Forward, Into the Past ~ Wardrobe and "The Ladies"

Welcome to 2015.  I have a kind of long post for all of you hung over readers, but I think it's worth it.

I would like to build a little Renfest wardrobe for future visits.  My problems with this are (a) the clothes take a lot of closet space for a once-a-year excursion, (b) they're expensive, (c) I'd only have an outfit or two and I don't want to keep wearing the same thing every year, and (d) did you see the prices?

The basic women's outfit is skirt, underskirt, chemise, and bodice (or corset).  Shoes or boots are required.

I probably have skirts I can use for a regular skirt and underskirt.

The typical chemise has a wide elastic (clearly not authentic) collar which can be pulled down to expose shoulders and cleavage.  They come in a wide variety of colours, but unless you buy a basic colour you'll limit your choice of skirt(s).  White is very popular.

Meg and Charity at the faire

I did not buy a chemise.

 The bodice is like a corset but not strapless ~ it laces front and back (usually), sides (sometimes), and on shoulders (top or front and back, again, optional).  It is boned, and it pushes up your breasts to display copious amounts of cleavage, if it's worn right.

The first shoppe where I looked at bodices they were $65 and $95.  I made a note of where it was and thought I might drop by on my way out.  I did not.

The next shoppe had bodices from about $90 to $130, depending on style and material.  So they were a bit pricier, but they were also reversible.  That meant, potentially, I'm adding two bodice choices to my wardrobe for minimal closet space and expense.  I liked that.

I found one I liked and we started talking to a salesgirl.

She gave no hint that I was anything other than I appeared, which was perfect.

She spoke about the virtue of one style which she showed her parents and her mother said "you have boobs!" (In what she was wearing she looked either very flat or very squished.)

That's not something a woman would talk about with a strange man ~ even one who she was trying to sell something to.  I think.

She suggested I try on a couple of different styles and I agreed.  Then she said what I thought was a deal-breaker:

"You'll have to go into the dressing area and take off your bra."

I was trying to figure out a diplomatic way to say "the boobs go with the bra" or, more likely, to decline because I'd rather enjoy the Faire than take off the dress and put it back on, when Charity asked "why?"  She said the wires in the bra are a problem and we assured her the bra had none.

We agreed on a style and she started adjusting the laces so I could try it on.  She wrapped it around me and loosened the back a bit so it would fit better and started lacing up the front.

Then she told me to cross my arms and put my right hand on my left boob and left hand on my right boob (under my dress) so I could support "the ladies" (her term).

I tried not to laugh as I did this.  I mean, this may or may not be something that women do and I didn't want it to seem like this was a completely new experience.  Also, holding on to the ladies while she was lacing meant I could keep them in place.

I pulled up "the ladies" as directed and she laced me in.  I asked Charity to get a picture of me in that awkward position but the saleslady said they had a deal with the photo place next door to not allow pictures.  It occurred to me later that I should have said "I'm going to buy one so it's a picture of me in my chemise" and I probably could have gotten that photo.

My dress, as you can see, is not at all revealing which saved some embarrassment since the forms stayed more-or-less in place and definitely hidden from view.

I tried on two in different styles and went through the same routine each time.

I picked a third in the same size to purchase.  She asked if I wanted her to lace me in so I could wear it for the rest of the day but I declined.  I was a bit worried about "the ladies" getting squished or, worse, broken.  The forms I normally wear out are basically bags of liquid and definitely breakable. Damage would have been weird, embarrassing, and expensive.

She still gave no indication that she knew the ladies were, in fact, adopted.

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I found a bunch of New Years cartoons. Unfortunately, most weren't even remotely funny. Ah well. Here's a couple of the best anyway.