It's a funny thing, since the Costume Society of America says it's
all costume, even what I'm wearing right now. :-)
For many people, "costume" is for Halloween and theater, so most
groups who have specialized clothing for other purposes will pick
another term. Any word we choose can still be said with some disdain
and eye-rolling. When it's asked respectfully (and I think most times
it is), then I agree we can explain the differences without taking an
offended posture.
-Carol
On Oct 12, 2010, at 11:35 AM, Chris Laning wrote:
On Oct 12, 2010, at 6:02 AM, annbw...@aol.com wrote:
Now here is another interesting use of a word for one's clothing
and accouterments. Had to look up exactly what "regalia" means--I
have of course seen it to mean one's trappings, outfit, etc. Its
origin, though, which makes sense if one thinks about it, is the
rights and privileges belong to a monarch or ruler.
I referred to myself as a costume historian to a War of 1812
reenactor, and he insisted his outfit is clothing, not costume.
Yet, among square dancers, the preferred term for the matching
outfits worn by everyone on the committee of a national square
dance convention is "costume."
Clothing, apparel, attire, costume, regalia--I guess it is like
one's own personal name--one should use the term the individual
(or group) prefers. However, one shouldn't be offended if a poor
soul uses the wrong term because one doesn't know what that group
prefers!
And in the Society for Creative Anachronism it's "garb."
When people are talking about their medieval clothes, they are
sometimes garb, sometimes simply clothes -- very few people call
them a "costume" (at least in my hearing), although someone who
makes such medieval clothes is usually a "costumer."
I prefer "clothes," as do many of the people I hang out with, but
"garb" is handy as a one-word term for "the clothes I wear to SCA
events, as opposed to the clothes I wear on other days."
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