Archive for August, 2015

So you’re heading to your first comic con, you’ve worked hard on getting your costume together and you’ve perfected your hair and makeup. You’re looking in the mirror wondering what else you should be bringing and how long your line with be for the things you want to see. You’re in luck! You can find a few simple tips to follow for a newbie listed here:

1. Make sure your footwear is going to be comfortable. There will be hours of standing and walking around the comic con, this is not the time to break in those brand new knee high leather pirate boots. They look awesome but be sure to break them in ahead of time. You don’t want your first comic con tainted with the memory of how sore your feet were at the end of the day.

2. Bring snacks or something healthy to eat. Most likely there will be food sold at the comic con but it will be of the fast food and greasy unhealthy variety. Not to mention it will be extremely expensive.

3. Be sure you get in line for what you absolutely have to see as soon as possible. You are going to want to see everything but the vast amount of people that attend comic cons and the size of the halls don’t allow for you to see Every. Single. Thing. Make a list of what your top priorities to see and do are and be sure to get in the queue as soon as possible. They fill up fast and the halls don’t always empty.

4. Think before you buy. There will be tons of things available to purchase. You may end up wanting every poster of your favorite show but you should definitely consider the price before making a purchase. It could be available online for much less than it’s being offered at the comic con. Also consider if it is something you really want or need. Do you have 20 other posters of the same show rolled up at home that you’re unable to display?

5. Don’t just go to comic con for the panels. There will be tons to see and lots of new people to meet. You never know, the Sailor Moon standing behind you could live down the hall in your apartment building. The Arwen in front of you could have tons of great advice about cosplaying that you were dying to learn.

6. Lastly, remember to Keep Calm & Carry On. It will be crowed and probably hot. You may end up frustrated after you have stood in line to meet the Once Upon a Time Cast for two hours in your Elsa dress (that you suddenly wish was something with less fabric like Tarzan.) Just remember it’s hot and crowded for everyone else too and please try to remember to be polite even when everyone else may not be.

Are you heading out to a Comic Convention soon? Be sure to check Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe for all your high quality cosplay costumes. Custom sizing and fitting is available to make sure you look your best!

For as long as people have needed to carry things; papers, currency, Bibles, holy relics, keys and any other pertinent personal items, people have needed a way to carry them. A simple pouch was created for this use. The earliest use shows pouches were used to carry seeds. In the 1400s women were known to carry ornate bags called “handmoneys” or “tasques.” Around the 1500s more thought was put into the pouches as evidenced by decoration and utilization. They were commonly associated with marriage; a man would often give a woman a pouch decorated with love stories as a bride gift. Knights would often carry purses called “chaneries” filled with game or food for their falcons. Men and women alike used the pouches, usually worn on a leather strap around the waist. In the late 16th century to early 17th century pockets became popular in clothing and men’s use in the pouch declined. In later years the pouches evolved to handbags, clutches, and purses.

The sporran in particular originated around the 12th century in the Scottish Highlands. The men wore kilts made of long tartan, about two yards wide by four to six yards in length. Gathered around the waist and held with a tight belt, it fell to the knees and was fastened with a broach or pin over the left shoulder. As the tartan held no pockets the sporran was born out of necessity. Early sporrans were simple in design, usually made of leather or skin, gathered at the top with a simple drawstring or by thongs ornamented with small tassels. Starting in the late 17th century metal clasps of brass or silver were fitted to the sporrans, along with flap-tops and large tassels with a variety of hair and furs, and completed with a badgers head. The sporran is still in use today.

If you are going to the Renaissance Faire you don’t want to worry about losing all of your personal items. Why not tuck them away in a Renaissance Belt Pouch? Need a little bit more room than just a belt pouch? Alright then, how about trying one of the Scottish Sporrans? Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe has a pouch or sporran for every style from Medieval drawstring pouches, to leather Elven pouch bags, to sporrans with braided tassels, to Pirate pouch bags, and even Medieval bags etched with steel.

So make sure that if you are browsing the marketplace for Renaissance pouches and sporrans that you stop by PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com. You will love our wide selection of pouches and sporrans that are sure to keep your personal items nice and safe at Renaissance Faires and LARP events!