Dressing up in Ren Faire costumes is Jewish! | Renaissance costume class with My Jewish Learning

We all love Ren Faires, it's how many of us started dressing up in historical costume. But can you make a Ren Fair costume Jewish? Absolutely! Whether you are simply a Jew in a great costume to in-depth historical fashion research, Renaissance Faires and historical costuming can connect you to Jewish history and identity. This free costume tutorial class was hosted by MyJewishLearning.com, and you can check them out here : www.myjewishle...
Whether you choose a historically accurate Renaissance dress, a fantasy cosplay, a fairy costume, or anything else, everyone deserves to feel seen for their background when they dress up. Ren fairs are beloved events in North America, and it's enough to just be a Jew who goes to renfest and dresses up! And if you want to work Jewish history into your costume design, you have so many options. This class will guide you through researching and designing your outfit, whether it's historybounding, fantasycore, accurate medieval fashion, or anything else. We'll talk about shaatnez (wool and linen in the same garment) and some staples of Ren Faire costumes. Then we'll get into how to add Jewish identity to renaissance cosplay through both modern and historical sewing, and a wide variety of accessories. Dressing up in costume for a Renaissance festival can be a powerful experience that connects you to Jewish heritage and history, as well as a fun outing!
This class uses Western European Renaissance / Elizabethan / 16th century historical dress as an example, but the concepts and research methods can be used to research and design any historical costume, and to connect it to anyone's background.
Class handout link : docs.google.co...
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I do not take personal costume/sewing or research commissions.
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[@SnappyDragon]

Class handout link, now in a pinned comment for easy finding : docs.google.com/document/d/12vRZsdHfHCFTZTOeWp2mN6KlVNsznzNwDhWGncXljQk/edit?usp=sharing

[@lisam5744]

'Perfect historical accuracy is not possible'. So true! I like what Abby Cox says (I'm paraphrasing here)...we'll never get something perfectly historically accurate because region to region, sewer to sewer, material to material...it was all different at the same time. Too many people get hung up on the perfection.

[@SnappyDragon]

I have FEELINGS about perfectionism and historical sewing . . . stay tuned . . .

[@johannageisel5390]

I admire people like Jimmi, the Welsh Viking, who take care to choose the correct wool patterns and such, but I could never do that myself, because my income is low and my budget limited.

[@SnappyDragon]

For sure! I have different sets of goals for every project I do, which is how I avoid breaking the bank for dresses to play in.

[@emppulina]

I understand the point and agree with it, but I know people, who are really going to almost absolute historical accuracy, however it can be very time consuming, and is I think more of a European than North American thing. And these people learn all kind of historical techniques including spinning, weaving and dyeing among others more specific like card weaving and nålebinding or nålbinding to make their costumes very accurate, and some even rarer and perioid specific tehniques. And they even source their wool from right kind of lambs. However using perioid accurate tehniques is not a must and even if you go for it, the fact is, we don't know everything. The farther one goes in the history, the less information we often have about costumes, although there are some exceptions in this rule.

[@elisabethm9655]

Trying to figure out the styles we wore and how they were differentiated from the common culture is difficult as women were not often depicted. Aside from the obvious obligatory hats and badges in some places, we might have been a bit under the radar. Embracing ancestral badges and other symbols of oppression is definitively a powerful act.

[@SnappyDragon]

It's tricky for sure! And comparatively fewer visual depictions of Jews at all too. Wearing identifying dress can be super powerful, but even I won't always do it-- it depends on the context and what I'm looking to get out of the experience.

[@kobaltkween]

A big problem with how we treat and present history is how we make oppression only the history of the oppressed. We only talk about Jim Crow and lynchings when covering black history. We only cover antisemitic laws and policies when covering Jewish history. We never present these actions as part of the general history of the oppressors. I think it's revolutionary to add explicit oppression back to the romanticized past of an oppressor. Like the African American guy who dressed as a slave when his work decided a plantation would make a good location for a work retreat. I don't think anyone should feel obligated to make such a bold yet vulnerable move, but I believe it's incredibly valuable.

[@SnappyDragon]

@@kobaltkween PRECISELY.

