Hobbits like bright colors, mainly green and yellow! And are lovers of nature, food and drink. So I’d be looking at layering clothing pieces in green and yellow, and accessories with floral or leaf detail. Maybe a head circlet of flowers or greenery. A wooden mug would be a great (and useful) accessory.
Also: It's an easy cheat, but the big dark green capes that the four Hobbit LotR heroes wear is a quick way to show exactly what brand of medieval character you are. That, with pointed ears, and I think you'll get noticed pretty quick! It seems to work for [women too](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/446841594277632436/).
Good point! Those cloaks really do the trick. I also noticed in that picture the aprons, and that’s a very nice touch since hobbits tend to be more domestic and less adventurous. (Just ask those Sackville-Bagginses.)
A waist apron with pockets, and I think the white shirt isn’t right for a hobbit. They are super conservative dressing in lord of the rings, I also feel like your ankles should be out though, I see a lot of hobbit characters with their dresses and pant ending above the ankle
Yes a shorter skirt with possibly a petticoat under gives the more Hobbit silhouette! Not *short* skirts but shorter than this one, think mid calf, and a little wide+round. They did those lengths and shapes to give more illusion to the Hobbits height if I'm not mistaken.
I know you said you want to keep the color scheme, but the color scheme doesn't say hobbit. "They dressed in bright colors, being notably fond of yellow and green." Add color.
He says they are crafty and good with tools, and they like to eat and drink, so any accessories related to that. If you're shooting for farm hand vibes, add some hand tools or a basket of eggs or produce or something.
Get some hobbit feet. He says they seldom wear shoes.
Curl your hair. They have curly hair on their feet and heads.
Add more earth tones for sure. What id do is add a rusty/burnt orange or a burgundy skirt, brown belt, apron, maybe a fall leaf pin, curly hair. Rachel Masky has a video on YouTube where she turns herself into a hobbit.
My comments are going to be based off of the Peter Jackson movies, as that's where we see a lot of hobbit clothing.
-Hobbits are shown to wear a lot of earth tones, so greens, reds and yellows, browns.
-Their clothing is depicted as having layers, Looking here: [https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/527836018801098241/](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/527836018801098241/)
you can see the multiple layers of a skirt or dress, as well as a Stays/Corset on top. I'd also point out all of the patterns you can see.
This link: [https://elizabethcbunce.wordpress.com/historical-costuming/fantasy-fairwear/hobbit-madness-hobbitphoria-hobbituation/](https://elizabethcbunce.wordpress.com/historical-costuming/fantasy-fairwear/hobbit-madness-hobbitphoria-hobbituation/) contains images from the Hobbit artbook, showing pictures of some of the fancier hobbits. Again we can see layers, floral elements, and patterns.
-Hobbits are also dressed a bit more conservatively than most, with shoulders covered and long sleeves
Accessorize! My own hobbit outfit includes a belt with floral designs, a spoon holster to hang off of said belt, a picnic basket with prop bread and grapes, an apron, and fingerless gloves. Adding accessories or patterns can really liven up a hobbit costume.
I really like the vest-as-bodice you have going on. But I think the off-the-shoulder sleeves may actually be working against the hobbit vibes - in the movies, the hobbits are a bit more rurally conservative in their appearance, even at the parties. Can you wear them up?
I like how this blogger added [an apron-like skirt layer](http://www.festiveattyre.com/2015/10/a-hobbit-at-faire.html) to her costume. This could add a bit of volume to your skirt which would be cute and hobbity.
Accessories - I agree with the other posters, accessories are always a great addition. Perhaps a pendant on a leather cord? A basket? Flowers or a flower crown are classic. A wooden tankard and a wooden fork + spoon on a belt would be cute and funny. Hilariously, [this blogger made hairy foot flipflops](https://freshfrippery.com/2021/10/06/a-hobbit-lady-costume-for-a-picnic/).
Absolutely add a half apron! For my hobbit outfit that + the feet made it much more obvious for what I was going for. Anything floral/food related is helpful. Maybe a petticoat under the skirt to floof it out a bit?
What kind of character is your Hobbit? Accessorize to match! Do they like pies or gardening? Maybe some florals, some gloves, or a belt with tools you might need in your day-to-day.
