Student Orientation

Student Orientation: Surviving (and Thriving at) Costume College

Hotel Liaisons Maegen Hensley and Jane Cadieux welcome you to Costume College at the Sheraton LAX—where the elevators are slow, the costumes are spectacular, and everyone seems to know where they’re going. (We promise, they don’t.) 

First time? Fifth? Fiftieth? It can feel like you’ve stepped into a glittering whirlwind of corsets, cravats, and caffeine. If you’re currently experiencing “deer in headlights but make it 18th Century Hair,” this session is for you.  Join fellow newcomers—and a few seasoned veterans who survived and came back for more—for the inside scoop before your weekend begins. We’ll answer the questions you’re afraid to ask and the ones you don’t even know you have yet.

  • We’ll cover important mysteries such as:
  • Where your classes are (and how early you need to leave to find them)
  • Where to see the jaw-dropping exhibits
  • What actually happens Friday and Saturday night
  • How to get involved with CGW and Costume College
  • Where the info and volunteer desks are when you suddenly need safety pins
  • And yes… what is up with the badge ribbons?!?!
Expect practical advice, honest tips, and a few stories that will make you feel much better about anything you accidentally glue, forget, or wear backwards.  There are skills to learn, friends to make, and costumes so glorious you may briefly forget how to blink. Whether you’re a longtime reenactor or brand new to the costuming world, come meet your people.  We’ll send you off confident, prepared, and ready to dive headfirst into a weekend of creativity, community, and possibly more trim than is strictly necessary (if that's even a thing)!