spitballing: SCA/16th c. wardrobe

Part of my lack of involvement in the SCA is what I perceive to be my limited wardrobe (icon notwithstanding). My creations have been based on whim rather than much planning, which is why when I went through everything last year I was surprised to realize that I had 4 partlets but only 1 chemise :P

I've rectified this somewhat (lots of white linen ~18 months ago = a couple more chemises/shirts) but I still think things are woefully incomplete. Doubly so because I want to have both women's and men's garb.

Local SCA friend D. forwarded me this Pennsic wardrobe cheat sheet (PDF, p. 23) and it's helped me impose a little order on my future planning. Here's what I'm thinking:

New kirtle (side lacer to replace the current one, the first I made that is a back-lacer and impossible to put on by myself)

Doublet with separate sleeves that themselves button/aiglet/something closed at the seam - I'm thinking functional for both men's and women's garb and hot/cold weather

Flat cap (also suitable for men's/women's)

Cut hose (ditto)

Apron

Head rail (one I have now is heavy weight and pieced - doesn't stay put well).

Note, I'm not aiming for a particular time/place with these, just generic 16th century so I have a "wardrobe" of sorts instead of the One Flashy Things that are so tempting to make but impractical to wear in most situations :P

Thoughts, constructive criticism appreciated.

tweet(s) of the day

• 09:46 It seems obvious to me that I need tabi socks. And geta.
• 14:56 Back from audiologist - hardware (physical ears) in working order, yay! May be software problem. Doing Google recon.

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software bug

Today was the audiology appointment.

I'm happy to report that standard testing showed that my physical ability to hear is within normal ranges. Even my left ear, which was rammed up against a speaker at a long-ago Christian Death concert, hasn't lost too much acuity. This is good news :)

However, it doesn't explain my frustration in noisy environments, and the audiologist suggested that I might have central auditory processing disorder (CAPD). As near as I can tell, this is a problem with processing the sound once it's in the ear.

This is not an official diagnosis, and IMHO I only fit one criteria, albeit extremely well: "hears less well, or is less attentive/productive, in ordinarily busy surroundings." BUT, it is interesting.

The tests for CAPD are extensive, expensive, and not usually covered by insurance (I've not checked with mine yet). I'm reluctant to go out of pocket for a diagnosis and no solution, so I'm starting at that end first. I gather that it's a problem of attention so it's possible to retrain my brain to focus correctly. I'm a big fan of mental retraining, so this may be the way to go.

At any rate, it's nice to know there's nothing physically wrong.