Growing up in the Baltimore area, I was fortunate enough to be close to the epic Maryland Renaissance Festival, which I have been attending annually for years.
One of the greatest things about the Ren Fest is that it offers a chance for people to temporarily escape the tedious blandness of everyday life, embrace their creativity and express themselves through the art of the Renaissance costume.
If you want to get into character and fully embrace the Renaissance Festival, dressing up and playing a role for the day is the ultimate way to experience it.
In this article, we will cover the many different types of costumes you can wear at a Renaissance Faire, as well as frequently asked questions on what you shouldn't wear!
Let's dive in.
Wear Renaissance or Medieval Costumes at The Renaissance Fair
The period for Renaissance festivals is traditionally during King Henry VIII's reign (1509-1547), during the 16th century, but they are not limited to this timeframe. The medieval period is usually acceptable, too.
The Renaissance period is between the 14th and 17th centuries, whereas the Medieval period, spanning nearly a thousand years, is considered by historians to be 476 AD to around 1450, just before the Renaissance.
In medieval times and in the days of King Henry VIII, there were many eccentric characters. From peasants and commoners to barbaric warriors and worthy knights to brutal monarchs and the aristocracy, the period offered many attire styles to choose from.
You can dress like any of these.
Some people choose to be authentic in their dress and craft a costume that resembles what was actually worn during the Medieval or Renaissance periods.
Others choose to mesh authentic garb with Medieval fantasy, creating their own strange amalgamation of Renaissance festival awesomeness.
The choice is yours and the possibilities are endless. What makes the Renaissance festival special is when people put so much beautiful work into their costumes that you forget, even for a moment, that you're in the 21st Century.
Don't be afraid to put in the work on yours!
Online stores like Dark Knight Armory have complete costumes listed to give you ideas, and HolyClothing has Medieval, Wiccan, Boho, Celtic, Viking and Renaissance cloaks, corsets, tunics, belts, dresses, skirts, outfits and more.
If you can't dress up, you should at least wear something funny like this T-Shirt!
Wear Fantasy Costumes at the Renaissance Fair
High fantasy offers many different mythical and magical creatures and characters.
One of the most popular dress-up choices for women (or whoever wants to wear them) is the fairy costume. The fairy costumes are cute, sexy and fun, and you'll see plenty of them at the Renaissance faire.
How you fashion and design the fairy costume is totally up to you. Be creative and express yourself.
Beyond fairies, people embracing gothic or the high fantasy genre can choose from any character in their favorite stories or create their own unique persona based on any of these.
If you're a fan of Tolkien (which you probably are if you're reading a blog about a Renaissance fair) think about the different characters in his books, and use that as inspiration.
Again, the possibilities are endless. Just think about who you want to be for the day and create a costume and a character that allows you to express yourself and have fun.
Remember, if you don't want to wear a costume, you can always wear a funny shirt like this!
Become a Pirate or Other Villain at The Renaissance Fair
Every year at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, they have special events on certain weekends. One of the most popular is their Pirate Adventure Weekend with pirate music and mayhem!
Their pirate-themed weekend encourages guests to dress like pirates and use accents and mannerisms like pirates to embrace the role.
It's really fun.
If you're a good guy in real life, sometimes it's fun to play the bad guy.
Beyond pirates, you can choose any type of villain you wish to be for the day and build your costume and character around that.
The Renaissance Festival is an enmeshment of good and evil characters creating a rich tapestry of storytelling and theater, taking guests on a journey to another time and place.
Leave "Bill the Good Guy" home for a day, and embrace being an evil character for a little while!
