Medieval and Renaissance Education

Have you ever participated, or are you planning on joining a LARP? Do you know what a LARP is? LARP stands for Live Action Role Playing.

LARPing can be a very entertaining hobby. Typically, a group of players, which can range in number from ten to a hundred, gather together at a campsite. Once there, they all develop a character. They come up with the character’s name, interests, jobs, etc. Then the group will role play being those characters and will interact with one another.

There are often times a number of people who actually run the game and progress the story. They do this by presenting challenges, playing character important to the world of the story, and by playing monsters or villains. Most LARPs actually involve live combat through the use of latex weaponry.

Once the weekend event starts, the players are in the world of the game constantly. You live, eat, and sleep as your character. That means that even when you are sleeping, you can be attacked. It is this completely immersive nature that keeps LARPers coming back for more.

One of the key elements for your character is your costume. You’re going to be in this costume for an entire weekend, do you definitely want to look for something that is comfortable. You’re also going to want a costume that looks impressive, to help maintain the atmosphere of the game world.

If you are in need of a handmade, high quality, durable, and authentic fantasy costume, then you should look no further than PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com. We have a vast selection of costumes for a variety of characters for both men and women. All of our outfits are handmade, comfortable, and sure to last. So make sure to browse through our selection, so you can find the costume that makes you stand out amongst the rest.

Which LARPs do you attend? Tell us about your favorite LARPs, LARP stories, or about your character by leaving a comment!

If you are visiting PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com, odds are that you are a Medieval or Renaissance enthusiast. Perhaps you are even involved with reenactments, festivals, or Renaissance faires.

Although it is not required, it usually makes for a better time and atmosphere if you are in costume. Renaissance faires are one of the few places that you can always be in costume and it is socially acceptable.

However, there are some people who are timid when it comes to attending a Renaissance faire, and even more so when considering whether or not they want to wear a costume. They are not sure where to find a costume, or what kind of costume they would like.

Well now you don’t have to worry anymore. At PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com we have a large selection of high quality costuming that will make you look like you’ve been going Renaissance faires for years. There are costumes for all types of character concepts for both men and women. The outfits are all handmade and are sure to last. So make sure that check out all of the possibilities that we have on our site.

Tell us about your favorite costumes, or about your Renaissance faire persona in the comments!

Now I understand! The King and Queen are throwing a summer festival and you want an outfit that you can wear so that you stand out from the crowd. At first I was confused because you came into my shop asking me if I have Renaissance Faire Costumes when you are already wearing that! I wanted to know why you were looking for Renaissance costumes when you could just wear your normal Renaissance clothes. But now I see where you are coming from: You want something special. Very special. Don’t you worry your pretty little head, I’ll take care of you!

Renaissance Dresses

Well if you want Renaissance Faire Costumes that stand out from the normal rabble, then perhaps you should looking into one of my Renaissance Dresses. These dresses are spun from the finest wool, cotton, and silk in the kingdom. You’re also getting them for a steal in comparison to what I had to pay in order to get these materials. You’re lucky I like you! There are all types of dresses to wear as Renaissance Faire costumes, such as our gorgeous German Renaissance Gown, fabulous Florentine Renaissance Gown, and voguish Viking Queen Gown.

Wench Costumes

What’s that now, dearie? You have a Princess friend who actually wants to wear something not so refined? I don’t believe you. What Princess would want to wear Wench Clothing when she could wear one of my majestic gowns? Well, I suppose if you came in here looking for Renaissance faire costumes it isn’t that much of a tall tale. Alright, well in this section of my shop, we have complete sets, bodices, corsets, Medieval skirts, Renaissance chemises, farthingales, and bumrolls. Whatever your friend needs to look the part she likes best.

So whatever type of Renaissance Faire Costumes you need, you’ll be able to find them in my shop. They are also guaranteed to make you stand out from the normal peasantry. If people like what they see, make sure you refer the back to PearsonsRenaissanceShoppe.com. Thank you dear, much appreciated. Have fun at your festival!

Pearson’sRenaissanceShoppe.com explains and reminds you all about the European history in the middle ages of 500 to 1500 AD and anything that is old or too old that is still accepted in the society till date. It contains medieval costumes and renaissance clothing that are still adored by many people today. The clothing are unique and designed in different ways. Our main aim is to help you create a feeling that will take you back and remember your history in aid of maintaining and commemorating your renaissance era as compared to now.

We have medieval dresses for women and children fit for different occasions, including; dancing, wedding, special visits to the renaissance in commemoration of the European history and even come together wear.

During the renaissance period, people were divided according to classes and there were the nobility that is people of a high class and the poor, low class. The clothing and costumes for these two different classes were designed to look different in order to differentiate the two classes.

We consider style when designing our renaissance clothing and medieval clothing based on these classes that existed among the European leaders and people. Modern people today, feel uncomfortable wearing the renaissance costumes, and our work is to make the costumes better but still to resemble the formal one.

