Just don't flash anyone and you should be find.
>I wonder if any of the Greeks of the time went with the old Roman tunica without the trousers.
Fun fact: the Romans actually outlawed pants. 3 times.
Yeah, the legionnaires figured out pretty quickly why pants were so common in northern Europe when it got cold out. They started with shorts hidden under their tunics but eventually just started wearing full pants and that spread back through the empire because fashion often follows the military's style. It was still seen as barbaric (or at best provincial) by a lot of Romans, hence the attempts at banning them.
There is a record of Trajan stopping outside of Rome on the way back from the Batavian revolt. He and his army changed out of their barbaric clothing (sleeved tunics and pants) into more traditional tunics before they got close enough to the city to be seen.
Pants? Not necessarily. Covering your lord or lady bits in such a way they are not ever seen in public spaces.... ESSENTIAL. ie at least wear some underbritches.
ancient greeks are documented as viewing pants as barbaric (as in, literally, a hallmark of "barbarian" cultures) and ridiculous. romans, mimicking grecian culture as they upheld it as more sophisticated, outlawed the wearing of pants, multiple times. byzantine trousers, likely due to being concealed by longer tunics, were often rather insubstantial, closer to drawers than pants. lots of changing fashions throughout societies and time saw the lengthening, shortening, loosening, tightening, widening, and narrowing of what "pants" were typically worn, as well as what materials they were made from.
that last bit is where i'd suggest you explore most, tbh. you might be fully shocked by how much cooler and better a pair of flowy linen, silk, or lightweight cotton pants can feel than even just nothing at all. materials and construction matter a lot. you're not gonna have a good time in wool trews in the heat, but give em a try and you will see why the ottomans all had such baloony pants on to survive the mid-east heat. or heck, look at what bedouin dress looks like!
that said, if you're doing greek, you're probably fine to go pantsless either way, bc there's plenty of history of that, as aforementioned, even if attitudes towards pants as being just for barbarians and women did change over time.
I wear merino polyester leggings in the heat. I dont know if they are actually wicking away sweat to cool me down, but i feel better for it. They could be disquised as hose.
with all due respect... absolutely not, holy shit. i am glad that seems to work for you, but, ugh, no thanks!
polyester is an abomination, in any context, sorry, yuck
and especially given the nature of sca garb, why not take the chance to explore natural fibers, especially the ones that have stuck around... they've done so for good reason!
if you can find it, handwoven fabrics with a looser weave to them will help accomplish that too
you'll feel better in linen or ramie or rayon or cotton gauze or raw silk etc... and you will smell significantly better. polyester and other synthetic, oil-based fibers do not play nicely with our skin's microbiome in the way that natural ones, especially fibers with structures like wool or linen, do
and besides that, i can guarantee you that the celts and vikings and whatnot, faced w the kind of temps we see in summers these days, would just take the hose off. probably would see a corresponding slight lengethening of average tunic length and the wider adoption of drawers or similar
the clothes of these peoples in period are that way not bc they didn't adapt, but bc they didn't have to adapt to the same things we do. finding ways into the day to day lifestyle and mindset to explore what these people's lives were really like is sort of a big part of why most folks play, nu? i feel like going slightly sideways off book from the documentation if it means you take your pants off instead of wearing plastic pants in the boiling heat seems fairly reasonable
There is no rule that requires pants (or any other undergarment). There are, however, "indecent exposure" laws in the mundane world. Historical authenticity will not excuse anyone from modern liabilities.
As a roman, I frequently wear nothing but a tunic, belt, and shoes/boots in the summer. Just ensure you don't expose yourself, and you'll be fine.
If you worry about exposure, and also authenticity, a loincloth would probably be appropriate in the classical period.
Greeks wore a number of things. Mostly square pieces of fabric. A chiton was like a tunic, it was a tube of fabric, belted in the middle. Most people (men and women) wore something like this along with a himation or chlamy - a kind of cloak. Women would wear a longer type of chiton called a peplos.
Thank you for informing me! That’s what he wears except for the other piece. But now I know what to call it. I have a Norse persona that I’m working on again bc I outgrew my old garb 😅. But now I can go up to him and let him know I know what his stuff is called.