[@johannageisel5390]

The German equivalent of the Renaissance Faire is the "Mittelaltermarkt" (= "medieaval market"). The people there wear everything from "Viking age" to "Victorian" and the historical accuracy is all over the place. Fantasy costumes are popular too, as are all kinds of alternative/bohemian/hippie/goth/whatever clothes. Poland and the Czech Republic also have a lively "Medieaval scene" and so have other European countries. And those who do put value on historical accuracy usually use their own regional styles. I attend a festival for Medieaval music, Folk and Medieaval Rock each year that is next to the Czech border so some of the sellers there are from across. And I love that the women wear Slavic costumes with temple rings. Looks very pretty and a bit different from the German outfits. (Yes, I know, temple rings are not exclusively Slavic.) I would love to see more people put their personal heritage into their outfits. Sadly the Medieval markets are still pretty white events, although you sometimes see the one or other person of colour. It would be so awesome if more people of different ethnic origins attended and wore outfits that came from the costume history of their ancestors.

[@SnappyDragon]

I hope to come to one if I ever make it to Germany! 💚

[@johannageisel5390]

@@SnappyDragon I would love to see you here!

[@nyves104]

SnappyDragon released a nearly hour long video? brb gonna go grab snacks 💜💜💜💜

[@SnappyDragon]

May your snacks be tasty!

[@SpringStarFangirl]

I'm very much enjoying this manifestation of Jewish zeal and joy as Tisha B'Av is upon us. As much as it's a day of mourning, I also see it as a reminder that hey, we're still here. They've taken everything from us and we still won't die. On the red dress note: I am an Orthodox Jew, and I have never heard anyone say that bright colors weren't modest. I know I have worn red dresses before (yes, with my natural red hair- shame on me!) and nobody says a thing. I also have a similarly bright yellow dress. (Although neither of those are full saturation, simply because fully saturated colors aren't always to my taste.)

[@_oaktree_]

In some Haredi communities, red is definitely not a done thing.

[@SnappyDragon]

What I've heard/read is that red was considered an especially seductive or sexualized color. So even if bright shades were not considered "immodest" (and they might have been historically because they were more expensive, up for interpretation), red was often specifically proscribed.

[@SpringStarFangirl]

@@SnappyDragon oh, that makes sense! I've definitely seen red used as the mark of someone who's sexually free in literature.

[@saraquill]

Congratulations on your My Jewish Learning class!

[@elisabethm9655]

Wish we could see the chat here on KZbin - but I LOVE ‘chai-drated’…🥰

[@SnappyDragon]

Me too!!! I missed so much of the chat and I was there trying to keep up.

[@genevievefosa6815]

Just a note. It is my understanding that it was Jewish traders who kept the Silk Road alive during the middle ages. They brought back silks and spices, as well as stories, entertaining crowds of people in the market place with their embellished adventures. I suspect that the Jewish traders were able to do this so well because they were able to travel through one country after another, to whatever Jewish settlements they could find, and they always had at least one common language - Hebrew.

[@SnappyDragon]

Yup, lots of evidence for Jewish trade networks being particularly strong and successful in the Middle Ages! Both because of the shared language, and the sense of community with fellow Jews even in far-apart locations.

[@lemonblossom0]

I can't watch this right now but I have it on mute in the background for views

[@gabrielchristy7341]

This was a fantastic class! I have a ren-faire wedding to go to in September, so I'm putting together a mid 16th century Lithuanian style Zupan together, since Poland-Lithuania had a large Jewish Population after expulsion from the German speaking lands. There was also a sumptuary law requiring yellow berets for Jews, so I'll be making one of those as well.

[@johannageisel5390]

That sounds lovely! I live in Germany and I wish you would come to the "Festival Mediaval" in your garb.

[@gabrielchristy7341]

@johannageisel5390 I'd love to! My parents lived in Nuremberg for 2 years, we visited their friends there a few times when I was growing up.

[@SnappyDragon]

I would love to see pictures! :D

[@saraa3418]

Well now I want to make a yellow beret! It will be a total "If Jew know, Jew know" lol

[@sewcialanxietea1021]

I've been doing some research into Irish dress, and it's quite difficult as well because a lot of Irish art was destroyed by the Catholics and then the English. But of course I found some Henrician sumptuary laws. Now I need to find linen fine enough I can shove more than seven yards of it into a leine...

