Jesters & Jerkins

By Chloe Arvin

The hour is upon us, Ren Faire has returned once more! And thus, it is time for my annual sewing project. 

The inspiration for this year’s costume struck me as I ran around my medieval-themed island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, sporting my custom jester outfit. Nothing held me back from making that a reality! Inspiration comes from unexpected places, so always be on the lookout.

Me irl?

I wanted a doublet-style top with puffy Tudor pants, bonus points for slashed sleeves! Making garments 100% historically accurate is never my end goal, but I love sourcing inspiration from real pieces. The Met has an incredible online archive — it’s one of my favorite resources when I want to find authentic pieces to reference, or just peruse for fun! I found some lovely doublets and jerkins, and went on to waste another hour looking at silly costume armor and sending my little brother increasingly ridiculous helmets. 

Peruse for yourself here!

1600's Jerkin!

I saw some gorgeous, extravagant garments, but I know my limits. I was on a budget and trim adds up quickly! Luckily I had some leftover fabric in my stash from a previous project, and a tablecloth from goodwill I had picked up months ago, lying in wait for the right moment. I enjoy limitations when I work. They help with my indecisiveness, and oftentimes problem-solving leads to new ideas you never would’ve had with an abundance of resources. I initially intended to use two colors, alternating pink and green, but I didn’t have enough of each to make the design work. That’s when I introduced two more scrap fabrics for the contrasting cut-out colors, something I never would’ve thought to do without the limitation! 

Here's my final costume design, with a few variations: