The Little Black Dress Challenge

The Little Black Dress Challenge, Issued by Countess Gwen, OL

1. Entrants must create a new dress for the event to enter.
2. Little black dress is defined as what your persona might have worn to be considered "sexy" in her own time (or his). Historicity is part of the challenge.
3. It does not need to technically be "little" - especially if you are Elizabethan and love big skirts.
4. The dress need not be solid black, and embellishment of the appropriate style is encouraged - that may be woven trim, embroidery or needlework, applique, cutwork or whatever is period appropriate for your dress.
5. The dress need not be on a kingdom theme, although black is a kingdom color. If you want it to be kingdom-centric, go for it.
6. We love appropriate accoutrements - pearls always seem to suit black dresses, and nifty period-appropriate hats, shoes, etc. add to the fun.
7. While we love humor, "joke" entries - e.g. blatantly modern clothes or costumes made of cartoon print fabrics and/or non-period materials will not be considered for the prize. The goal is to make something that you will continue to be proud to wear in our living history context.
   (Hey, if it is awesome, maybe you can also enter it in the KA&S Faire or the Open?)
8. Entries will be shown in a short runway show following feast at Kingdom A&S.
9. For the runway show, entrants should provide a 3 x 5 card of documentation, with name and local group, plus telling us what kind of dress it is, where and when it would have been worn, the social class of the dress, and the materials used to make it (you are also welcome to site a couple of bibliographic sources if you wish). This will be read by the MC to the audience.
10. We encourage each entrant to make the primary entry for her/himself. However, those who wish to take on an additional project are welcome to make clothing for a second person and enter that as well as their own garment.
11. Those with non-Western European personas are welcome to enter things from their culture of preference.

The prize will be a basket of fashionista appropriate swag, including champagne with bendy straws and other cool, useful things for the fashion-forward reenactor. If you have any questions about the challenge, or wish to make an additional donation to this prize basket, contact .