A List of Renaissance Festival Costume Ideas
- Gandalf
- Galadriel
- Knight
- Medieval Merchant
- Fairy
- Goblin
- Wench
- Medieval Harlot
- Executioner
- Plague Doctor
- Elf
- Sprite
- Archer
- Jouster
- Fair Lady
- Old Maid
- Pirate
- Dwarf (Tolkien)
- King
- Queen
- Jester
- Town Drunk
- Medieval Villager
- Medieval Peasant
- Medieval Commoner
- Musketeer
- Nobleman
- Noblewoman
- Sorcerer
- Necromancer
- Holy Man/Priest
- Friar
- Monk
- Gypsy
- Traveler
- Steampunk
- Medieval Warrior
- Gimli
- Legolas
- Robin Hood
- Witch
- Warlock
- Fortune Teller
- Mage
- Magician
- Goddess
- Mythological Gods
- Doomsayer
- Vampire Hunter
- Prince
- Princess
- Witch Doctor
- Barbarian
- Viking
- Orc
- Wizard
Dress Codes at Renaissance Festivals
While the possibilities are endless, and creativity is encouraged when crafting and piecing your costume together, there are some things to consider about dress codes at the Renaissance fair.
While we covered what types of costumes can be worn to the Renaissance festival, let's take a moment to review some of the things that are not acceptable when attending a Renaissance fair.
But first, let's talk about costumes and whether they are mandatory or not.
Do You Have to Dress Up at a Renaissance Faire?
While it is highly encouraged for guests to participate in the theater of the Renaissance fair by showing up in costume, there is no requirement to dress up.
I'll repeat: There is no requirement to dress up in a costume when attending a Renaissance fair.
You can wear your regular, comfortable street clothes and still enjoy the festival with little to no ridicule from the people who took the time to design a costume.
All are welcome.
Weapons: Real or Costume
One very important thing to mention is that the Maryland Renaissance Festival (and most likely others), as of the time of writing this article, does not permit weapons of any sort to be brought into Revel Grove.
This includes fake swords, daggers, knives, bows and arrows, maces, lances etc.
Real or fake, weapons are not allowed in.
Before putting in hours making fake weapons, please check the guidelines of the faire you are planning to attend to fully understand their policies concerning weapons, costume or real.
We just don't want to see you putting in that kind of effort to be told at the gates that you're not allowed to bring the weapons (real or costume) in.
It can be an embarrassing feeling to be denied entrance. Avoid it. Please check.
Don't Wear Costumes That are Too Revealing or Sexually Suggestive
While many of the people who attend Renaissance festivals are grown adults who wish to be as free and expressive in their costume choice as possible, they must consider that the owners and management of the faire wish to create an environment that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Because Renaissance festivals are generally billed as family-friendly attractions and events, there are usually dress codes in place that prohibit costumes that are considered inappropriate to wear around children.
These types of costumes may include but are not limited to dominatrix or S&M outfits, costumes that showcase nudity, or costumes that include the use of fake or exaggerated "private" anatomy, sex toys etc.
You can have fun at the Renaissance festival and wear a costume that is sexy and expressive, but try to be mindful that there are children and families there too.
Keep it reasonable, guys. ;)
Don't Wear Costumes That are Mocking or Hateful Towards Marginalized People
Given the chance to dress up, whether it's for Halloween or a Renaissance faire, there's always somebody who takes their costume a little too far.
Avoid the use of symbols or insignia on your costume that may be considered disrespectful or hateful to marginalized groups, such as a swastika or Nazi insignia etc.
Culture, religion, beliefs and identity are very important to some people. Please don't use dressing up as an excuse to overtly mock other people's culture, religious beliefs, race, sexuality, heritage etc.
Keep your costumes creative and fun, but be mindful of how they may be perceived by your peers.
Remember, the Renaissance festival is an event that encompasses good vibes and fun for all.
Be respectful. Be cool. Have fun. It's that simple.
The Bottom Line
Whether you're dressing up as Medieval English royalty, an elven warrior, a barbaric dwarf, a hideous goblin monster or a magical beautiful fairy, the Renaissance Fair is a place for you to express yourself, have fun and contribute to the intricate and wonderful storytelling that is happening in real-time all around you.
So come out, watch some knights joust, eat a turkey leg, drench the wench, and be wisp away to the Renaissance age.
Huzzah!
