Faire Ladies, Faire Lords

Quality, American-Made Renaissance Costumes

renfaire blog

Koroneburg Renfest on Gather.town!

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Its here, its ready to go! Koroneburg Renfest is online on Gather.town TODAY AT 3PM!

The Koroneburg Festival facebook page announcement:

Koroneburg Online begins TONIGHT!
Our digital village is all set up and ready for you to visit. The front gates open at 6pm PST, but you can login and setup your avatar ahead of time now. Come visit the gate in Gather, and see some of the things we have set up out front!
Check out our village on Gather via the Koroneburg Online page: https://renfestcorona.com/koroneburg-online. Keep in mind that Gather requires a laptop or desktop to work! Additional instructions can be found on the page.

“We will be launching our new digital village on Gather.town on June 16! See live shows at our digital stages and explore a digital replica of the actual Koroneburg village where you can meet our guilds, vendors, entertainers, and other wonderful attendees.

JUNE 16, 19, 23, 26, 30
JULY 3, 7, 10, 14, 17
We will run Wednesdays (6-10pm) and Saturdays (1-5pm) for 5 weeks starting June 16th. Return every Wednesday and Saturday during the Online Festival for unique content! We look forward to seeing you and your avatar. 😉“
My shop is prepped and waiting, so please check it out and let me know what you think. I’d love some good feedback on the experience.
Ooomfaaa!!! for Koroneburg Renfest on Gather.town !!!!
++++Martina the Creative Overlord
As always, please feel free share this post anywhere. Also think about joining my Insider’s Newsletter list by sending me a message. Insiders get neato discounts and coupons straight to their inbox as well as first notice of great things, like new products and events. Anybody who reads so thoroughly deserves a nice reward, like a discount on a purchase from my site. Hint, Hint. You can also find me on Facebook.

Renaissance faire season, product updates, and website things too..

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How is your renaissance faire season coming along? On the West Coast and throughout much of the US, there is a definite season from Spring through Fall. And for most of us in the States, faires and festivals are opening all over. Some folks are racing out the door, so happy to be in public again and some folks are sitting back, waiting to see what happens. Either way, these are heady times for sure. I personally am eager to attend Northern California Renaissance Faire this coming fall. Like really really eager. I’m already drinking my water to get ready for the heat! I am pestering the vendor coordinator. EAGER.

Another Renaissance Festival I participate at is going online this year. I’ve written about it recently, you should dig a bit further back into my blog posts and read up on it. Koroneburg Online, heck ya! I’m all ready all ready. Well, I’ve done my prep and am keeping a weather eye on the proceedings.

Product updates

I am getting my inventory plumped up at last. The latest and greatest on my website for this renaissance faire season are these faboo(tm) Linen Bodices in camel. If you’ve ever been to a renfaire in high heat, this is the bodice you probably should have worn. Breathable, strong and with a bit of give for a softer silhouette than a thick heavy bodice. I’ve engineered it to strengthen the wear areas and I think its a winner. You will too, it makes a huge difference.

Website things

This is a bit technical. So, I’ve been fighting a battle with Facebook and losing. It seems that my websites of all the bazillion of them on this planet are the only ones that cannot generate an accurate link preview. This has been going on a while, and it was mildly irritating before. Now I’m *very* irritated and done with the workarounds. So I have enlisted the help of a Web Developer to figure this shit out. He’s doing, things. Fingers crossed we reach some kind of stasis soon, yes? So, don’t be alarmed if pages are different shapes and images change. Its gonna be okay.

Creative Overlord wearing an orange Irish DressAnd, just for fun here is a picture of me I think in 2009 wearing my favorite renaissance faire dress of all time. This rust colored linen fabric was so awesome. Its gone now, I finally wore it out. I only hope to find the perfect fabric again.

Since you read to the end, please share this post with some friends? Also think about joining my Insider’s Newsletter list by sending me a message. Insiders get neato discounts and coupons straight to their inbox as well as first notice of great things, like new products and events. Anybody who reads so thoroughly deserves a nice reward, like a discount on a purchase from my site. Hint, Hint. You can also find me on Facebook.

Renaissance Era Middle Class

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Now that I’m getting the hang of writing and sending out newsletters and blogs; I thought I’d re-publish some old gems like this, ‘Renaissance Era Middle Class’. I used to write a newsletter in 2000 through 2004. Lots of it is good stuff, written to promote interest in the middle-class renaissance people, one’s persona, and costuming.

The newsletter was and is about what can be done, definitely not about telling people what they cannot do. It is full of researched information on period style, society and the arts, and offers creative interpretations to enhance the experience of renfaire enthusiasts, SCA members, and now cosplayers. I think it bears memorializing in this format online, and I hope you enjoy. I have edited it a tiny bit for better reading.

I’ve added some new customers to the newsletter inner circle. If you are getting this email/blog for the first time, welcome aboard! I hope you find value in my writing. If not – that’s okay. Just message me and request to unsubscribe.

renaissance middle class woman
Goodwife in Fauentina Italy, Habitus Praciporum 1577

The Middle Class as a Social Entity

“It is the best of all estates; they live very nobly, can wear clothes fit for a king; they have falcons… fine saddle horses… when the knights are obliged to go to the army, the bourgeoisie stay in bed; when the knights go to be massacred in battle, the bourgeoisie go on swimming parties and picnics.”

by Renard le Contrefait, 14th Century

The middle class encompasses varying levels of social strata, from wealthy businessmen to small merchant – artisans alike.  All in all, the middle class can be defined as the ‘bourgeoisie’ (boo-zshwa-zee), or professional and freemen with no landed titles or noble blood.

The bourgeoisie begin to rise in prominence during the later Middle Ages, around 1200 AD.  It was during this time of increasing trade and productivity that freemen and townspeople became recognized as an independent social class.  Increased trading and exploration furthered this growth.

As the middle class grew wealthier, they attempted to imitate their ‘betters’ with their dress, deportment, and education. Sons that previously would have been trained in the family business were sent to college or university to achieve a noble education. The wealthier individuals became patrons of the arts; and everyone attempted to dress as expensively as they could!

By the time of the Renaissance, capitalism and trading opportunities in Europe and the New World had spurred the growth of a wealthy social class that exhibited political force, considerable financial power, and supported kings, emperors, and clergy through financial assistance and by means of trade and industry.

Members of the renaissance era middle class were Merchants, Bankers and Financiers, Dyers, Fullers, Bakers, Money-lenders, Ship’s Captains, Ship’s Owners, and Government employees just to name a few.  The variety of occupation and opportunity afforded to this portion of society is a reflection of the social flowering of Renaissance period itself.