Hogmanay

SCOTTISH NEW YEAR IN EDINBURGH

The torchlight procession has ended. The music, singing, and dancing has quieted. The bells chime midnight, and someone tall and dark is the first to set foot across the threshold, bringing a dram of whisky for prosperity's sake. Hogmanay is over—it's on its way to Ne'erday now. Where are you? You're in Scotland, of course, where New Year's Day—or Ne'erday—has a history that stretches back to the Reformation and Renaissance, and into the distant past.

Some form of winter celebration is present in most European cultures, and Hogmanay's longstanding tradition shows its ties to other European winter solstice festivals, the roots of which go back into the distant past, heralding a return of the light after the Longest Night. In most Christian European cultures, the pagan solstice festivals were ....Read more

12th Night History

THE TRADITION OF THE THREE KINGS

Bearing gifts we traverse a-far
Field and fountain
Moor and mountain
Following yonder star!

Twelfth Night or Twelve Nights, as it is called in some places, celebrates the arrival of the Three Kings to the birthplace of Christ. It is observed on January 5th, the night before Epihany, and marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, although Eastern Orthodox churches celebrate the arrival of the Three Kings on a different day.
The Three Kings, also known as the Wise Men or the Magi, were  ...Read more

Patterns for Medieval and Renaissance Costumes

 We carry a full line of Medieval Miscellenea costume patterns. If you are not familiar with this brand, each pattern comes with 5 to 10 variations on the theme and all sizes from 6 to 20. There are also extensive notes showing pictures of the historical garments that each pattern was based on with all documentation necessary to warm the cockles of a costume nazi's heart. The price is higher than a Simplicity pattern because you get so much more. When I use my Medieval Miscellenea patterns I never cut them up. I trace the size and variation I want to use on to tracing paper (large rolls are available from Michael's), make any alterations I might desire, and then I cut that up to make my pattern. Click to go to patterns.

Renstore celebrates its 25th birthday in October, 2016!

We have been active in the Renaissance business for more than 20 years. We began as Chivalry Sports Videos in October of 1991. All we had to sell then was just one video about the SCA called "Once Upon a Weekend" on VHS. No one had even heard of the Internet then, so we published a small catalog. That led to selling videos for Belly Dance instruction and audio tapes of filk music and a few other things. In a short time we added a few articles of clothing, belly dance jewelry, and books. Four years later we created the first online catalog for Medieval and Renaissance Clothing on AOL. In fact we were one of the first clothing stores of any kind on the internet. When we moved from AOL to our own domain, we changed the name of the online store from Chivalry Sports to Renstore.com because it was easier to spell. In 2009, we redisigned our webstore and moved to more secure cloud computing. Now we are stronger and faster than ever.

Our Guarantee

Most clothing can be shipped in less than a week, even if it is out of stock when you order. Our promise to you is that we sell only the most durable, well-made Renaisance costumes in the business and we stand behind everything we sell with a 30-day moneyback guarantee and friendly customer service. You have thirty days to make a return for a refund of the purchase price or store credit, your choice. If you are making a return for a defect, we will also refund the shipping, both ways! Call for a return authorization code first, please.

Boots are in stock and ready to ship!

Leather boots from ankle high to knee high and leather hats are available. We keep most sizes in stock and if the ones you want are not, call us. We can usually get what you want in right away.

Armor is in stock!

We have armor for sale right now. Helmets, gorgets, elbow and knee cops, gauntlets, and shield baskets, and more coming soon. All of our armor is made of mild steel and comes unstrapped and unpadded. All of it is SCA legal after it has been strapped and padded to your kingdom's standards. Please consult with your local marshallate for instructions and specs. Fighting in armor is inherantly dangerous and armor can not protect against all blows. Make sure that you have proper training and consult a doctor before engaging in Armored Combat or any full-contact sport. See all the Armor here.

Renstore has Mobilized

Renstore now has a mobile site at renstore.com that is formated to fit your viewer. The redesigned site recognizes if you are browsing from a Smartphone and adjusts the display for optimal viewing. If you have any trouble ordering from the phone you can press the "click-to-call" button and order over the phone. Try it out now and bookmark the site for future research.

Save money on shipping!

If you live in Sourthern California, Arizona, or New Mexico, ground shipping is as good as 2-day shipping in most cases from our warehouse. If you need it in a hurry, order only in-stock merchandise. Call if you need more specific information or email to us at customerserice@renstore.com.

Let others know about Renstore.com
Please pass the word to your friends that we are here and encourage them to sign up for our mailing list. You can really help us grow by putting a link to www.Renstore.com in all your My Space, Facebook, Twitter, and other networking pages and by mentioning us in your blogs.

Step in to Renstore.com, the Renaissance Store (Renstore.com) and shop our selection of Medieval and Renaissance costumes including accessories, armor, and other clothing, as well as wedding ideas. We also carry the largest selection of sizes from Very Small through 3X and 4X on many items. Whether you are into drama, the SCA, live action role playing games, the Renaissance Festival or Faire, or you're looking for masquerade or Halloween costumes, this is the place to find what you need to make your fantasy costume a reality. -Browse the column on the right to find special deals on everything historical reenactors, Renaissance Faire people, and SCA folk. The menu to the left leads to all of our departments. So whenever you're looking for costume ideas for medieval clothes, Renaissance apparel, or accessories, remember to shop online at Renstore.com prices are low, the look is fashionable and the people are helpful! When you are ready to checkout you can use our safe and secure checkout process that double encrypts your transaction. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and Pay Pal, too.