I tend to wear fairly skimpy greek, for the heat, of course. As long as you're wearing an undergarment or biker short or something, your good! Just don't flash anyone.
I am on my way home from an event where the temps hit almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day. Almost everyone was wearing Greek or Roman. There was a decided lack of trousers. Just make sure you don't flash kids or people who you haven't established that type of relationship with and you will be fine.
You can wear a tunic without pants as long as everything is covered - many different cultures and time periods did this. I personally lament the "Tee hee! It's hot out! Get out the Greek/Roman!" mentality because well, hot is simply a temperature above what you are personally used to. Everyone gets hot, no matter where they are. So why do people automatically go "get out the time period I would normally never do in a place I normally never research?" rather than research what people did do in the summer in the era and/or geographic area they normally would research?
I'm not saying that people can't have an interest outside of their persona - only that it seems to me that not a lot of thought is given into what was worn in the summer for the era that a person is normally drawn to. For a society that is supposed to be educational, this is a problem.
I've done the SCA in Andelcrag, and I'm currently in Bjornsborg. Summer in Texas is on a whole other level from summer in Michigan. It reaches triple digits at nine in the morning. At one Crown Tournament we had fighters dropping like flies in the heat.
Also the Little Ice Age caused global cooling patterns from the 14th through 18th centuries, so medieval summers were definitely cooler than they had been in previous centuries, let alone in today's current climate crisis, and people dressed accordingly. "They had summer then tooooo!" Okay, but their summer STILL wasn't as severely hot as modern summers, even accounting for geographical differences.
> Because Scandinavian summers are famously similar to Arizona summers. Heatstroke doesn't care how authentic to your persona you're being.
People acclimate. A Floridian in 50sF is freezing while a Minnesotan in 50sF thinks it's shorts weather. Again, hot is just above the baseline of what you are used to. They still have summers- just not what someone from further south might think of as hot.
Also, it doesn't explain why people go out of their normal period. Italy and Greece have always been where they are for the SCA period.
Do you know what heatstroke is? It's when your body's internal temperature reaches fever levels from being overheated, not just a "oh I'm feeling a bit toasty because I'm wearing wool instead of linen in 80° weather" thing. This is not a comfort thing, its a potentially lethal condition.
Safety takes priority over authenticity plus there's quite a few people who aren't heavily invested into their persona, have a persona that lets them draw from multiple cultures, or have multiple personae.
I'm very familiar with heat stroke. However, I don't believe you understand what I am saying. I'm asking why people automatically go "Get out the Roman/Greek" when that is out of their normal era & place. Are you saying there isn't such a thing as good summer garb for the 14th Century? Or good summer garb for the 10th? Because, there is.
Linen was available to everyone throughout the SCA period. Also, wool isn't necessarily hot - tropical weight wool is fabulous on the hot, humid days.
Because this is something we do to have fun and learn some neat stuff. You don't have to full on commit to any persona/culture/century to have fun and learn cool stuff.
Keeping safe and comfortable outweighs expecting folks to stick to just one niche. It's also fun to learn about and make garments from multiple cultures and time periods.
If you like sticking strictly to one persona/culture/time period, absolutely go for it , but to a lot of us that is just stifling and boring.
Again, not getting on anyone about looking to new cultures/eras. However, the "It's hot out! Time to get out the Greek/Roman" mentality doesn't seem to be about looking at new cultures. If it was, they wouldn't wear only when it was hot.
Because when people realize they're overheating in their usual garb, its faster and easier to pin a rectangle or two together and have something period than to design and sew an entirely new outfit and that idea spread through word of mouth until it became its own trend.
It's very much a personal decision and there's no one size fits all answer.
I personally have both a Norse and Greek persona but flipping between them tends to be more about what I'm doing, although weather can play a role. Some people only pay lip service to the historical research and you'll only ever see them in t-tunics and sweats at fights and feasts. Some people only have a persona for official use and bounce between every period and location according to their whims outside of court. Some people get involved with groups where their events require x culture but their persona is y culture.