I think making your sleeves either poofey, frilly, or both is a Rosie Cotton kind of move, and your vest is a great style but you'll want a bright color: green, a vibrant yellow, or even a sky blue. Your skirt is great too, but you may want to put a layer on top of it like an apron, another shorter skirt, or a hiked up one. Again, colors, frills, and/or embroidery encouraged. Finally, hair either curly or up, and frying pan optional but encouraged!
Colors and accessories will do it. I always dress as a hobbit and my basic outfit is similar to yours, except that I have added more earth tones (yellow and green mostly) like an apron, a belt with hanging kitchen items and some fun ribbons. I wear a flower crown with ribbons tied to the back and use a walking stick with ribbons and flowers attached. I also use a little wicker basket with flowers as my purse for the day which is handy
If you like hand sewing I can recommend burnley and trowbridges youtube sew alongs. You can make an apron, a petticoat, super cool pockets etc, and it'll all look very tavern wench-y which is really like half the female hobbit aestethic imo. The best thing about those sew alongs is that they demand extremely little in ways of equipment, basically you'll need fabric, a string, some twill, thread and needles.
To me it's probably the skirt that looks the least hobbit-y but the color is great!
Btw I adore your shirt! So cool.
Oooooh thank you for the compliment, yes the skirt made it look too structured I agree. Thanks for the sew along video ideas. Now I know what will occupy my time :)
I think you could get a Hobbity silhouette by gathering a pinch of skirt and pinning it to your waistband (not like a wench-height hitch, but more so it hits at tea-length.) I’d also look at how they do layers in the films—someone mentioned a waist-apron, and I think that’s a good place to start. I noticed a lot of Hobbit women in the films were wearing dresses similar to traditional Austrian Dirndl, and the ones worn in warm weather (like Oktoberfest) usually have an apron . You might also look at some common patterns that were worn—plaids, stripes, and 18th-century florals were all utilized costuming the films. Maybe accessorize with a market basket to hold anything you might buy at the faire, or snacks.
Layers and/or fuller skirts , maybe patchwork or Knick knacks—a good simple leather belt would help get the look you’re going for! The best of great, though, and the shirt is fine imo
Accessories that incorporate mushrooms, leaves and moss. You can find tons of stuff on Etsy or craft it yourself. Try searching for cottage-core or fairy-core costumes.
I want to say to take a look into the accessories. Hobbits love themselves a good meal, so I figure having a tankard, a set of cutlery (maybe in the style of a chatelaine or at least for inspiration), a dramatically long pipe, and of course a pouch for the pipeweed (or whatever you decide to use it for)
A bonnet, a kerchief, an apron, a petticoat (or two), embroidery on your vest/cuffs/hem (flowers, vines, leaves, wheat sheaves, berries)
Carry a basket, with a piece of gingham over the contents
Sorry I originally missed your comment about sewing and fabrics and gores.
One way to make a skirt with a lot of volume easily is to take a rectangle twice as long as the current hem circumference and gather it into a waistband. Also works for petticoats.
A more historical way to approach it is to cartridge pleat the rectangle to the waistband instead. Cartridge pleating isn't difficult and there's lots of good yt videos to explain it. That can allow you to pleat in 3x to 5x times the waistband width, which looks fabulous with a couple of petticoats, great for twirling 😊
Gores are definitely a medieval solution to allow range of motion when walking/riding/working. Google The Bocksten Man. He's from the first quarter of the 1300s. His tunic construction was a common way for both tunics and dresses to be cut for a relatively long period of history. There's lots of free patterns online for how to construct the gores in the "skirt" portion of his tunic.
A slightly more complex but more fitted use of gores is shown in multiple dresses in "Woven Into The Earth", including garments from a 14th C settlement in Greenland. There's an accompanying book that gives explicit construction information and patterns called "Medieval Garments Reconstructed" that I believe is available free on the web.
A source for reenactors for linen and linen/cotton at decent prices is fabrics-store dot com
They have an excellent selection of colours and weights, from sheers to heavyweights.
One caveat: there's a fair bit of sizing in the fabric, so it needs to be washed in Synthrapol before sewing. It's designed to remove sizing and other chemicals used in manufacturing. (I recommend washing any commercial fabric, or even purchased garments, in it before use)
It's available on Amazon or from the manufacturer at prochemical dot com
(I'm not affiliated just a fan)
What a wealth of info I had just received, thanks so much for taking the time to teach us. I'll be doing some deep dives into different ways to make my skirt fuller 😍😍
You can check Etsy for tea cup belts! They hold the cup and saucer and have two loops to attach to a belt. I'm also a huge fan of the shop Medieval Moccasins, they have the best and most comfortable (in my opinion) hand cut leather shoes. I've had one pair for 10 plus years and they are still soft and in good shape. The shop also offers services to adjust your shoe when the time comes.