[@SnappyDragon]

Best of luck! Sourcing truly fine linen is *tricky.* I wonder what width the seven yards was referring to; in other contexts I've seen notes that the fabric was woven 24-30" wide, so it would come to around half as many yards in modern fabric widths.

[@sewcialanxietea1021]

@@SnappyDragon yeah- period texts describing the leine say they used as much as 30 yd but the laws capped it at 7. And the extant Shinrone Bog gown has a skirt that's 7.5 yards circumference, so the shirt worn under it was probably a little less hem-wise.

[@elisabethm9655]

One of the principles I found from both current and historical observations is that we were not ‘fashion forward’ …aside from ‘Court Jews’, we tended to be very conservative, modest and mimicked styles of a previous generation. Of course, that might have come from our partaking in the clothing trades (pledges against loans, that ended up being taken for a debt)… and adopted for practical reasons, because hey - good clothes are good clothes. There were published community guidelines (the internal takanot or sumptuary laws) against being fancier than the goyim, like wearing jewelry, silver or gold trim and high end fibers like silk brocades or velvet in public. There was a practical fear of flaunting any good fortune in front of the peasant classes - we were forced to tax farm. Thanks for bringing up Shatnez, it definitely was observed. I trained as a Shatnez checker down in Lakewood for contemporary dress…yes - you’ve done your homework! Also, spinning silk thread and metal bound threads was an occupation of Jewish widows in some areas. There’s a fascinating record of a Beit Din suit in Cordoba and it was decided that the widow had a prior monopoly for the work in that community - she won!) . Striped fabrics were often a signifier. There are some amazing (though highly disturbing) paintings out there. Of course, that’s all about the historical costumer … frankly, for ren-faire, I’d love to go with the glitter.❤😂 Edit; as far as I know, boning in fabrics is fine…

[@SnappyDragon]

this is so interesting! I'd love to see the paintings (problematic as they may be), if you have links.

[@rl42382]

The halacha of shatnez is that you can't intertwine the 2 fibers. But u can wear a wool cape over a linen dress

[@elisabethm9655]

@@rl42382 -possibly - Some interpretations involve a concept of ‘capture’ with the garments. If the wool or linen layer envelopes the other fiber, there are some who interpret it as a violation. It gets tricky. If the wool cape does not seal in the linen layer it is okay, however a wool kirtle that seals in a linen chemise presents a problem according to the most strict interpretation.

[@elisabethm9655]

@@SnappyDragon - I’ll try to get the references to you - I’m in the middle of moving house and my own access is limited for the time being.

[@tierneykurfess2618]

Oooh this was super interesting! I'm not Jewish, but I love learning

[@e.urbach7780]

This is so interesting to see! One of my first costuming projects was one that I did for an assignment for a college Shakespeare class; I researched the fashion and sumptuary laws of Venice in the 15th century and made a costume for Jessica in _The Merchant of Venice_, as I thought she might have been costumed for the first performance of the play. It was super interesting, and when I wore the costume to class to present my project, it got a great reaction from my professor and classmates. Now, I can see what was *really* going on ...

[@SnappyDragon]

Ahhh what an interesting project!

[@moonbasket]

What an amazing class! Thanks for sharing so much information. Can't wait to see the upcoming projects you hinted at.

[@cassandrasuzannelalonde4758]

I also am Reform. Thank you for presenting this information in a positive light. You answered questions I have always had.

[@susanpolastaples9688]

I also loved RenFaires. I am rereading Lions of Al-Raissan. Forgot how incredible it is. Any documentation either the Venetian Jewish community or Dutch Jewish community

[@SnappyDragon]

I don't personally have any, but I am sure it's out there!

[@saraa3418]

We do have sources for women tucking up an overskirt in the 18th century and a lot of Ren Faire garb seems to owe more stylistically to Historical Williamsburg than the Tudors. For dye stuff and historical practice in Western Europe, I highly recommend Sally Pointer's KZbin channel. She has some great videos on natural dyeing in the Iron Age. Blue was a pretty expensive color to get because woad doesn't have as much pigment in it as indigo. It required many more plants to get a deep blue than it did to get a scarlet like you're wearing. Madder is very pigmented as are weld and oak galls. You would see more yellow, olive, brown, orange, red of various tones than blues and bluer greens. It's why Lincoln green became such a fad in the 1100s.