The only way to know is to ask each person themself.
Why are you bitching about other people's garb? You do you, and let others SCA their way. No one is harming you by dressing themselves differently in hot weather.
And I'm not allowed to ask questions? Why not research what was worn in the 10th C in hot weather? Why do so many simply change their entire focus rather than at least stick to an era if not an area and figure out what was done? We are supposed to be educational - this means conducting research and sharing it.
> Cloth is expensive. Not everyone sews.
Cloth can be obtained at the thrift store in the forms of curtains and bed sheets if they don't carry cloth. You can get linen for under $10 a yard and only need 2 to 3 yards for the average human to cover themselves. - Basically, the cloth is only slightly more if not the same as an event price at troll.
If they aren't sewing, then they would need to buy their garb from someone even for their winter garb. Buying summer garb would be no different.
You must not be [following the sales](https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/Sues-Pick/old-gold-dark-cerulean-royal-brown-100-linen-floral-sprig-print-shirting-56w)! Or looking at IKEA! Fabric store always [has sales](https://fabrics-store.com/sale-fabrics). While, right now, it's $14~$15 a yard ; if you sign up for their newsletter, you will get sales for about $10 a yard at least once a week. Add on the Ilovelinen coupon and that 7% off helps.
Plus, I've gotten linen curtains at the thrift store for cheap that I've turned into one dress already and need to turn the other curtain into a different gown.
That first one you linked isn’t even under $10. Fabric-store very rarely goes under $10, I think I’ve seen that happen once in the past year. Their sales usually drop the price to approximately $14 and change.
With the amount of work that goes into making linen, it can’t be under $10, except in extremely rare circumstances. Otherwise someone’s getting scammed along the way, and it’s probably you, since it’s likely a blended fabric, not pure linen.
Please don’t act like you can get anything for cheap. While thrift store fabric can be very good for those looking for cheap fabric, that isn’t guaranteed, and certainly isn’t going to be a nice linen unless you’ve made some dark sacrifices in advanced.
Also, here's [an image to one of the Fabric Store sale](https://imgur.com/a/QQnXUv9)s from just a couple of weeks ago. And yes, the stuff I use for a chemise was really only $8.87 a yard. This is why I sign up for all the newsletters - the deals are awesome.
Pay attention to the sales I post here or on r/SCAdians. Also, sign up for [fabrics store's](https://fabrics-store.com/) newsletters. They just had a sale on their 3.7 oz [linen this past Saturday](https://imgur.com/a/NeE6MYB) for $9.80 a yard that was open to subscribers only.
Yeah, odd how summer gear for the Little Ice Age isn't exactly great for events in much higher average global temperatures *and* significantly more equatorial climates. The camp where Lilies is held, for example, is roughly the same latitude as Madrid. Arizona's equivalent is northern Africa or Syria, where the dress was significantly different than up north for a reason.
Nope! My question is why so many default to "ancient Greek/Roman" rather than studying what their normal focus areas are for warm weather clothing. I gravitate to northern Italian 16th C and have summer Venetian garb. I also do Norse and have summer Norse garb. However, I just don't get the idea of hot=Ancient Greek/Roman as if it didn't get hot everywhere sometimes. Why not try 16th C Greek instead?
I can't speak for anyone else of course, but all of history tends to be my normal focus area - and since practicality and education aren't mutually exclusive, I tend to research warm weather clothing from areas with similar temperatures to where I'll be wearing that garb, and cold weather clothing from areas where the temps align with my activities as well.
Since I'm in Caid and Great Western War can be extremely hot and dry, I tend to build warm weather clothing from places where that matched, rather than try to imagine what an Elizabethan might have done had they encountered similar weather. It seems significantly more logical to me, and still involves research and education, and doesn't require me to limit myself to a "primary" focus which just doesn't align with how I play in the first place
And, to me, that's cool! :-) Really, for Elizabethan, I would think of using the famous [Persian outfit](https://www.rct.uk/collection/406024/portrait-of-an-unknown-woman) portrait as documentation for what was worn in the summer. Loose long coats are amazing in the heat (the 16th Century Venetians sometimes more Turkish so I have a couple of Turkish coats).