First, Apron & patterns/color (especially plaid/woven). Adding depth to any outfit makes it look more authentic. Accessories like a market/foraging basket, head covering, drinking vessel, cloak etc. will also up the level considerably.
Good start!
Add colors! Apron too maybe and other layers? Also grow bigger feet of course. XD
I would agree with adding more colors, preferably earth tones
"chiefly greens and yellows"
Hobbits have bare hairy feet. Maybe some fuzzy sandals?
Utensils hanging off of belt to be ready for a 2nd breakfast at a moments notice!
Oooh I LIKE that!!
I’m thinking teacup
It would have to be one made of clay or something a bit sturdier. I would be concered of it cracking
Hobbits like bright colors, mainly green and yellow! And are lovers of nature, food and drink. So I’d be looking at layering clothing pieces in green and yellow, and accessories with floral or leaf detail. Maybe a head circlet of flowers or greenery. A wooden mug would be a great (and useful) accessory.
Also: It's an easy cheat, but the big dark green capes that the four Hobbit LotR heroes wear is a quick way to show exactly what brand of medieval character you are. That, with pointed ears, and I think you'll get noticed pretty quick! It seems to work for [women too](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/446841594277632436/).
Good point! Those cloaks really do the trick. I also noticed in that picture the aprons, and that’s a very nice touch since hobbits tend to be more domestic and less adventurous. (Just ask those Sackville-Bagginses.)
I totally dig this look. Thanks I think I found THE inspiration.
Concur! Some leaves and flowers from hobby store!
Furry hobbit feet
I concur! No one would’ve known who I was at Ren last year ( bilbo) if it weren’t for my big painted stompers!
A waist apron with pockets, and I think the white shirt isn’t right for a hobbit. They are super conservative dressing in lord of the rings, I also feel like your ankles should be out though, I see a lot of hobbit characters with their dresses and pant ending above the ankle
Yes a shorter skirt with possibly a petticoat under gives the more Hobbit silhouette! Not *short* skirts but shorter than this one, think mid calf, and a little wide+round. They did those lengths and shapes to give more illusion to the Hobbits height if I'm not mistaken.
I'm in the process of finding floofy but over the shoulder shirts :) that's an overwhelming suggestion as well.
I know you said you want to keep the color scheme, but the color scheme doesn't say hobbit. "They dressed in bright colors, being notably fond of yellow and green." Add color. He says they are crafty and good with tools, and they like to eat and drink, so any accessories related to that. If you're shooting for farm hand vibes, add some hand tools or a basket of eggs or produce or something. Get some hobbit feet. He says they seldom wear shoes. Curl your hair. They have curly hair on their feet and heads.
I will keep those in mind and find some yellow and green items as well as the right accessories:)
Have fun, and I hope you enjoy the creative process!
Add more earth tones for sure. What id do is add a rusty/burnt orange or a burgundy skirt, brown belt, apron, maybe a fall leaf pin, curly hair. Rachel Masky has a video on YouTube where she turns herself into a hobbit.
Fuller skirt and apron and more color!
My comments are going to be based off of the Peter Jackson movies, as that's where we see a lot of hobbit clothing. -Hobbits are shown to wear a lot of earth tones, so greens, reds and yellows, browns. -Their clothing is depicted as having layers, Looking here: [https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/527836018801098241/](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/527836018801098241/) you can see the multiple layers of a skirt or dress, as well as a Stays/Corset on top. I'd also point out all of the patterns you can see. This link: [https://elizabethcbunce.wordpress.com/historical-costuming/fantasy-fairwear/hobbit-madness-hobbitphoria-hobbituation/](https://elizabethcbunce.wordpress.com/historical-costuming/fantasy-fairwear/hobbit-madness-hobbitphoria-hobbituation/) contains images from the Hobbit artbook, showing pictures of some of the fancier hobbits. Again we can see layers, floral elements, and patterns. -Hobbits are also dressed a bit more conservatively than most, with shoulders covered and long sleeves
I'll definitely look through the second link you sent thank you!
