The San Francisco Bay Area is filled with opportunities to wear costumes year-round!
One of the reasons I started the GBACG was to be able to wear my "art" in settings appropriate the eras they were inspired by. While some people may knit or garden, I sew costumes and enjoy wearing and displaying the fruits of my labor. Luckily there are a lot of other people in this area (and around the world) who share in that sentiment.
You can see several years of photos from past GBACG events at their website. I'll also be adding more photos as time allows--feel free to browse and enjoy! You can add your comments at the bottom of the page.
Costume
Con 26 - San Jose, California
Costume Con finally came back to the West Coast and was held in San Jose, CA from April 26-28, 2008. See the photos here.
Surviving
the Guillotine-A French Revolutionary Picnic
The beautiful Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland provided the backdrop for GBACG's picnic on July 14, 2007. With gorgeous weather and lovely costumes the day was pretty much perfect. See the photos here.
Queen
Elizabeth & The Pirate - February 2007
We transformed the Sequoia Lodge in the Oakland Hills into an English water-side Tavern called the Bearded Mermaid. Queen Elizabeth the 1st hosted a farewell banquet for the Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley. See the photos here.
Dickens
Faire - December 2006
Every year GBACG sponsors an outing to this very popular Holiday event at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.
Golden
Gate Renaissance Faire - 2006
Every August they hold a Ren Faire in Golden Gate Park. It's only two days but it's close to home and you see a lot of familiar faces there. Photos here.
Costume
Con 23 - Ogden Utah - May 2005
Christine James and I went to CC23 in Ogden Utah and had a wonderful time. Costume Con is the annual convention dedicated to hobbyist and professional costumers everywhere. There are costume contests called Masquerades for both Historical and Science Fiction/Fantasy/Anime and the like, as well as costume-related workshops the entire weekend. Check out my personal photos here.
A
Regency Day in Ireland - 2005
Our group took a very long trek down to Tennessee Cove in the Marin Headlands--the weather was gorgeous and yummy picnics awaited us on our return to the meeting place. Lots of great pictures.
Ren
Faire - 2005
This was the last year for what we all knew as the original Northern California Ren Faire put on by the Pattersons. View photos here.
Costumer's
Care: Sewing Comfort Caps for Cancer Patients - 2004
These are photos from 2004 when the GBACG used to get together and sew comfort caps for people who'd lost their hair due to chemotherapy treatments.
Tea
with the Buccaneers - Ritz Carlton Hotel 2004
Inspired by the novel by Edith Wharton's the GBAG put on a sumptuous tea at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. See the photos here. You can see more photos on the GBACG website here.
GBACG
Workshop - Parasol Recovering Class - 2003
On June 29, 2003 GBACG held a workshop where the fabulous Lynne Taylor showed us how to take an inexpensive prop-quality parasol and make a pattern and recover the frame to make a gorgeous parasol. Lynne brought samples of her own work and in a word--they are exquisite! See the pictures here on the results of her great teaching and our hard work.
The
Home Front Tea - 2002
A fabulous World War II event held at a local tea shoppe in San Francisco.
Many of the people who attended came in vintage uniforms and garments!
See the pictures here.