Garb Tips submitted by Teffania Tuckerton
Can't sew much? Make a peplos - search the internet for this, it's an early form of dress worn by the ancient greeks, 6th C celts, and some scandanavian peoples. All you need is a rectangle of fabric, some pins and a whitish underdress. (whiteish underdresses are fairly common, and often half worn out ones get given away). A friend made a very cheap pennanular broach using a metallic bracelet and a hat pin.
Old blankets make great fabric for cold weather woolen garments.
A rectangular cloak is just a blanket pinned over your shoulder. You can put the blanket back on your bed later, so long as you aren't too worried about the possibility of holes.
A friend made a stunning tunic by making his own trim - he bough a ball of gold crochet cotton (not very cheap, but many meters), and braided a lot of cord, which he couched in large diamonds onto a contrast coloured band of trim. It looks really rich, but the whole thing cost under $12 Au (around $6 US) and looks quite as stunning as many people's courtwear. (and he still has half a ball of gold thread to do other things with.
Carrying things - pouches made from scraps are useful, but there are a few ways to carry larger objects and still look authentic. Baskets are cheaper at from thrift/op-shops. But cheaper still - tie your possesions in a small cloak, tunic or similar and carry it over your shoulder. The stereotype of a man with his belongings tied on a stick over his shoulder dates back to at least the 12th C. I've also There is also a type of bag that looks a lot like two pillowcases sewn together along one of the opening sides. Pilgrims bags can be fairly easy to make if you sew. Leather school satchels sometimes turn up secondhand (you might have to replace the strap, or a buckle you don't need might be broken) - take some of the buckles off the outside and they look quite like a pilgrim satchel.
Many chemises/shirts, few tunics. - You don't need a new tunic each day, just a clean layer next to your skin will keep everyone happy. Make a large bunch of chemises or shirts out of cheap white fabric, and just one or two tunics out of better fabric. You'll be happy, and very period.
Keeping warm - you don't always need a garment for every weather condition, or a cloak. Don't be afraid to wear every tunic you own. It's period.
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