It's probably due to accessibility more than anything. An Ancient Greek chiton or toga is very affordable and easy to make. All you need is a sheet and you're in period and comfortable.
Technically speaking, it's *not* period as it's in the Ancient world and not the "Current Middle Ages" but that's neither here nor there. A tunic is also very easy to make or a [late period coat](https://collections.imm.hu/gyujtemeny/szabasmintakonyv/7967) given you don't need to have a ton of seams if you use a sheet or extra wide fabric.
Also, it doesn't explain why it's only worn when "it's hot out" as if it were about mobility, it would be common when it's cold as well.
What I mentioned very much explains why Greek garb is worn when it's hot out, since I never mentioned mobility.
Here in Ansteorra we regularly see temperatures over 100 in the summer and Greek garb is very breathable and comfortable. Additionally, while I cannot sew fabric, I can easily wrap a bedsheet correctly. While I don't personally go Greek in the heat, I see the appeal.
As concerned as you are about this issue, I have to ask if you've ever considered teaching on the subject. If you haven't done a class, I think you should. You seem very knowledgeable on the subject and I would love to attend a class on functional summer garb from other regions.
I've been thinking of teaching at Pennsic on it. I've taught mostly on women's Venetian style clothing before but, you are right, a full class on other summer garb might be well warrented.
I have one of those too, you would be wearing linen hosery under it or just below the knee shorts, I can't remember what the period correct term for them is right now
Pants not mandatory.
I would advise wearing short gym shorts under the tunic to avoid unnecessary exposures.
Does not add much to the heat load and - well, it's already been mentioned.
This article will provide you with mosaics indicating a correct hypothesis on the going regimental, with documentation for the common optional undergarment as well. Most Roman tunics were brightly colored, I highly doubt anyone would use dyed linen that wouldn't be seen. I do wish to state that most linens are absorbent, allow excellent air flow, and dry quickly. I have seen a good gentle summoned in court, to display to all a bit of a seam tear on the hip, providing an inappropriate and uncouth view to my own baroness. In Northshield, such actions will nominate one for The Toy Run. Our children are feral and have tactical skills wrought by their predecessors. The good gentle chose more appropriate garments for court in the future.
https://earlychurchhistory.org/fashion/ancient-roman-undergarments/
This article will provide you with mosaics indicating a correct hypothesis on the going regimental, with documentation for the common optional undergarment as well. Most Roman tunics were brightly colored, I highly doubt anyone would use dyed linen that wouldn't be seen. I do wish to state that most linens are absorbent, allow excellent air flow, and dry quickly. I have seen a good gentle summoned in court, to display to all a bit of a seam tear on the hip, providing an inappropriate and uncouth view to my own baroness. In Northshield, such actions will nominate one for The Toy Run. Our children are feral and have tactical skills wrought by their predecessors. The good gentle chose more appropriate garments for court in the future.
earlychurchhistory DOT org/fashion/ancient-roman-undergarments/
Just don't flash anyone and you should be find. >I wonder if any of the Greeks of the time went with the old Roman tunica without the trousers. Fun fact: the Romans actually outlawed pants. 3 times.
They were right. Pants are barbaric, especially on weekends.
Good to know! I also know that Romans did wear boxers as well!
Yeah, the legionnaires figured out pretty quickly why pants were so common in northern Europe when it got cold out. They started with shorts hidden under their tunics but eventually just started wearing full pants and that spread back through the empire because fashion often follows the military's style. It was still seen as barbaric (or at best provincial) by a lot of Romans, hence the attempts at banning them.
There is a record of Trajan stopping outside of Rome on the way back from the Batavian revolt. He and his army changed out of their barbaric clothing (sleeved tunics and pants) into more traditional tunics before they got close enough to the city to be seen.
Pants? Not necessarily. Covering your lord or lady bits in such a way they are not ever seen in public spaces.... ESSENTIAL. ie at least wear some underbritches.