The women’s medieval clothing come in all styles including the types of costume the princess of the country of Europe used to wear. Women buy this in remembrance of this renaissance period. Women’s clothes include medieval skirts, renaissance dresses, waist cinchers and under-bust corset sets, medieval wedding dresses, special order and custom made dresses among the many other types of medieval clothing a woman would love.

Same to the men’s medieval clothing, this site has types of different clothes men need to wear for different occasions, including; Tunics and Gambesons, Doublets, Jerkins and Vests, Men’s Renaissance shirts, Pants, breeches and kilts, coats, tabards and brigadines among many others that men can wear.

Pearsons Renaissance Shoppe also has all types of capes that reminds one of the Renaissance Era. The hooded medieval cloak adds some personality and brings in some kind of mystery to the other outfit you have, be it the gown or the costume you bought. Hooded cloaks for ladies are also available.

This site provide you a stop by opportunity to have a look at our beautiful renaissance costumes and medieval clothing of all kinds. Be it you need renaissance boots for an event, they are available. Men, women and children’s renaissance clothing are assured of getting well-dressed from the head to the bottom.

One should keep in mind that our renaissance costumes and medieval clothing are original and are just designed the same as those of our queens and kings back in the years. Some costumes have been slightly designed different from the formal ones since some people do not feel comfortable wearing the originally designed ones. Now you know and you are now well conversant with what we offer. In case you would love to acquire one, please visit our shop or go to our website to purchase one at a cheap, affordable price.

If you think about it the tradition of cutting a tree from the forest, or better yet, buying one from the local Walmart, and then dragging it inside to cover in bright lights and small brick-a-brack it is a somewhat strange one. Who was it that decided to bring the outside in for the first time? It was possibly the 16^th century German preacher Martin Luther. As the tale goes he was walking through the forest one night before Christmas and looked up to see the stars shimmering through the tree branches. It was so breathtaking a sight that he returned home with a tree to tell his children it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of heaven to come to earth at Christmas. He placed small candles on the ends of the branches to resemble the shining stars.

During the Renaissance period Christmas was a much more solemn event than it is today. It was a day devoted to reflection and prayer, celebrated with a special mass called the “Cristes Maesee” or “The Mass of Christ.” The biggest celebration of the season was actually celebrated on what was called Twelfth Night. It was the night before Epiphany, twelve days after Christmas, when the three Wise Men found the newborn Christ child and presented him with gifts. The tradition of exchanging gifts at Christmas is believed to be a continuance of the gifts bestowed upon baby Jesus on the night of his birth. The Twelve Days of Christmas begin the evening of December 24^th and last until Epiphany, January 6^th. During the Renaissance period the official end of the Christmas holiday season was Twelfth Night and was the traditional day for taking down Christmas decorations.

While a Renaissance Christmas was somewhat more somber than the Christmas Christians think of today, there were yule logs and feasts, dancing and singing, and of course the exchanging of gifts. Are you looking for the perfect Renaissance gift to give to that someone special? Here at Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe we have the perfect high quality Renaissance attire to bring some of that old world magic into your holiday season!

When we think of corsets we think of the tight, pinching, poking, waist binding garments that we read about in historical romance novels. A garment any forward thinking modern woman would not wear. The truth is, however, that starting in the 16^th century when they became popular, corsets were made for the person that was to wear them and them alone. At least up until the Victorian era when “mail order” corsets were created. Pinching was impossible and if they poked it meant that the boning had come loose from the corset. In the beginning corsets were not made to give you a small waist; the fabric would have given out if you had tried to tighten them enough to narrow your figure. They were designed to lift the breasts and create a smooth silhouette beneath clothing. Not until the mid to late 1800s when the metal grommet (1828) and the 2 part metal busk (1829) were created tightening a corset enough to drastically change a person’s figure was practically impossible.

As romance novels lead us to believe a heroine could go without her corset and her gowns will still fit perfectly and one wouldn’t notice her corset was missing until she was touched. The truth is that her gown would not fall correctly. It would even possibly be lumpy in places and, as with forgoing wearing a bra, her breasts would not be held up and would bounce with movement.

While being so uncomfortable as to lack the ability to breathe is untrue, it is a fact that you are unable to take deep breaths while wearing a corset. It is also true that a tightly tied corset can cause weals on the skin, just as a sock might around your ankle. If there was a weight gain or loss the corset would no longer fit properly and cause rubbing or the breasts to slip down in the corset which would be quite uncomfortable. If the corset has shoulder straps the arm movements would be somewhat limited; while our dear heroine would be able to fold her arms across her chest she would be unable to do so tightly. If she is wearing a busk she would be able to bend at the hips but not the waist. The strict rules in past times regarding posture are untrue although the corset does demand and encourage a straight back.

As with most things that go from person to person many things most people believe about corsets are false but they all come from an exaggeration of a truth. When worn properly and with the right fit a corset can be a lovely addition to any Lady or Lord’s Renaissance Garb.

