Wow, this is an excellent post. My husband absolutely loves to costume and I've watched him through the years costume differently but very much reflecting both his non-fiction/historical interests and fantasy interests. We haven't really talked about it but it seems to me that he is a performer in personality and very much likes to be "in control" of the situation so he does this by assuming a persona. He is only comfortable in situations where he knows everyone well or is the one telling a story.
Lately, we are both into the Steampunk costuming scene and I've noticed that so are a non-trivial amount of SCA members. I'm thinking this is because Steampunk is a little more free to interpretation than SCA persona costumes are. Anyway, I have been able to put together two distinctly different Steampunk costumes. One is more "prim and proper" female (but I won't wear a corset) and the other is more of a steamship mechanic. Given my body shape and other features it would be a little more difficult for me to pull off a genderbending costume but I definitely tend to like to role play males or females masquerading as males. This makes it painfully external what I do in my everyday life as a systems admin in a predominately male field. I also find that wearing the "prim and proper" costume tires me out faster (maybe it's just the shoes).
BTW, I don't find you ugly at all but I do understand what you are talking about in this paragraph in both your Snape and Harkness characters. I think that at times we all feel similar feelings and insecurities.
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Lately, we are both into the Steampunk costuming scene and I've noticed that so are a non-trivial amount of SCA members. I'm thinking this is because Steampunk is a little more free to interpretation than SCA persona costumes are. Anyway, I have been able to put together two distinctly different Steampunk costumes. One is more "prim and proper" female (but I won't wear a corset) and the other is more of a steamship mechanic. Given my body shape and other features it would be a little more difficult for me to pull off a genderbending costume but I definitely tend to like to role play males or females masquerading as males. This makes it painfully external what I do in my everyday life as a systems admin in a predominately male field. I also find that wearing the "prim and proper" costume tires me out faster (maybe it's just the shoes).
BTW, I don't find you ugly at all but I do understand what you are talking about in this paragraph in both your Snape and Harkness characters. I think that at times we all feel similar feelings and insecurities.