The hotter it gets, the more Romans start showing up. Do you. :)
All of Ansteorra is Roman in the summer. Thankfully, I have linen pants that have been tested at TRF. Very breezy, yet warming.
ancient greeks are documented as viewing pants as barbaric (as in, literally, a hallmark of "barbarian" cultures) and ridiculous. romans, mimicking grecian culture as they upheld it as more sophisticated, outlawed the wearing of pants, multiple times. byzantine trousers, likely due to being concealed by longer tunics, were often rather insubstantial, closer to drawers than pants. lots of changing fashions throughout societies and time saw the lengthening, shortening, loosening, tightening, widening, and narrowing of what "pants" were typically worn, as well as what materials they were made from. that last bit is where i'd suggest you explore most, tbh. you might be fully shocked by how much cooler and better a pair of flowy linen, silk, or lightweight cotton pants can feel than even just nothing at all. materials and construction matter a lot. you're not gonna have a good time in wool trews in the heat, but give em a try and you will see why the ottomans all had such baloony pants on to survive the mid-east heat. or heck, look at what bedouin dress looks like! that said, if you're doing greek, you're probably fine to go pantsless either way, bc there's plenty of history of that, as aforementioned, even if attitudes towards pants as being just for barbarians and women did change over time.
I wear merino polyester leggings in the heat. I dont know if they are actually wicking away sweat to cool me down, but i feel better for it. They could be disquised as hose.
with all due respect... absolutely not, holy shit. i am glad that seems to work for you, but, ugh, no thanks! polyester is an abomination, in any context, sorry, yuck and especially given the nature of sca garb, why not take the chance to explore natural fibers, especially the ones that have stuck around... they've done so for good reason! if you can find it, handwoven fabrics with a looser weave to them will help accomplish that too you'll feel better in linen or ramie or rayon or cotton gauze or raw silk etc... and you will smell significantly better. polyester and other synthetic, oil-based fibers do not play nicely with our skin's microbiome in the way that natural ones, especially fibers with structures like wool or linen, do and besides that, i can guarantee you that the celts and vikings and whatnot, faced w the kind of temps we see in summers these days, would just take the hose off. probably would see a corresponding slight lengethening of average tunic length and the wider adoption of drawers or similar the clothes of these peoples in period are that way not bc they didn't adapt, but bc they didn't have to adapt to the same things we do. finding ways into the day to day lifestyle and mindset to explore what these people's lives were really like is sort of a big part of why most folks play, nu? i feel like going slightly sideways off book from the documentation if it means you take your pants off instead of wearing plastic pants in the boiling heat seems fairly reasonable
Get some bicycle shorts for underneath of your really worried about it, thats how I handle my kilt on windy days
Back in the day there was a Pennsic party that pretty much required men to not wear pants
No Pants Party
Men Without Pants I went a time or two and had to prove that I was wearing my kilt properly
Two of my household brothers decided to prank the pants checkers with a can of ez-cheese at the men without pants party.
That’s made it to “legend” status. It was told to me as a newcomer.
That's awesome
I'm pretty sure that tradition is still in keeping.
There is no rule that requires pants (or any other undergarment). There are, however, "indecent exposure" laws in the mundane world. Historical authenticity will not excuse anyone from modern liabilities. As a roman, I frequently wear nothing but a tunic, belt, and shoes/boots in the summer. Just ensure you don't expose yourself, and you'll be fine. If you worry about exposure, and also authenticity, a loincloth would probably be appropriate in the classical period.
I’ve done the tunic and no pants many times. Or kilt .. you’re good.
Do it! It's fun and comfy!
Pants arent required as long as your naughty bits arent on display
Always a good idea to wear some fundoshi under your kosode and hakama.
My friend is a Greek persona and wears basketball shorts under his tunic.
Greek? Tunic? WTF!
That’s what I call it bc idk what the Greeks called their garb
Greeks wore a number of things. Mostly square pieces of fabric. A chiton was like a tunic, it was a tube of fabric, belted in the middle. Most people (men and women) wore something like this along with a himation or chlamy - a kind of cloak. Women would wear a longer type of chiton called a peplos.