Are you looking to add a corset to your medieval wardrobe? Here at Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe we have all the high quality corsets you could ask for to meet your needs! Be sure to shop Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe‘s Corset Collection today! Custom sizing and fitting is available to help you look your best!

As we continue our series about non-alcoholic Renaissance drinks, we’re going to talk about some of the more ornate drinks. These drinks might be a little harder to replicate today, but with a little imagination and ingenuity, you can probably come up with a delicious recipe using today’s ingredients. When you are wearing authentic Renaissance period clothes, you will certainly complete the look with beverage that comes as close to what people actually drank back then. If you come up with any great recipes, or if you find any more Renaissance drinks, let us know in the comments section. Who knows – maybe we’ll have a Part 3, featuring your ideas!

• Sekanjabin is a very exotic-sounding drink and it was made using a variety of sweet vinegar and sugar. We’ve never tried it, and although vinegar and sugar does not sound all that appetizing, it was quite popular during the Renaissance.
• Honey has been a wonderful beverage ingredient for so many years, it seems! During the Renaissance, there was no shortage of honey in drinks. One of the most popular drinks to use honey was called Clarea of Water. This drink was a mixture of water, honey, and various types of spices, depending on what was local. The ingredients were mixed together and boiled. The drink would be cooled before it was served.
• We thought we’d conclude our series with a quick and easy recipe for a drink that is just as popular now as it was back then: Rose/Lavender soda! This recipe comes from a cookbook dating back to around 1400:
  • 1 part rose/lavender petals
  • 2 parts water
  • 2 parts sugar/honey
  • Soak a number of petals in a pitcher of water holding twice as much water as petals for one night. Press, but not squeeze, the water from the petals and reuse them as needed. Mix into the water enough honey or sugar as to taste, and serve cold.

Visit any Renaissance Faire and you will see a huge assortment of delicious Renaissance fashion drinks. From mulled wine to mead, there are plenty of tasty drinks that are great representations of what people in the Renaissance era drank. But suppose you don’t drink alcoholic beverages? It may seem like all you hear about is drinks with alcohol, but there were plenty of non-alcoholic drinks consumed during the Renaissance – some of them are still available today! Here are some of the most popular non-alcoholic drinks from this great time period!

• While there may have been a strict class system during the Renaissance, one thing was for sure: people of all classes enjoyed milk! Milk was accessible to everyone, and it came from goats, cows, and mares.
• An interesting brew that can be replicated today was sage water. Sage water was made by soaking sage in water overnight. This brew was used to cleanse the palette during meals.
• We’ve all had a tasty Shirley Temple at some point. The grenadine-and-ginger ale combination is one of the best drinks around! Of course, people in the Renaissance era didn’t have Shirley Temples per se, but they had their own version of grenadine, called granatus. Granatus, like grenadine, was made using pomegranates and was most popular in Arabic countries.

Here at Pearson’s, it’s obvious we love everything about the Renaissance period – the fashion, the history, the art. We are also huge fans of Renaissance theatre. We’ve seen many versions of plays by the great English Renaissance playwrights like Christopher Marlow, Ben Jonson, and, of course, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare is arguably one of the world’s most well-known playwrights, and with good reason. His plays are generally considered some of the best examples of theatre ever. Despite the popularity of his work, his life’s story isn’t as ubiquitous. Rather than give you a full biography of his life, we pulled together some interesting facts about “The Bard” that you might not know!

• Though he wrote some plays while Elizabeth was queen, he is mainly considered a Jacobean writer.
• Astronomers must be fans of Shakespeare – most of the moons that orbit Uranus are named for characters in his plays!
• Even though he was incredibly prolific, Shakespeare did stop writing plays for a time and concentrated on writing sonnets. He only did this, however, because The Plague had caused many playhouses to shut down.
• If there are any Trekkies reading this, you will be pleased to learn that two of Shakespeare’s plays, Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing, have been translated into the fictional language of Klingon.

Last month, we highlighted some holiday food traditions of the medieval period. While we’ll probably never get used to some of the recipes in that medieval cookbook, we certainly had a fun time reading about them! This month, we’re going to look at another holiday: New Year’s! Did you know that Julius Caesar declared January 1^st the start of the new year because the month is named after the Roman god Janus, who was said to look into both the future and past with his two faces? Here are some facts about how people in the medieval period celebrated New Year’s.

• The Council of Tours, a gathering of medieval Roman Catholic officials, abolished January 1^st as the start of a new year in 567. It took Europe 561 years to agree that January 1^st could be considered the start of the new year. The first nations to accept the date were Eastern European nations in 1362.
• Before January 1^st was adopted, countries in medieval times observed New Year’s on different days. For example, some countries chose to celebrate on December 25^th while others considered March 25tgh the start of the new year.
• England, in particular, had a tough time deciding when they wanted to celebrate the new year. Initially, they chose December 25^th. Once William the Conqueror came into power, the date was changed to January 1^st. Later, it was changed again to March 25^th. It wasn’t until 1752 when January 1^st became the final choice.