Marlein - a 16th century wardrobe: maj 2020

In a group on Facebook someone asked about our first outfit compared to our latest ones. So I started looking at old pictures of myself. I have been playing in the SCA for 13 years. I have friends that have been in our society longer than I have lived, so 13 years are not...well, there are what I consider old pictures of me out there, and I am now going to show some of them to you. I didnt start my reenactment in 16th century Germany. Even though I have made 16th century Germany for a long time, there were a time when I had clothes from other timeperiods and other countries.

For my first sca-event ever a friend of mine made me clothes. A light blue kirtle and a darker blue gown. It was early 15th century. The photos comes from Facebook so the quality is not the best. A part of me wonders why I show you these...

So young! These are taken by Daniel Rander in 2007. I was 22 and a friend of mine, Agnes, told me to go with her to this SCA-event at Lojsta slott. And for that I will be forever grateful to her.

I had a weird looking cape. Lets say I didn't keep that for long... This picture is taken by Agnes Edgren.

There were a pair of loose sleeves.

Here I had tried to fix the blue cape, with buttons. Still not good... And I got a purle cloak.

So, that was my first outfit. I wore it for a year or so, until the first dress of my own was finished. It was nothing wrong with it, but it was not me. The first one I made was a 16th century german dress, for a woman of the tross. It was this one. There is a lot of wrongs with it, but it was the first thing I sewn and I was very proud the first day I wore it.

But I still hadn´t quite found my place. So you could say I were still searching.

I tried viking for a while. A terrible picture of me, in a quite terrible dress. The kirtle is alright, but that purple...thing... To tight and made in a...I wanted to say terrible, but then I used terrible four times in one sentence ...well, fabric.

I tried again, and made one in grey wool. A better fabric and a better fit.

Its me in the blue kirtle in the middle, the kirtle from the first outfit. In this picture there are also two women that I came to know and have an enormous respect and love for. I just didn't know it yet when this picture were taken. The one on the right even became my laurel, ten years later. I was still so young and new to the society that I mostly just sat there feeling happy to take part. This picture is taken by Tommy Sääf. And so is this one.

Well, that was the blue viking...

I made the grey overdress myself, not by hand yet, but still. And I also made the tablet woven band. But I still hadn´t the guts to hide my hair completely.

I have sold all of these garments, or gave away, to other newbies in our society. But I actually made a new viking. And I even wear it now and then, please don't tell anyone...

This picture is taken by Helena Alm, with my phone.

This is me and a dear friend, at the midwinterfeast in Styringheim. In viking. The picture is taken by Peter Mellbin.

And with her I have had so much fun. We went to Bulgaria and somehow I got the idea to make a 15th century silk dress. Silk was a good idea, it was for midsummer, but I though I had learn to stay in the 16th century by then...but no. I wore the dress three or four times, have tried to sell it ever sense. Its handsewn! Anyhow, here we are, looking serious in Bulgaria. The picture is taken by Rick Williams.

This is the event I got my green belt. A dear memory. Its me in gold and blue, Gele in blue and Renike in golden brocade.

When I made this trip into my first years in the society it became clear that we had so much fun together. Whatever we wore. And that everybody has to start somewhere.

This is the picture I posted on Facebook, while talking about our first and our latest outfits. The quality is bad, I know.

Somewhere between these four pictures I found my place. After a bit of a search. Even tough I might use my viking now and then, I belong in 16th century Germany. Do you have a certain country or time or do you wear many?

In times when you cant meet you need to make fun together at a distance. The know world has been good at making dance-videos, tutorials and similar things to be able to practice our hobby together anyway. Today we made preparations for some more fun and we took a lot of pictures during the day.

We started by "putting up the tent". Due to corona we cant be inside so we made a seat for us at the porch with some articles from Jovis tent.