Store bought or hand made? Authenticity and quality.

[Snowrose]

Once you have sorted out a few different designs for costumes, I'd recommend two or three different ones as renaissance festivals tend to be weekend excursions, you will want to decide whether you want buy your costume, make your costume or some combination of the two. Each option has a variety of pros and cons, and in the end you will likely end up with some combination of the two.

Pros for store bought:
Already made
Usually good quality
Can sometimes be very authentic to the time period you want to simulate

Cons for store bough:
Smaller choice range-- you get what they have, not necessarily what you want
More expensive than making it yourself

Pros for hand made:
You have the possibility of making it exactly as you want it
You have many more options for finishes, textures and colours
Less expensive

Cons for hand made:
Takes TIME. lots of TIME
May take a few tries before getting it just right

In either case, you will have to weigh your options-- and unless you start learning to smith, you will be buying your armor and real weapons. For armor, it is all about the quality, size, and complexity that will increase the cost-- so think on it and budget appropriately. For weapons, you can make prop weapons, but if you want to get into real weapons the cost jumps. Fantasy blades cost a similar amount as battle ready blades (for more info on the difference between blades see weapons 101) so you will have to decide what you want and wait until you have the appropriate funds to purchase them.

--The Ashen Dragon