Most people assume I am a costumer. Being the webmaster for the local Beyond Reality Costumers Guild (BRCG), the local branch of the International Costumers Guild (ICG), as well as being married to the Grand Poobah of the BRCG will have that effect people. But I am not a costumer, really I am not.

But really I am not.... A couple decades ago I made and wore a "Synthetic Barbarian" outfit.. don't ask you really don't want to know. About the same time period I let a couple lady friends make me up for a "Come as you aren't" party. (The results of both can be seen at http://www.kolvir.com/~corwyn/fandom/Donin.htm ). Since then I have let Vicki dress me up once or twice, but that is about it. So when I decided to buy a fancy jacket from Nyssa of The Fur Connection at Orycon last year, Vicki and many of the other costuming mafia got all excited. Now I am sure that the jacket style has a particular name, but since, as I mentioned above, I am not a costumer, I have not a clue what the style might be called. I also bought a floofy shirt, with 'ruffles' on the front and around the cuff, to go with it. I wore the jacket and shirt around the convention and that was that.

Spring forward to Norwescon (which of course is in the Spring). Vicki hemmed the sleeves for me and added in some shoulder pads. Thursday at the convention I went to the dealers room and over to Nyssa's to get a pair of boots. They were tall boots that could 'bucket', if you don't know what bucket means.. don't ask me... I just know that a point was made that they bucket. With great care she instructed me in the fine art of putting the darned things on. During the process I was convinced that a> I would never get them off again and b> that if I did, I would never get them on again without help. About the former she assured me they came off easier than they went on, about the latter problem she said nothing. She also suggested I get a bright red scarf to tie around the calf to add a flash of color. So popped around the corner and visited Susan at the Realm of Regalia. I got a nice red silk scarf. I wore the boots for the rest of the day to break them in and just get used to them. I got many compliments on the boots and in fact several people I know immediately visited Nyssa to acquire pairs for themselves.

Friday late afternoon I decide to get into my 'get up'. It must be noted that I still do not have appropriate pants to go with the rest of my finery, but I am quite comfortable in my black jeans. Also, Vicki had acquired a circlet of some kind for me to wear around my head. It had been very easy to get out the boots the night before and It turns out to be much easier to get into them by myself than I had anticipated. I tied on the scarf, put on my floofy shirt and slipped into the jacket. I fiddled with the circlet a bit to get my hair up and over it so that it did not look funky and I headed out into the world.

Now those who know me know that I am not a necessarily a shy person. I have no trouble meeting and talking to people. I don't seek to draw attention to myself most of the time, but I don't avoid it either.

Apparently the, what really seemed trivial, additions and modifications to the 'get up' were more apparent than I knew. I was startled by the amount of attention I garnered. It was astounding. I had people shout down the 'Nice coat' or some variation thereof. I had them call down from third floor landings. It often took a moment to realize they were talking to me and I tried to remember to say thank you.

At the parties I attended I had people coming up to me to start conversations, not a normal occurrence at all. Sometimes about the coat, but just as often not. I had young ladies, who had not been alive as long as I had been attending Norwescon, sit down next to me on the couch and strike up conversations. I got lots of compliments from people who know me. "You clean up nice" was a common one and "You look yummy" was another. And it continued on into the night.

The following night I donned the 'get up' again and went out. It was much of a repeat of the night before, though many people were a bit more used to seeing me in the costume. At one point I passed a couple young ladies going the opposite way in the hall, they were debating the where abouts of this years Westercon. I hear one of them say, "let ask the guy in the cool jacket" and she turns and calls back something like "You in the nice coat, where is Westercon this year?.

During the day on Saturday and then again on Sunday, I chatted with people about these experiences. It was very interesting to hear the theories. Several said "You walked with purpose". Other "You stood differently, your posture was more upright". Some commented on the "persona" I went into when I was in costume. And other similar comments.

Yet each of these I attribute not to me, but the perception of me. I did not change the way I walked. I stood much the same way I always do and I was the same annoying person I always am, I did not create a persona to go with the costume. The perception of me and what people expected changed and the costume colored what they saw.

While I can't say that I now understand why people costume all the time. I can say I can now see that for some it is a way to meet people and leave an impression. I am unlikely to run out and put together another one any time soon. I don't plan to become 'costumer'. I bought what I bought because I liked the way it looked. I bought if for me. But, it was fun and I did not hate it and I will continue to wear it on at conventions and maybe out to other events as appropriate. And oh... bring on the cute young ladies! (note to self: Delete that last line before showing this to Vicki)