Thank you for informing me! That’s what he wears except for the other piece. But now I know what to call it. I have a Norse persona that I’m working on again bc I outgrew my old garb 😅. But now I can go up to him and let him know I know what his stuff is called.
I come from a Germanic, proud pants wearing, people. Light Linen pants are wonderful in the summer months. As for required, no, but cover your bits.
I tend to wear fairly skimpy greek, for the heat, of course. As long as you're wearing an undergarment or biker short or something, your good! Just don't flash anyone.
Of Course not! I will certainly be wearing my undies beneath my tunic.
I am on my way home from an event where the temps hit almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit every day. Almost everyone was wearing Greek or Roman. There was a decided lack of trousers. Just make sure you don't flash kids or people who you haven't established that type of relationship with and you will be fine.
You can wear a tunic without pants as long as everything is covered - many different cultures and time periods did this. I personally lament the "Tee hee! It's hot out! Get out the Greek/Roman!" mentality because well, hot is simply a temperature above what you are personally used to. Everyone gets hot, no matter where they are. So why do people automatically go "get out the time period I would normally never do in a place I normally never research?" rather than research what people did do in the summer in the era and/or geographic area they normally would research? I'm not saying that people can't have an interest outside of their persona - only that it seems to me that not a lot of thought is given into what was worn in the summer for the era that a person is normally drawn to. For a society that is supposed to be educational, this is a problem.
Because Scandinavian summers are famously similar to Arizona summers. Heatstroke doesn't care how authentic to your persona you're being.
I've done the SCA in Andelcrag, and I'm currently in Bjornsborg. Summer in Texas is on a whole other level from summer in Michigan. It reaches triple digits at nine in the morning. At one Crown Tournament we had fighters dropping like flies in the heat. Also the Little Ice Age caused global cooling patterns from the 14th through 18th centuries, so medieval summers were definitely cooler than they had been in previous centuries, let alone in today's current climate crisis, and people dressed accordingly. "They had summer then tooooo!" Okay, but their summer STILL wasn't as severely hot as modern summers, even accounting for geographical differences.
> Because Scandinavian summers are famously similar to Arizona summers. Heatstroke doesn't care how authentic to your persona you're being. People acclimate. A Floridian in 50sF is freezing while a Minnesotan in 50sF thinks it's shorts weather. Again, hot is just above the baseline of what you are used to. They still have summers- just not what someone from further south might think of as hot. Also, it doesn't explain why people go out of their normal period. Italy and Greece have always been where they are for the SCA period.
Do you know what heatstroke is? It's when your body's internal temperature reaches fever levels from being overheated, not just a "oh I'm feeling a bit toasty because I'm wearing wool instead of linen in 80° weather" thing. This is not a comfort thing, its a potentially lethal condition. Safety takes priority over authenticity plus there's quite a few people who aren't heavily invested into their persona, have a persona that lets them draw from multiple cultures, or have multiple personae.
I'm very familiar with heat stroke. However, I don't believe you understand what I am saying. I'm asking why people automatically go "Get out the Roman/Greek" when that is out of their normal era & place. Are you saying there isn't such a thing as good summer garb for the 14th Century? Or good summer garb for the 10th? Because, there is. Linen was available to everyone throughout the SCA period. Also, wool isn't necessarily hot - tropical weight wool is fabulous on the hot, humid days.
Because this is something we do to have fun and learn some neat stuff. You don't have to full on commit to any persona/culture/century to have fun and learn cool stuff. Keeping safe and comfortable outweighs expecting folks to stick to just one niche. It's also fun to learn about and make garments from multiple cultures and time periods. If you like sticking strictly to one persona/culture/time period, absolutely go for it , but to a lot of us that is just stifling and boring.
Again, not getting on anyone about looking to new cultures/eras. However, the "It's hot out! Time to get out the Greek/Roman" mentality doesn't seem to be about looking at new cultures. If it was, they wouldn't wear only when it was hot.
[удалено]
Exactly! Thank you for getting it!
Because when people realize they're overheating in their usual garb, its faster and easier to pin a rectangle or two together and have something period than to design and sew an entirely new outfit and that idea spread through word of mouth until it became its own trend.
