| Inspirational sources, how to contact us, and links Movies There's nothing better for starting an imagination working, at least visually, than films with great garb in them, unless of course you have the opportunity to attend an actual Renaissance Faire, SCA, or Adrian Empire event. With this in mind, we've compiled a short list of some good garb movies and our opinions on them. Remember, these are only our opinions, so take them with a grain of salt -- if you've not seen the film yet, watch it yourself before taking our judgement! Braveheart The great epic of William Wallace, the first freedom fighter against Edward I in late 13th-century Scotland. This one is great for medieval garb and armor, plus a lot of fun to watch. Don't watch it for history, though -- it's about as wrong as they come! Elizabeth Perhaps the greatest Elizabethan movie ever made, if not the most strictly historically accurate. They won an Academy Award for the costumes, and they more than deserve it: the garb here is fantastic both in its appearance and accuracy. If you're looking to go noble Elizabethan, this is the one to watch! Ever After A better than average movie if you watch it as a fairy tale, not as a history. The movie is EXCEPTIONALLY confused as to time period and country but is actually quite accurate viewing individual pieces of garb. It is unusual in that it provides a few examples of noble children's garb and noble daily garb (it actually looks much like upper-middle class garb). Excalibur The garb in this film is all right for early period, around the 11th to 13th centuries. The armor is ALL WRONG, but Boorman (the director) wasn't shooting for accuracy (besides, how can you with Arthurian romances?). A good film, but stick to tunics for garb notions. First Knight An awful retelling of the Arthurian Legend with a lackluster cast (save for the leading lady) and gross historical inaccuracies (this one tried to be period). Don't even look at the men's garb or armor unless you're laughing, but the women's garb is actually pretty good for medieval styling. Hamlet (Directed by Franco Zeferelli, starring Mel Gibson) A chopped-up film version of Shakespeare's tragedy, but a fantastic one. The garb is VERY accurate for 14th-century Denmark and the film is quite enjoyable as well. The final fight sequence is good for armor and weapons as well. Henry V (Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh) Another retelling of a Shakespeare play on the silver screen and another fantastic showing. Again, the garb is wonderful for 15th-Century England and France, and the armor is likewise quite accurate -- the Agincourt sequence at the end is one of the better battles I've seen on film. Ladyhawke A fun and frequently funny retelling of a French romance. The garb of all the characters BESIDES the knight and the lady (Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfieffer, respectively) are pretty accurate. The armor is awful; don't even IMAGINE that stuff was ever period! Monty Python and the Holy Grail The classic Medieval farce and one of the ultimate comedies of all time -- if you haven't seen this one, you need to! The garb is particularly good (if not very showy) on the accuracy scale, and the armor is pretty accurate too, both for tenth-century styling. Much Ado About Nothing (Directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh) A great version of Shakespeare's comedy, but totally wrong for period garb. DO NOT base your costume on anything in this film! Branagh set The Bard's comedy in the 19th century here, so NOTHING here is period! The Princess Bride Another classic Medieval/fantasy film and a stellar showing by a fantastic cast. The garb is at best mediocre as far as accuracy goes but still looks fine. There is a funny mixing of Medieval and Renaissance styles in the film, but it is consistent within its own universe and the garb can lead to great results. Robin Hood: Men in Tights Mel Brooks' fun-poking parody of the classic English legend. The garb is not great, being more of a fantasy/Hollywood/Errol Flynn make than accurate. This is a good one for chuckles, but is on the poor side of mediocre for garb. Robin Hood: Prince of Theives Kevin Costner's adventurous retelling of the old Romance. The garb ranges from mediocre to poor, though again it looks good and fools most eyes. The peasants are far too well dressed and even the better garb is not really accurate, but it works and will especially inspire any swashbucklers. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead The story of Hamlet from the perspective of two of the most minor characters. A great comedy written by Tom Stoppard and played to the hilt by Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, and Richard Dreyfuss. The garb is surprisingly good in this one -- accurate for the Renaissance in both color and styling and very well designed. A fun, insightful, and informative (for garb) film. Shakespeare in Love Another fantastic Elizabethan film, written by the king of modern Shakespearean comedics, Tom Stoppard. The garb here is not as good as Elizabeth exactly and is a little lacking on the women's end (though only just), but is so close you'd need an electron microscope to tell. A great film for fun (especially if you know your Shakespeare), and great images of day-to-day men's wear. The Thirteenth Warrior Antonio Banderas is an Arabian chronicler thrust into the epic world of the Norse in this fantasy based loosely upon Beowulf. The garb is wonderful for medieval, though it is, naturally, all Viking stuff. The armor is slightly confused throughout, but is still believable. A good time, especially if you know your Anglo-Saxon literature, and good for day-to-day Viking wear. Willow George Lucas takes his "Star Wars" skills back in time in this fantasy epic starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer. The armor is horribly unperiod even if not too bad, and the garb is mediocre at best. Again, the best garb in this one is the incidental peasants and rabblry, though the film itself is a lot of fun. Books Yes, we can read as well as diddle with the keyboard! These are some of the best books we've encountered for garb, and are indispensible both for ideas and instructions on how to get that thing to look and fit right! Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion: the Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women c. 1560-1620. Hollywood: Quite Specific Media Group Ltd., 1985. Gorsline, Douglas. What People Wore. Mineola: Dover pubs., 1980. Hand, Vanessa. House Drakstonne Medieval Wedding Guide. House Drakstonne, 1997. Peacock, John. Costume: 1066 - 1990's. New York: Thames and Hudson, inc., 1986. Renaissance Catalog Magazine. Published quarterly by Chivalry Sports, Tucson, AZ. Tournaments Illuminated. Published Quarterly by The Society for Creative Anachronism, Milpitas, CA. Savoy, Carolyn and Janet Winter. Elizabethan Costuming for the Years 1550 - 1580. Oakland: Other Times Pubs., 1987. (This is the greatest single Elizabethan costume text available, both for reference and construction; if you read nothing else, or can only read one book, READ THIS ONE!!!!) Contacting us If you feel so strongly about this website or have some question that simply NO ONE seems to be able to answer, you can send either of us an E-Mail and we'll see if we can help. There's no guarantee that our answer will be in any way useful, but if you're that desperate we can at least point you in the right direction! Erik Jensen: [email protected] Laura Schulz: [email protected] Links And, of course, everyone's favorite part of any website: the part where we tell you where to bounce to next! These are some of our favorite sites, both for research and pleasure. The Elizabethan Costuming Page -- This is a site for the gods! This page has everything we don't and so much more. If you want links to suppliers, instruction, historical information and research, or pretty much anything for Elizabethan costuming, this is the place to find it! The Society for Creative Anachronism -- The ultimate realization of getting out and having fun in garb! Historical recreation of life in the period from 650 - 1650 AD. Chivalry Sports -- a good site for finding garb and getting ideas, though some of the items can be made more durably and cheaper at home. Nonetheless, a great place to shop, both for ideas and purchases. This company also publishes the "Renaissance Catalog Magazine". Whitman College -- We're both alumni of this great institution of higher learning, but, more importantly, they have a great Renaissance Faire every year! Renfair.com -- This one is a good sight for Renaissance Faires in general, and this link takes you to their section on fabrics, colors, and trims. Simplicity Patterns -- of the readily available commercial patterns, these are the best for garb. Killfrog.com -- There is absolutely NO serious value to this website, but it's a lot of fun if you have a sick sense of humor and has some great stress relievers for those long days of sewing. WEBSITE CONTENTS |
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| (Image courtesy Kate) |
| (Image courtesy Hand) |