Costume Guidelines for NYRF 1999

home | costume guidelines | job details

Basic complete woman's costume:
A woman's costume should have all these parts for a complete look. Both Middle class, and Peasant class women would wear these pieces, but the quality and color would vary according to their station in life.

~Hats, and other 'headware' for women:
Straw hats, floral garlands, 'Juliet' style caps, veils, coifs, or cloth (like a turban).
~Unacceptable headware?
Baseball caps, mob caps, fedoras, or sombreros. Straw hat should not look like it just came off a cowboy!

~Footwear for women:
Character shoes, low stacked-heel pumps, clogs, sandals (preferably all leather, and not with a heavy sole), or Tai-Chi sandals.
~Unacceptable footwear?
Bare feet (not really footwear, is it?), sneakers, army boots, biker boots, moccasins with fringe, or those sandals made from old tires.

Basic complete Men's costume:
Same as for the women's costume, a man's costume should have these elements for the 'complete' look.

~Footwear for men:
Desert boots, sandals, mocassin type shoes (without fringe), clogs, and mid-calf or knee-high boots. Middle class may have worn riding boots, slip-on character shoes, or dress shoes.
~Unacceptable footwear?
Bare feet (not really footwear, is it?), sneakers, army boots, biker boots, moccasins with fringe, or those sandals made from old tires.

Acceptable	Unacceptable
Colors (peasant) Rust-* Iron, Earth Red- Berry, Rose, Beet, Apple Yellow- Daffodil, Marigold, Onion, Wheat, Ocher Blue- Blueberry, Heather, Cornflower Brown- Bark, Earth, Cocoa, Walnut Orange- Autumnal, Carrot, Pumpkin, Squash, Peach Green- Forest, Hunter, Evergreen, Moss, Pea-Green, Spring Green, Apple Green Grey- Charcoal, Dove, Barn Board White- Off white is preferred for peasants Middle class (includes all the peasant colors, too) White Turquoise Saffron Jewel tones- Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Garnet, Topaz, Citron, Malachite Fabrics (peasant) 100% cotton, 50/50, or 60/40 Cotton/poly, Linen, Muslin Leather Wool Denim (not blue jeans) Twill Duck Middle class (includes all of the peasant fabrics, too) Silk (for shirt) Brocade Velvet Corduroy Satin (for linings) Trims (peasant class) Grosgrain ribbon Plain upholstery gimp Piping Rattail Bias tape Webbing tape Simple embroidery Rope or Hemp Cording or Braid Middle class (only) Copper Bronze Pewter Metallic silver (small amount) Metallic gold (even smaller amount) Grosgrain Satin ribbon Ornate Upholstery gimp Lace (sparingly) Closures (peasant class) Bone Wood Nut buttons Hooks and eyes Lacings Middle class (only) Metal buttons Covered buttons French Knot or Rope buttons Frogs Hooks and Eyes Ivory buttons Pearl buttons Scrimshaw buttons	Colors (peasant and middle class) Tie Dye Aqua Fuschia Neon anything Teal Turquoise Pink Purple Black (in large amounts and only for fabric, leather would have included black) Fabrics* (peasant and middle class) Silk Satin Velvet 100% polyester Taffeta Double knit Camouflage Rip stop Blue Jeans (denim is okay) Any printed material Spandex Trims (peasant and middle class) Sequins Lace Satin ribbon Rick-Rack Fringe Plastics Vinyls and metallic Here is an example of typical peasant clothing. And another example here: And, while the middle class wouldn't be likely to sell things (personally) for a living, here's an example of their typical dress: Hope this helps with your costume questions. updated 5/22/00

Acceptable

Unacceptable

*Colors (peasant)

Rust- Iron, Earth
Red- Berry, Rose, Beet, Apple
Yellow- Daffodil, Marigold, Onion, Wheat, Ocher
Blue- Blueberry, Heather, Cornflower
Brown- Bark, Earth, Cocoa, Walnut
Orange- Autumnal, Carrot, Pumpkin, Squash, Peach
Green- Forest, Hunter, Evergreen, Moss, Pea-Green, Spring Green, Apple Green
Grey- Charcoal, Dove, Barn Board
White- Off white is preferred for peasants

Middle class (includes all the peasant colors, too)

White
Turquoise
Saffron
Jewel tones- Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Garnet, Topaz, Citron, Malachite

*Fabrics (peasant)

100% cotton, 50/50, or 60/40
Cotton/poly, Linen, Muslin
Leather
Wool
Denim (not blue jeans)
Twill
Duck

Middle class (includes all of the peasant fabrics, too)

Silk (for shirt)
Brocade
Velvet
Corduroy
Satin (for linings)

*Trims (peasant class)

Grosgrain ribbon
Plain upholstery gimp
Piping
Rattail
Bias tape
Webbing tape
Simple embroidery
Rope or Hemp Cording or Braid

Middle class (only)

Copper
Bronze
Pewter
Metallic silver (small amount)
Metallic gold (even smaller amount)
Grosgrain
Satin ribbon
Ornate Upholstery gimp
Lace (sparingly)

Closures (peasant class)

Bone
Wood
Nut buttons
Hooks and eyes
Lacings

Middle class (only)

Metal buttons
Covered buttons
French Knot or Rope buttons
Frogs
Hooks and Eyes
Ivory buttons
Pearl buttons
Scrimshaw buttons

*Colors (peasant and middle class)

Tie Dye
Aqua
Fuschia
Neon anything
Teal
Turquoise
Pink
Purple
Black (in large amounts and only for fabric, leather would have included black)

Fabrics (peasant and middle class)

Silk
Satin
Velvet
100% polyester
Taffeta
Double knit
Camouflage
Rip stop
Blue Jeans (denim is okay)
Any printed material
Spandex

Trims (peasant and middle class)

Sequins
Lace
Satin ribbon
Rick-Rack
Fringe
Plastics
Vinyls and metallic

Peasants picture Here is an example of typical peasant clothing.

And another example here: Another peasant picture

And, while the middle class wouldn't be likely to sell things (personally) for a living, here's an example of their typical dress:

Hope this helps with your costume questions.

updated 5/22/00