How does one start a costume society?

[msmcknittington]

Since I can't sleep:

So I may have sorta kinda mentioned to a friend (who also likes to play grown-up dress-up) that I'd lovelovelove if we could find more people to dress up with in the area, since southwest Wisconsin is kind of barren when it comes to big damn dress events. I also may have mentioned that a 1920s picnic would be amazing, and she concurred.

But how do you go about it? Do you put up posters looking for interested people? Do you put an ad in the paper? Does anyone know how the more Internet-famous groups got started (i.e. GBACG)? Anyone know where else I can ask these questions?

We have no problem with putting on some drop-waist dresses and plopping down on a blanket in the park by ourselves, but we'd really like to have more than two people out there, and have more events later on. Most the events that I know about in Wisconsin that call for "costumes" are on the other side of the state -- Bristol Renaissance Faire (just north of Chicago on the border), Civil War re-enactments, Old World Wisconsin, etc. There is a fairly large Civil War re-enactment outside of Boscobel (which is nearby) every year, but that's the only thing I know about. I know there's a SCA group in the area, too, but I'd really love to do things outside of that period and without the burden of creating a persona and staying in character. Same goes for Civil War re-enactments. The local college town has a War of 1812 bazaar-thing every fall, too.

Basically, I'd like to attend things where I can wear costumes without driving four or five hours to get there.

So, basically, how do you find like-minded people?

Comments

[isabelladangelo.livejournal.com]

I have no idea about the SCA that way, but I do know here that the last thing you have to worry about is creating a persona and staying in character. I don't think I've stayed in character for more than 10 minutes at any event. My story about my person is only a paragraph long.

What I would do is:
Create a yahoo group. You will get people asking to join fairly quickly.

Go to various websites on the 1920's and ask if they would mind putting up a "flyer" for your group. Most won't mind at all as long as you have a links page somewhere in your groups page that links back to them.

See if there are message boards on the 1920's and starting posting like mad. Add your groups page to the signature for all your posts.

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the tips! Sorry it took me so long to reply to this -- I didn't get an e-mail saying you had commented, and then somebody else did and there your comment was.

My friend and I have decided to visit a Victorian mansion in the state after Christmas in Victorian duds. It looks like we might have other people interested, but we'll be happy if we both get a chance to go. I'm hoping we do and get lots of pics of frilly decadence when we do.

[devikat.livejournal.com]

Ooooh... I like this idea! Gotten any further on it? [Hi, my name is Kristine and I'm in Madison, btw...]

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

Hi, Kristine! You're senschal for Jarravellir (or something spelled close to that), right?

My friend and I are aiming to visit the Pabst Mansion sometime in early January in Victorian costume (I'm aiming for 1880s, something like this but in burgundy velvet and fuchsia silk faille), to catch the tail-end of their Christmas extravaganza.

We might do a 1920s picnic in the spring, depending on how much time both of us have.

In my darkest of hearts, I want something like the Bay Area Costumers' Guild in California for Wisconsin. I mean, kicking it in pretty clothes with likeminded beasties? What isn't there to love?

If you're still interested, let me know.

[devikat.livejournal.com]

Yup... well, chatelaine (new person officer).

*grin* this sounds like fun to me...

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

I have to confess that my SCA vocabulary is probably negative. I have a whole bunch of words floating around in my head, but the definitions don't always match up.

I'm hoping it will be fun for everybody! Mmm, velvet-y Victorian decadence.

[berzerker-prime.livejournal.com]

Imagine that! Great seamstresses must think alike! devikat pointed me to this entry, so I thought I would pop in and comment.

It turns out that a friend of mine and I are working on just that very darkest-of-hearts thought. We're starting up the Madison Area Costuming Society with an eye toward bringing together people in southern Wisconsin of all skill levels. We're hoping to bring in people from a lot of different forms of costuming from historical to media recreation. We're looking at meeting about once a month or so with the first few meetings just being get-togethers to get to know each other. The first meeting is going to be on October 22nd with a locale TBA.

If you're interested, we've got a mailing list started up on yahoo.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/macscostume/

[msmcknittington.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's sounds wonderful! Exactly what I was dreaming of, though I don't do media recreation. I love the Internet!

I'll pass the word along to my friend, and see what she thinks. I've joined the Yahoo! group -- lillalette / frenchified AT gmail.com. Do you have an LJ comm, by any chance?