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why I costume
Jul. 31st, 2010 08:34 pmI was reading ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rm's post on love, scholarship and costume and thought it might be a good jumping off point for my own reasons for costuming.
RM uses it as another means of engaging her various fandoms. I do kind of get that in a way, though I've not really used costume to closer experience sci-fi fandom. It does kind of reflect my motivations for starting renaissance/Elizabethan costume, if a historic period can be called a "fandom". I'm not as thread-by-thread accurate as some, but I think that wearing the fit and drape of 16th century clothing gets me closer to what it might be like to be in a 16th century woman's shoes.
My limited encounters with sci-fi costuming have been aesthetically fun, but results have been mixed - I've seldom tried to emulate an entire character/outfit because I'm not an actor and don't look much like anyone in any of my shows/movies of choice. It's fun to play though (and RM is right, play is unjustly frowned upon for adults), and even though I don't look like Zoe or Aeryn I'd like to think that by "borrowing" their clothes I also get a bit of their swagger.
Speaking of swagger - this is why I love to wear men's clothes, to the point of implementing some touches in my everyday wear. I'm too busty to fool anyone into thinking I'm a guy but it's a way for me to play with male "energy", if that makes sense. It's fun to play the dashing gentleman from time to time and perhaps I lack creativity but it's easier for me to do that in a tux or breeches.
Then there are the technical aspects - the challenge of working with new materials, to see if I can make something very complicated and layered, the sensory pleasure of working with fine fabrics.
Interestingly, I've never raised eyebrows with my costuming efforts, perhaps because 1) I've never been in con space as an academic, and 2) my costuming is usually socially separate from my fan activities. I get told I looked like I stepped out of a painting, or "how did you do that??" or the like. One raised eyebrow I got was because they couldn't understand why I wasn't doing it for money.
I don't think I'm explaining myself clearly here so short version: my motivations for costuming are playing dress up, joy of making stuff, "ooh, shiny!" and getting closer to history. What are yours?
rm's post on love, scholarship and costume and thought it might be a good jumping off point for my own reasons for costuming.RM uses it as another means of engaging her various fandoms. I do kind of get that in a way, though I've not really used costume to closer experience sci-fi fandom. It does kind of reflect my motivations for starting renaissance/Elizabethan costume, if a historic period can be called a "fandom". I'm not as thread-by-thread accurate as some, but I think that wearing the fit and drape of 16th century clothing gets me closer to what it might be like to be in a 16th century woman's shoes.
My limited encounters with sci-fi costuming have been aesthetically fun, but results have been mixed - I've seldom tried to emulate an entire character/outfit because I'm not an actor and don't look much like anyone in any of my shows/movies of choice. It's fun to play though (and RM is right, play is unjustly frowned upon for adults), and even though I don't look like Zoe or Aeryn I'd like to think that by "borrowing" their clothes I also get a bit of their swagger.
Speaking of swagger - this is why I love to wear men's clothes, to the point of implementing some touches in my everyday wear. I'm too busty to fool anyone into thinking I'm a guy but it's a way for me to play with male "energy", if that makes sense. It's fun to play the dashing gentleman from time to time and perhaps I lack creativity but it's easier for me to do that in a tux or breeches.
Then there are the technical aspects - the challenge of working with new materials, to see if I can make something very complicated and layered, the sensory pleasure of working with fine fabrics.
Interestingly, I've never raised eyebrows with my costuming efforts, perhaps because 1) I've never been in con space as an academic, and 2) my costuming is usually socially separate from my fan activities. I get told I looked like I stepped out of a painting, or "how did you do that??" or the like. One raised eyebrow I got was because they couldn't understand why I wasn't doing it for money.
I don't think I'm explaining myself clearly here so short version: my motivations for costuming are playing dress up, joy of making stuff, "ooh, shiny!" and getting closer to history. What are yours?
