Are reeanactors often dressed too brightly?

[Conall]

I tend to choose rather plain colors (White Tan and Black) because I portray a Knight Templar when I reenact, but back in the days I do know they used bright vibrant colors and whatnot. Before I was more "historically accurate" I always went for earthly tones (green and brown) though, which I doubt were used much back then.

 

[Skot the Sanguine]

Well, considering how I asked William Urban http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Urban if brown and green would be appropriate for clothing of a Teutonic Knight and he consented (though he also said there is no finite proof as clothing has almost never survived from the order from the period)...I think brown and green were indeed used.

 

[Blackfish]

Interesting, does this mean that the bright colours of vanilla Total War units are actually more accurate than the usually more muted colours of modded units?

 

[Jason the Barbarian]

The colors might be bright when the garments are new and they just started the campane.  But I think after some time of marching, fighting, sleeping, eating, marching, and never really taking off there close or washing them, I bet it all looked dirty, and covered in sh!t.
Nobles could have a fresh outfit to where sometimes, but not when they are out questing.

 

[Cèsar de Quart]

Interesting, does this mean that the bright colours of vanilla Total War units are actually more accurate than the usually more muted colours of modded units?

No, Total War vanilla introduced made-up patterns and some kind of very anachronistic uniforms.

 

[Blackfish]

Yep, I realise that, what I was asking was the colours, as units in mods almost universally have muted colours compared to vanilla. Jason raised a good point that I didn't think of though.

 

[Amagic]

Is over-the-top realism in enacting even necessary? The audience wouldn't like it and the actors would probably hate it too.

 

[Devercia]

(Re)Enacting is not theatrical acting. It does not necessarily imply theatrics, though it may include them.

 

[tostig]

Is over-the-top realism in enacting even necessary? The audience wouldn't like it and the actors would probably hate it too.

Is realism necessary in enacting? No. For example, I saw little realism in Doctor Who.

Is realism necessary in reenacting?
Well, if you could reenact more realistically (with the available resources, while being safe etc.), more truthfully, more in accordance with the available evidence... and you decide not to? Well then, you're a **** reenacter.  Reenactment is in ****ing essence attempting to re-create something, not to tell an audience some narrative or whatever.

 

[Captain Pyjama Shark]

Ironically actually WW2 reenactors sometimes don't dress colourfully enough. Most of the American reenactors are keen on the Saving Private Ryan-style Olive drabish uniforms, when American troops actually wore a much brighter colour of green.  Sometimes German reenactors also do this with very grey coats, though in real life sometimes more greenish and bluish varieties surfaced.

 

[MidnightWolf]

Ironically actually WW2 reenactors sometimes don't dress colourfully enough. Most of the American reenactors are keen on the Saving Private Ryan-style Olive drabish uniforms, when American troops actually wore a much brighter colour of green.  Sometimes German reenactors also do this with very grey coats, though in real life sometimes more greenish and bluish varieties surfaced.

ummmmmmmm NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

being a reenactor i know there is OD3 and OD7. most GI's have to wear the mustard color wools for there uniform cause THATS what they wore. you can even put them side by side and a lot of the smaller guys (me included now) wear the original uniforms.

 

[Captain Pyjama Shark]

saving private ryan has very unsaturated film, so the uniforms look khaki, and I've seen some reeanactors dressed with that sort of pattern.  I'm not saying all of them do, sheesh, just some farbs.  The second picture is re-saturated and shows the more realistic colour.

 

[Amagic]

Is over-the-top realism in enacting even necessary? The audience wouldn't like it and the actors would probably hate it too.

Is realism necessary in enacting? No. For example, I saw little realism in Doctor Who.

Is realism necessary in reenacting?
Well, if you could reenact more realistically (with the available resources, while being safe etc.), more truthfully, more in accordance with the available evidence... and you decide not to? Well then, you're a **** reenacter.  Reenactment is in ******** essence attempting to re-create something, not to tell an audience some narrative or whatever.

I think you misunderstood. I'm not saying they should dress up Disney style, I'm wondering if going to the extreme is even necessary? IMO it doesn't serve any purpose at all. Give an accurate description, yes, but don't roll over in a pigsty...

 

[MidnightWolf]

khaki. sigh.... so many different makers of dye and clothing during the war they didnt all 100% match

heres a good read on it. http://www.atthefront.com/us/uniforms/whatiskhaki.html