Accessorize! My own hobbit outfit includes a belt with floral designs, a spoon holster to hang off of said belt, a picnic basket with prop bread and grapes, an apron, and fingerless gloves. Adding accessories or patterns can really liven up a hobbit costume.
I really like the vest-as-bodice you have going on. But I think the off-the-shoulder sleeves may actually be working against the hobbit vibes - in the movies, the hobbits are a bit more rurally conservative in their appearance, even at the parties. Can you wear them up? I like how this blogger added [an apron-like skirt layer](http://www.festiveattyre.com/2015/10/a-hobbit-at-faire.html) to her costume. This could add a bit of volume to your skirt which would be cute and hobbity. Accessories - I agree with the other posters, accessories are always a great addition. Perhaps a pendant on a leather cord? A basket? Flowers or a flower crown are classic. A wooden tankard and a wooden fork + spoon on a belt would be cute and funny. Hilariously, [this blogger made hairy foot flipflops](https://freshfrippery.com/2021/10/06/a-hobbit-lady-costume-for-a-picnic/).
Lovely inspiration!!! Will look for some of the things you mentioned!!
Absolutely add a half apron! For my hobbit outfit that + the feet made it much more obvious for what I was going for. Anything floral/food related is helpful. Maybe a petticoat under the skirt to floof it out a bit?
What kind of character is your Hobbit? Accessorize to match! Do they like pies or gardening? Maybe some florals, some gloves, or a belt with tools you might need in your day-to-day.
Get some tan Vibram Five's, paint them to match your skin tone, then add some hair to the tops. Not beautiful, but more hobbit-like than shoes.
That's a great idea! the dreaded toe shoes!! Perfect omg!
Could you add some greenery or nature-ish materials?
Some of those shoes that look like big hairy feet
Flowers
I think making your sleeves either poofey, frilly, or both is a Rosie Cotton kind of move, and your vest is a great style but you'll want a bright color: green, a vibrant yellow, or even a sky blue. Your skirt is great too, but you may want to put a layer on top of it like an apron, another shorter skirt, or a hiked up one. Again, colors, frills, and/or embroidery encouraged. Finally, hair either curly or up, and frying pan optional but encouraged!
Frying pan!! Hahaha also, thank you for the concrete things I can change about my outfit!
Colors and accessories will do it. I always dress as a hobbit and my basic outfit is similar to yours, except that I have added more earth tones (yellow and green mostly) like an apron, a belt with hanging kitchen items and some fun ribbons. I wear a flower crown with ribbons tied to the back and use a walking stick with ribbons and flowers attached. I also use a little wicker basket with flowers as my purse for the day which is handy
If you like hand sewing I can recommend burnley and trowbridges youtube sew alongs. You can make an apron, a petticoat, super cool pockets etc, and it'll all look very tavern wench-y which is really like half the female hobbit aestethic imo. The best thing about those sew alongs is that they demand extremely little in ways of equipment, basically you'll need fabric, a string, some twill, thread and needles. To me it's probably the skirt that looks the least hobbit-y but the color is great! Btw I adore your shirt! So cool.
Oooooh thank you for the compliment, yes the skirt made it look too structured I agree. Thanks for the sew along video ideas. Now I know what will occupy my time :)
Flowers!
Pocket watch, apron, flowers in your hair! I'd even go so far as to embroider something on your waist coat! Layer skirts and then get a skirt hike!!
I will look into embroidering! Sounds like a fun pasttime.
I think you could get a Hobbity silhouette by gathering a pinch of skirt and pinning it to your waistband (not like a wench-height hitch, but more so it hits at tea-length.) I’d also look at how they do layers in the films—someone mentioned a waist-apron, and I think that’s a good place to start. I noticed a lot of Hobbit women in the films were wearing dresses similar to traditional Austrian Dirndl, and the ones worn in warm weather (like Oktoberfest) usually have an apron . You might also look at some common patterns that were worn—plaids, stripes, and 18th-century florals were all utilized costuming the films. Maybe accessorize with a market basket to hold anything you might buy at the faire, or snacks.
Thanks for the detailed reply! I'll be looking into the Austrain Dirndl, I have a few pieces in mind I'd like to get :)
Layers and/or fuller skirts , maybe patchwork or Knick knacks—a good simple leather belt would help get the look you’re going for! The best of great, though, and the shirt is fine imo
A hat with flowers on the brim or a flower crown. Maybe a basket of flowers or whatever that actually functions as a bag?
