The Trimaris Fashion Report
A history of fashion is a history of life. "To be out of fashion is to be out of life," said Colley Cibber in the eighteenth century and this, like many semi-ironical statements, is true. The way people dress is a reflection of the times as well as of their class, financial status and the local weather. Beautiful but voluminous, hampering and uncomfortable clothes now belong in museums. Costly and inconvenient clothes were once a sign of wealth and class; now, differences in dress are disappearing. Techniques of mass production and man-made fibers have effected a revolution in style. Excessive ornamentation and cumbersome design hardly belong to a civilization run by machines — and people — in a hurry. (Gleaned from Fashion from ancient Egypt to the present day, by Mila Contini.)
CROWN TOURNEY — Processions? We don't need no stinkin' processions? Of course we do! There were so few people, so what's the point if you are limited! LIMITED I tell you. Your Highnesses, soon-to-be-Majesties, please don't limit the processions to four people. It really takes away from the whole thing. Aren't we supposed to be all about heraldry and processions? The best procession of them all was of all the German ladies walking with Lady Tatiana Heinemann. That was cool. It's been a long time since I saw a lot of Germans at one time. And Ginevra Visconti was also in German. Have you and Tatiana been in cahoots? And what's up with THL Muiren? That girl has NO fear when it comes to odd fashion! Ooooh, and Baron Damien von Blauwald was in a yummy cavalier! Not like he doesn't look fab in his chain mail, but my oh my, he does wear late period very well. Thanks to his wife, Frau Blauwald (Duchess Elspeth MacNaughton), his outfits, and hers, are always lovely to look at.
PEERAGE LOTTERY! — The Peerage Wheel of Fortune game show was in full swing at evening court. Their Royal Petitenesses, Yoan Moon Yang and Eórann Maguire, had some kind of thing going: Three Knights, two Pelicans and one Laurel were announced for elevation in one hour. Chaabi Merkit — found "guilty" of exemplary service — Pelican #1. Azrec d'Aragon — "Hey!" shouted the King as he held a gold chain, "Did you drop this?"— Knight #1. Lorcan of Ech Dubh — Offered a gold chain with a fealty token. "You want it?"— Knight #2. Gunnar Oxnamegin — the King just threw a white belt at him as he sat quietly in court, minding his own business — Knight #3. Ginevra Visconti — given an Order of the Silver Trident at the beginning of Court, she was surprised to get called up again in recognition of her many arts — Laurel #1. Brighid Caileen of the Moors — too many contributions to the Society to list, the Crown called upon her last and bestowed her Peerage — Pelican #2. Congratulations to all who had the winning tickets in hand!
GULF WARS XII — So it wasn't so rainy this time as in years past, and it did get a bit chilly at times, but overall it was just a great time! I got a couple of nice things from the merchants, and picked up some things for friends that couldn't make it. Hope everyone got their souvenir shirts from our very own t-shirt Laurels, Earl Benen and Countess Rosabel. Their stuff kicks ass. (Did I say that out loud? I did — but it's true!) Princess Elena, the ever-loving war monger, was out there kicking butt on all battle fields, as usual. She even led the Trimarian army into the A&S Hall on Saturday. What an awesome (and smelly) event that was. Due to the Queen's former residence in Atlantia, there were a lot of them to befriend as they orbited around her. (The ones I met were very nice.) On the battlefield, for the first time since I can recall, Trimaris failed to take the fort. However, while defending it, they have NEVER EVER EVER lost it. Is that cool or what? And Trimaris took the Champions' Battle! As I understand it, the knights did splendidly on their end, and our unbelted champions followed right behind. I'm not going to say who took the overall war, because it is "a war with no enemies" and we do this for fun, right?
Take my advice and make the trek out there next year. You know why? Gulf Wars is OUR war in 2004. For the first time ever, Trimaris will be hosting this big to do. Countess Maisie will be the uber-overall-crat, and a host of Trimarians will be starring in major event roles — Lady Gwenhwfyr, Lady Grainne O'Carroll, Lord Octavio de Flores, HL Victoria Fox, HL Sireena de Artopeous, Sir Kurn O'Farrell, new-peer-today Mistress Ginevra Visconti and Mistress Lisabetta da Firenze. (Sorry if I left anyone else out — my knowledge is limited.) Please give these folks a round of applause for volunteering their time. Please help out by volunteering your time to make GWXIII a success.