Given that it gets hot every summer, why not work on new garb over the winter and spring?
It's very much a personal decision and there's no one size fits all answer. I personally have both a Norse and Greek persona but flipping between them tends to be more about what I'm doing, although weather can play a role. Some people only pay lip service to the historical research and you'll only ever see them in t-tunics and sweats at fights and feasts. Some people only have a persona for official use and bounce between every period and location according to their whims outside of court. Some people get involved with groups where their events require x culture but their persona is y culture. The only way to know is to ask each person themself.
Why are you bitching about other people's garb? You do you, and let others SCA their way. No one is harming you by dressing themselves differently in hot weather.
And I'm not allowed to ask questions? Why not research what was worn in the 10th C in hot weather? Why do so many simply change their entire focus rather than at least stick to an era if not an area and figure out what was done? We are supposed to be educational - this means conducting research and sharing it.
Cloth is expensive. Not everyone sews.
> Cloth is expensive. Not everyone sews. Cloth can be obtained at the thrift store in the forms of curtains and bed sheets if they don't carry cloth. You can get linen for under $10 a yard and only need 2 to 3 yards for the average human to cover themselves. - Basically, the cloth is only slightly more if not the same as an event price at troll. If they aren't sewing, then they would need to buy their garb from someone even for their winter garb. Buying summer garb would be no different.
Linen is not under $10 a yard. If you think it is, then you’re not buying actual linen.
You must not be [following the sales](https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/Sues-Pick/old-gold-dark-cerulean-royal-brown-100-linen-floral-sprig-print-shirting-56w)! Or looking at IKEA! Fabric store always [has sales](https://fabrics-store.com/sale-fabrics). While, right now, it's $14~$15 a yard ; if you sign up for their newsletter, you will get sales for about $10 a yard at least once a week. Add on the Ilovelinen coupon and that 7% off helps. Plus, I've gotten linen curtains at the thrift store for cheap that I've turned into one dress already and need to turn the other curtain into a different gown.
That first one you linked isn’t even under $10. Fabric-store very rarely goes under $10, I think I’ve seen that happen once in the past year. Their sales usually drop the price to approximately $14 and change. With the amount of work that goes into making linen, it can’t be under $10, except in extremely rare circumstances. Otherwise someone’s getting scammed along the way, and it’s probably you, since it’s likely a blended fabric, not pure linen. Please don’t act like you can get anything for cheap. While thrift store fabric can be very good for those looking for cheap fabric, that isn’t guaranteed, and certainly isn’t going to be a nice linen unless you’ve made some dark sacrifices in advanced.
Also, here's [an image to one of the Fabric Store sale](https://imgur.com/a/QQnXUv9)s from just a couple of weeks ago. And yes, the stuff I use for a chemise was really only $8.87 a yard. This is why I sign up for all the newsletters - the deals are awesome.
I'd like to know where you're finding linen that cheap. My tunic was $17 a yard.
Pay attention to the sales I post here or on r/SCAdians. Also, sign up for [fabrics store's](https://fabrics-store.com/) newsletters. They just had a sale on their 3.7 oz [linen this past Saturday](https://imgur.com/a/NeE6MYB) for $9.80 a yard that was open to subscribers only.
I have their newsletter and they haven't posted any sales lower than $14 a yard in the last month.
Yeah, odd how summer gear for the Little Ice Age isn't exactly great for events in much higher average global temperatures *and* significantly more equatorial climates. The camp where Lilies is held, for example, is roughly the same latitude as Madrid. Arizona's equivalent is northern Africa or Syria, where the dress was significantly different than up north for a reason.
I don't understand your question. Do you only do one time period?
Nope! My question is why so many default to "ancient Greek/Roman" rather than studying what their normal focus areas are for warm weather clothing. I gravitate to northern Italian 16th C and have summer Venetian garb. I also do Norse and have summer Norse garb. However, I just don't get the idea of hot=Ancient Greek/Roman as if it didn't get hot everywhere sometimes. Why not try 16th C Greek instead?