[@azteclady]

"White goyish folks don't have to ask themselves, "do I belong?", they just go" Word. (still watching; thank you so much for posting this here too)

[@azteclady]

"Why would a non-Jewish person dressing as a historical Jewish person is offensive?" Gah. That someone asked. I wonder if they would ask that if the 'costume' was wearing blackface and chains, or First Nations' regalia (stolen valors)--and as I was typing, I realized they probably would ask that too, and not see the problem there either.

[@SnappyDragon]

There's unfortunately a fair amount of that in the SCA-- white Christian/secular-but-Christian-normative people dressing as Jews, Muslim or Arab personas, et c. It's a major reason why I haven't tried to get more involved.

[@33DancingRainDrops]

Ummm, white goyish here... totally did find myself asking if I belonged at a ren fair....

[@Readera]

❤❤❤❤❤ I'm so glad this was available after the call. I wasn't able to join live. I really enjiyed it!

[@marandadavis9412]

Regarding choice of fabrics, I have to say that a cotton base layer is good but a linen base layer is better if you can afford it. I've worn both in the Missouri summer heat and was rather impressed with the temperature control I got with my linen chemise.

[@MirrimBlackfox]

Madder red! Easily grown in Western Europe Madder is a Bedstraw relative. Blue is a little more difficult, Indigo is a warm weather plant, and woad does give blue but it isn't as easy to get a saturated blue as Indigo. And yeah you just started talking about it. On the other hand yellow! Yellow is found everywhere, good bright color fast yellow is great and easy. So bright yellow was very common. Greens of all shades are possible.

[@SnappyDragon]

Thank you! I know relatively little about natural dyeing, but I did choose this fabric knowing it was similar to a madder-red shade. What I often hear about greens is that they were extra-pricey because they required two dyebaths (yellow and blue), so I guess my love of green means I have expensive taste 🤣

[@AnnaCMeyer]

Green was also costly because yellow and blue dyes required different mordants and processes.

[@stonefox2546]

@@SnappyDragon It's pretty easy to get more muted green. At some point I felt like every plant (even ones supposed to give yellow) gave olive green. The issue is that the markers for those pigments is the same whether the original colour was yellow or something greenish. For vivid green you do need yellow+ blue overdye. I did get fabulous green with red onion skins on ultra-white modern yarn once, but I have no clue when red onions turn up in history.

[@celestlian]

Thank you for sharing this information and history with us! You look amazing in your red dress 🥺❤

[@winterburden]

Thank you so much, what a fascinating video!

[@MrDoglover239]

When it comes to buttonholes on 18th, 19th, period garments in general, ill machine a basic rectangular hole first that isnt super bulky, then ill hand finish in silk thread with the nice purl stitches. Yes im making buttonholes twice kinda, but its easier for me to get nice evem stitches by hand when i have the machine stitches as a guide ❤

[@robynmcintyre7395]

For the reason that you have mentioned are reasons why I do not feel comfortable wearing historical garments of my now religious faith. I was born and raised Christian and have Christian family in my background I have converted to Judaism now. So because of that I'm not a "real Jew", as some have told me, so I am not comfortable with wearing those historical garments. But what is your opinion on that? Since I wasn't born Jewish is it still disrespectful or is it not now that I have converted? Just want to know.I am fine either way. I love the historical costuming and I love your channel.

[@shainazion4073]

A true convert is a Jew 100%, they are just not descendants of the Israelites. The people telling you are not "a real Jew" if you converted Orthodox, should be ashamed of themselves! Welcome to the Tribe. If you converted Less than Orthodox, perhaps in time you will become more frum. Welcome to our people!

[@robynmcintyre7395]

@@shainazion4073 thank you and bless you. This is truly the first kind thing on my conversion that I've heard on either side. I have been criticised by by Christians for leaving the Faith and Jews for not being Jewish enough. Thank you so much.

