Author: kendra

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COMMENTARY

pleased to meet you

Something I’ve been meaning to do for a while… I love hearing from those of you who read this site, either by email or via comments, so I thought I’d ask you to introduce yourself! If you’re not feeling shy, leave a comment on this post with a bit about yourself (favorite period? where do you wear costumes [or do you]? what’s your favorite part of costuming?), and be sure to tell me if you have your own webpage (or if there’s anywhere online I can see your costumes)!
Posted on

COMMENTARY

colonial house

Are you watching (those in the U.S., anyway)? So far I’m only halfway through the first episode, so don’t give anything away, but as per usual with these type of shows I am A) enjoying it and B) perplexed as to why — if they really gave the “colonists” the training that they’ve outlined — the participants are always so unwilling to put themselves into the mindset of the period they’re trying to portray. There’s this weird break between the physical (okay, I’m living in this different house and eating this different food) and the mental (I don’t wear a hat on my head in my normal life, why EVER would I want to do it for this show?)

Lots of discussion on various listservs that I’m on about the women failing to wear bodices over their stays or caps on their hair… I’m amused to note that PBS’s website features a Dress Me Up game that just HAS to mention that stays were not only standard, but “sometimes uncomfortable.” Grumble grumble perpetuating modern myths about period clothing no concept of different mental models of what was “comfortable” and “appropriate” grumble grumble.