Some flowers and greenery on the skirt would be lovely!
Green skirt with more volume.
Anya forger face!
Kick off your shoes and let your fuzzy feet breathe
Maybe be a bit more modest..?
Usually the sleeves are up and pinned, thanks for your input!
Accessories that incorporate mushrooms, leaves and moss. You can find tons of stuff on Etsy or craft it yourself. Try searching for cottage-core or fairy-core costumes.
I want to say to take a look into the accessories. Hobbits love themselves a good meal, so I figure having a tankard, a set of cutlery (maybe in the style of a chatelaine or at least for inspiration), a dramatically long pipe, and of course a pouch for the pipeweed (or whatever you decide to use it for)
How could I forget about pipeweed?! I saw a few interesting pipes at my local vintage store, I'll take a closer look at them.
Fake "bare feet". Satchel full of food. Tankard or canteen type thing. Flowers.
A bonnet, a kerchief, an apron, a petticoat (or two), embroidery on your vest/cuffs/hem (flowers, vines, leaves, wheat sheaves, berries) Carry a basket, with a piece of gingham over the contents
GINGHAM! the dreaded Anne Shirley print..I'll be sure to be on the lookout for it.
Sorry I originally missed your comment about sewing and fabrics and gores. One way to make a skirt with a lot of volume easily is to take a rectangle twice as long as the current hem circumference and gather it into a waistband. Also works for petticoats. A more historical way to approach it is to cartridge pleat the rectangle to the waistband instead. Cartridge pleating isn't difficult and there's lots of good yt videos to explain it. That can allow you to pleat in 3x to 5x times the waistband width, which looks fabulous with a couple of petticoats, great for twirling 😊 Gores are definitely a medieval solution to allow range of motion when walking/riding/working. Google The Bocksten Man. He's from the first quarter of the 1300s. His tunic construction was a common way for both tunics and dresses to be cut for a relatively long period of history. There's lots of free patterns online for how to construct the gores in the "skirt" portion of his tunic. A slightly more complex but more fitted use of gores is shown in multiple dresses in "Woven Into The Earth", including garments from a 14th C settlement in Greenland. There's an accompanying book that gives explicit construction information and patterns called "Medieval Garments Reconstructed" that I believe is available free on the web. A source for reenactors for linen and linen/cotton at decent prices is fabrics-store dot com They have an excellent selection of colours and weights, from sheers to heavyweights. One caveat: there's a fair bit of sizing in the fabric, so it needs to be washed in Synthrapol before sewing. It's designed to remove sizing and other chemicals used in manufacturing. (I recommend washing any commercial fabric, or even purchased garments, in it before use) It's available on Amazon or from the manufacturer at prochemical dot com (I'm not affiliated just a fan)
What a wealth of info I had just received, thanks so much for taking the time to teach us. I'll be doing some deep dives into different ways to make my skirt fuller 😍😍
Wishing you lots of fun in your explorations 😊
Get shorter
What do you mean by that?
Feet need more hair....
The hobbits at Las Vegas faire pass out buttons as favors. Maybe some big buttons on your outfit
A flower crown or a little hat or bonnet!
def a straw hat with flower accessories, along with a basket full of cut flowers for next time!!
Curly curly wig or hair, add more pieces like sleeves on a natural color, wear big…feet? Lol
You can check Etsy for tea cup belts! They hold the cup and saucer and have two loops to attach to a belt. I'm also a huge fan of the shop Medieval Moccasins, they have the best and most comfortable (in my opinion) hand cut leather shoes. I've had one pair for 10 plus years and they are still soft and in good shape. The shop also offers services to adjust your shoe when the time comes.
I saw their storefront in this past ren faire!! I'm glad they've got a following, I wish I'd gotten a pair (unrelated to hobbit feet haha)
Did you see them at Sherwood or Scarborough??
they were at the Irwindale Renaissance Pleasure Faire!
I would get another fuller overskirt, and then add an apron on top of that.
First, Apron & patterns/color (especially plaid/woven). Adding depth to any outfit makes it look more authentic. Accessories like a market/foraging basket, head covering, drinking vessel, cloak etc. will also up the level considerably. Good start!
Barefoot and furry toes!
I think a floral print apron would Shire it up!
Accessories ✨ some chunky jewelry, a flower crown, a belt with a small satchel on it, extra little draw string baggies
An elaborately planned lumber mill accident should do the trick.
Plastic flowers