[@_oaktree_]

You are Jewish! Having Jewish ancestry is not a prerequisite for being/becoming Jewish. Personally, I feel that someone who isn't ethnically Jewish wearing these things is the same as anyone from any culture wearing something that's not from their own ancestral traditions - they can do it, and they should do it with care and respect, and some deference to those of us who are actually connecting or reconnecting to the ancestral traditions that were lost to us. Perhaps it can be compared to a person who isn't ethnically Japanese but who attains Japanese citizenship or lives in Japan - of course they can wear Japanese traditional dress like kimono, no less if they are now a Japanese citizen, but they should acknowledge and be aware that the context for this matters, and that there are Japanese-Americans for whom it would feel A Certain Way to see a visibly non-Asian person wearing these garments. Also, you being a convert doesn't mean you're not Jewish, or less Jewish, than someone who is ethnically Jewish. It's infuriating that someone told you that. It just means you came to be Jewish by different means than most Jews do. I would encourage you to explore the dress and costume traditions of your actual literal ancestors, as well. This is just my opinion; I'm sure not everyone will agree.

[@SnappyDragon]

If someone has converted and been accepted into a Jewish community, then they are Jewish, end of sentence. Anyone who says a convert is not a real Jew, send them to me for 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🐲

[@saraquill]

Maybe it’s a regional difference? When my mom converted, she was accepted with great enthusiasm. There was even a period where she got friendly with Lubavitchers.

[@_oaktree_]

Thank you so much for making this available on youtube - I couldn't make it to the livestream but I am so glad to be able to catch up on it now :)

[@susannekalejaiye4351]

Thank you, this was delightful

[@fayewhite-willinger8068]

Loved the class. I watched it about 8 hours after. Can you post/pin the google doc in the comments here. Thank you. I’ve been a fan of yours for several years now.

[@FlybyStardancer]

This was so good to listen to!! 💜💜💜

[@SnappyDragon]

Thank you 💚💚💚

[@Bob_the_Build3r]

I’m Jewish and considering joining the SCA; for Jews who did join, how have your experiences been?

[@hcolleen534]

this was quite interesting and i enjoyed watching it. as always, you were quite articulate and clear with what things were and what they meant. thank you for posting this :D (sorry, brain and hands tired due to filling out the !@#($*& ssdi paperwork)

[@miaththered]

Engagement.

[@vamps_rock]

Thanks for a really interesting discussion 😊😊😊

[@karlahovde]

I don't know much about Judaism, but I found this video really interesting. I learned a lot. My religious tradition and ancestry is Anabaptist Christian (Mennonite), a movement which began in the mid-1500s, and I briefly thought about what it would be like to recreate an outfit of an Anabaptist woman from that time. But the vast majority of the images of the Anabaptist people from that time are of martyrs being tortured or killed in horrific ways. Frankly, I don't have the courage to spend a lot of time looking at those images and researching what clothing the people are wearing, even if it would bring me closer to my ancestors and faith history. I would imagine this is a sentiment felt by other people from any group that has historically experienced violent oppression of one sort or another. I'd be curious to hear other people's thoughts on this.

[@yms4355]

I learned a lot from this, thank you!!

[@agonistes06]

i just love you to bits...

[@SharonsCrafts]

Can people who were unable to watch live get a link to the handout please?

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

What class is this???

[@susanpolastaples9688]

❤

[@JigmeDatse]

Did I hear that you are "V" ... Are you the V who is referenced in Gabor Maté's latest book? I mean... ... I doubt it, but it's odd... And I could almost believe it as I am not sure if I would recognise them.

[@SnappyDragon]

I'm Vi, but I don't know who that is, sorry!

[@JigmeDatse]

@@SnappyDragon OK, I thought it would be a very strange coincidence.

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

🌞🌟🐝

[@snazzycollections]

Why are you in a Zoom meeting the whole video?

[@ellegilyard1348]

She’s giving us access to a class that was hosted on a different website. They had a chat that couldn’t be included here.

[@prinzessingrete3851]

I do not understand. This about playing history, right? Let"s take a 15th century event. So in Western Europe you have Catholics and Jews, which I am neither nor. Do I understand correctly that I may not play a Jewish woman? Hm. Strange. So it is not really a play/game?