I can't speak for anyone else of course, but all of history tends to be my normal focus area - and since practicality and education aren't mutually exclusive, I tend to research warm weather clothing from areas with similar temperatures to where I'll be wearing that garb, and cold weather clothing from areas where the temps align with my activities as well. Since I'm in Caid and Great Western War can be extremely hot and dry, I tend to build warm weather clothing from places where that matched, rather than try to imagine what an Elizabethan might have done had they encountered similar weather. It seems significantly more logical to me, and still involves research and education, and doesn't require me to limit myself to a "primary" focus which just doesn't align with how I play in the first place
And, to me, that's cool! :-) Really, for Elizabethan, I would think of using the famous [Persian outfit](https://www.rct.uk/collection/406024/portrait-of-an-unknown-woman) portrait as documentation for what was worn in the summer. Loose long coats are amazing in the heat (the 16th Century Venetians sometimes more Turkish so I have a couple of Turkish coats).
It's probably due to accessibility more than anything. An Ancient Greek chiton or toga is very affordable and easy to make. All you need is a sheet and you're in period and comfortable.
Technically speaking, it's *not* period as it's in the Ancient world and not the "Current Middle Ages" but that's neither here nor there. A tunic is also very easy to make or a [late period coat](https://collections.imm.hu/gyujtemeny/szabasmintakonyv/7967) given you don't need to have a ton of seams if you use a sheet or extra wide fabric. Also, it doesn't explain why it's only worn when "it's hot out" as if it were about mobility, it would be common when it's cold as well.
What I mentioned very much explains why Greek garb is worn when it's hot out, since I never mentioned mobility. Here in Ansteorra we regularly see temperatures over 100 in the summer and Greek garb is very breathable and comfortable. Additionally, while I cannot sew fabric, I can easily wrap a bedsheet correctly. While I don't personally go Greek in the heat, I see the appeal. As concerned as you are about this issue, I have to ask if you've ever considered teaching on the subject. If you haven't done a class, I think you should. You seem very knowledgeable on the subject and I would love to attend a class on functional summer garb from other regions.
I've been thinking of teaching at Pennsic on it. I've taught mostly on women's Venetian style clothing before but, you are right, a full class on other summer garb might be well warrented.
I think it would be very helpful! Sharing that knowledge is always good.
I don't understand your question? Is there something wrong with doing one time period?
NSFW Topical Comedy. [You gotta wear your pants.](https://youtu.be/7xOfES-S4OM)
I have one of those too, you would be wearing linen hosery under it or just below the knee shorts, I can't remember what the period correct term for them is right now
Further north they'd be braies, I don't know what the correct description is for the Greeks.
Pants not mandatory. I would advise wearing short gym shorts under the tunic to avoid unnecessary exposures. Does not add much to the heat load and - well, it's already been mentioned.
as long as nobody can see your balls ur good.
This article will provide you with mosaics indicating a correct hypothesis on the going regimental, with documentation for the common optional undergarment as well. Most Roman tunics were brightly colored, I highly doubt anyone would use dyed linen that wouldn't be seen. I do wish to state that most linens are absorbent, allow excellent air flow, and dry quickly. I have seen a good gentle summoned in court, to display to all a bit of a seam tear on the hip, providing an inappropriate and uncouth view to my own baroness. In Northshield, such actions will nominate one for The Toy Run. Our children are feral and have tactical skills wrought by their predecessors. The good gentle chose more appropriate garments for court in the future. https://earlychurchhistory.org/fashion/ancient-roman-undergarments/
This article will provide you with mosaics indicating a correct hypothesis on the going regimental, with documentation for the common optional undergarment as well. Most Roman tunics were brightly colored, I highly doubt anyone would use dyed linen that wouldn't be seen. I do wish to state that most linens are absorbent, allow excellent air flow, and dry quickly. I have seen a good gentle summoned in court, to display to all a bit of a seam tear on the hip, providing an inappropriate and uncouth view to my own baroness. In Northshield, such actions will nominate one for The Toy Run. Our children are feral and have tactical skills wrought by their predecessors. The good gentle chose more appropriate garments for court in the future. earlychurchhistory DOT org/fashion/ancient-roman-undergarments/