Top 10 Do's and Dont's when making SCA Garb

Best of luck and welcome to the SCA!
Mona Giovanna

1. Use fabric made with natural materials and use enough of it for your style.
   • Natural materials breathe, which you will be thankful for at the summer events.
   • Knits and Lycra should only be used in tights. Polyester is just nasty.
   • Make your hems the appropriate length for the style. (Example: your Elizabethan should not be 6 inches off the ground)
   • Most garments hang better when you use the appropriate weight of fabric. If the fabric you choose is on the thin side, it's usually a good idea to line it.

2. Don't be afraid to ask for help from someone who has been doing this for a while.
   • This is especially valuable when fitting a pattern, which is very tricky to do on ones own. Once you have a pattern that fits you, the process of sewing your garb goes much quicker because you know how much fabric you need and you have a set plan to follow.

3. Research, Research, and Research.
   • The more you look at images of garments from your period, the more you will become familiar with the type of colors and variety of designs that people wore, as well as the different ways they wore the same style.

4. Underwear is NOT garb.
   • Most of you wouldn't wear a slip with just a T-shirt, so why wear a chemise with a just a bodice, or tights with just a shirt?

5. Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize -- with the appropriate items for your persona.
   • Belts, Pouches, Fans, Gloves, Jewelry, Circlets, Bags, Baskets and for goodness sake PUT SOMETHING ON YOUR HEAD! There are thousands of images that show proper headwear, veiling techniques, and hairstyles for numerous periods. The practice of people NOT wearing something on their head is modern. (c. 1960's) This suggestion does not apply to all cultures and all periods and, for the most part, does not apply to young girls and boys. Hint: Watch out for the "tool belt" effect: if you have enough items hanging from your belt that you risk injuring someone when you hug them, it's time to buy a basket or make a bag.

6. Use proper fasteners on your garment.
   • If you need to use zippers or Velcro put a panel of fabric over it to conceal it.

7. Don't be afraid of using bright colors. Not everyone wore black, and pink is period.

8. Applied woven trim is period; use it if it's appropriate for your persona.
   • Do not use craft ribbon, it looks cheap and the color runs when it gets wet.
   • Use appropriate trim for the style: in other words don't use Greek Key pattern trim on Tudor.

9. If you can't sew don't expect your first set of garb to be Tudor.
   • If you would like to make more elaborate/later period garb eventually, start by learning to sew items that are less elaborate, such as a T-tunic, until you are more comfortable with your sewing skills.

10. Use the proper foundation for your garments.
    • This rule mostly applies to women, however some men did use corsets under Tudor and Elizabethan garments to achieve the desired shape.