costumes, perfect for everybody from every shape and every size. And, don't forget that medieval costumes offer something perfect for everyone whether they are male or female!

Ladies First

Of course, whenever you start thinking about medieval costumes, the first that come to mind are those for the ladies: Courtesans, Baronesses and even the Queen. Ornate, opulent and definitely not your everyday Halloween costume, you can find the right choice for you if you don't get overwhelmed along the way. There are so many colors and choices that you might never be able to narrow it down. Think of it this way: if you want to really vamp it up and show off a little more sexy skin, go for the Courtesan or the bar wench costumes. If you want to really glam it up and be more elegant, stick to the others. The great thing about these costumes: they are very flattering to any body shape as long as they fit well and they are so gorgeous.

Headdress in Medieval and Renaissance Fashion The Burgeoning of the Headdress in Medieval and Renaissance Fashion Throughout the history of clothing

Headdress in Medieval and Renaissance Fashion

The Burgeoning of the Headdress in Medieval and Renaissance Fashion

Throughout the history of clothing, the headdress has been part and parcel of proper attire. It was an essential accessory on one's person ever since people began to develop a sense of clothing in medieval times going toward a more decorative trend in the duration of the Renaissance and even the next century after.

Perhaps wearing some sort of head covering emerged when mankind began declaring war on one another, primarily as a form of protection for the head. Eventually, when Christianity was introduced and spread throughout early medieval civilization, people, notably women, began to include some kind of head covering in their medieval clothing concerns.

Authentic Tudor Costume and Accessories

It started for me when I chanced upon a photograph of a lady dressed in a rather beautiful and elaborate medieval costume. I was struck by the richness of the colors, the intricacy of the embroidery, and the sparkling and delicate jewelry.

What I was looking at was an example of an authentic Tudor costume, and I wanted one!

So, I began my research, imagining that it would be difficult to find such a historically accurate piece of clothing that I could afford. However, the more I researched, the more I uncovered, and slowly began to immerse myself into the world of re-enactment societies and specialist suppliers.

The variety, scope and attention to detail of the clothing and accessories available to those who love to spend their free time partying in or re-enacting the renaissance period was simply amazing to me.

Not only did I discover patters from which I could design and make my own authentic Tudor clothing, but I found that it is relatively inexpensive to simply buy one new - and there is no shortage of choice.

In addition to the costume, I found I could buy or hire historically accurate jewelery, weapons, badges, games, goblets and much, much more.

This, of course, is just the tip of the iceberg. As with any hobby or interest, the more you delve, the more you discover and you become even more enthused and passionate about your subject.

A quick search online will reveal a growing number of hobby sites and societies dedicated to this fascinating pastime.

Follow my journey of discovery into the world of Tudor and renaissance clothing and accessories at http://medieval.hayleycox.com/

The Best Boys Dress Up Costumes

Dress-ups aren't just for girls! Playing dress up is one the best ways for imaginative, interact play for children. Dressing up in costumes for boys is a great way for boys to develop masculine personality traits and discover the personalities. Besides that, it's just plain old fun!

What little boy doesn't want to play firefighter? A firefighter coat and hat is one the most essential dress up items for boys. To make a more complete dress up kit, sew a simple tube for a hose. Or, use a scrap garden hose instead!

Your little firefighter will have fun running around putting out fires. In the summertime, this is a particularly fun way to play pretend. Let your little boy use a real hose with water instead. If he has outside cars and houses, he can wander around performing rescue missions!

Arrrr, matey! A pirate costume is an easy one to put together. Simple jagged pants, an eye patch, and a pirate cape is all you need to make this costume a hit. There are an assortment of weapons pirates like to use, like toy guns, hooks, and swords. Your little pirate will have fun making his toys walk the plank as he plays captain in his pirate cape.

A fun game for pirates to play is "sunken ship." The ground in this game is poisonous water or some sort of treacherous ground, and the pirates can't touch it! Let them use old bits of carpet or rags to get from place to place. (The fabric is floating wood).

Treasure chests, treasure maps, and parrots are all great companions to the pirate cape as accessories for a pirate costume. Put some items together and let your little one set sail!

A prince in King Arthur's court? A Medieval jousting knight? A prince rescuing a princess? Knight costumes for boys provide a variety of playtime options for boys. Assembling a knight costume for boys is simple-most costumes come with an armor, a sword, shield, and helmet.

The basics of this costume, like the sword and the shield, are what really make the costume. Let your girls dress up in the princess costume and run with boys in the knight costumes. Pull out the toy horses and flags, the possibilities are endless!

Is it a bird? A plane? No wait, it's Superman! A superhero cape is the simplest dress up costume for boys and is one of the most universal. Many capes are coming in reversible patterns, allowing for kids to have more costumes for one piece.

Superhero capes include Superman, Batman, Robin, and Thor. Generic superhero capes, often an off-shoot of a superman cape, are often used. This way your little boy can pretend to be any type of superhero he can conjure up!

Firefighters aren't the only dress-ups that encourage vocational options. Police officers are another hometown-hero option! Plus, a police officer costume allows for the classic boys game "cops and robbers." A hat is a great additional piece for a police costume, as is a flashlight! The flashlight will allow the boys to feel like they are really solving crime and figuring things out.

Boys dress-up costumes will allow for hours of creative play. Other favorite options are a Chef's costumes (a simple white coat and hat), a cowboy costume (chaps, gun, and bandanna), and a doctor (white coat and stethoscope). Remember, playing dress up is all about the imagination! So add random odds and ends into your dress up box, like old wallets, glasses, ties, and belts-and let your little boy create memories and fun!

Shelby is the mother of 2 girls and 1 boy and lives in Orem, Utah. She also runs a home-based business called My Cute Dressups at http://www.mycutedressups.com that sells Princess dress up clothes and other fun pretend play items for kids, toddlers, and even teenagers and adult princess costumes.

She also has an ebay store and a local store run by the same name. She has seen a noticeable difference in her kids after encouraging dress up play. Visit her website for more biographical information or to see her exciting line of Princess Costumes like Cinderella dresses, Snow White Costumes, Sleeping Beauty dresses, wedding dress up, Medieval Princess, Yellow Beauty, Winter Beauty, Rapunzel dress, doll clothes that fit American Girl, 18 inch doll clothes. She has a Cinderella doll dress that matches exactly with the girl Cinderella dress as well as matching Snow White doll dress.