Comments on: How to Define The Costume-y Look and Decide If That’s What You Want

By: Lost in [Dirndl] Translation – Emma Lily Designs

Lost in [Dirndl] Translation – Emma Lily Designs — Fri, 29 May 2020 17:31:36 +0000

[…] “costume” in English covers a WHOLE slew of variances! A topic for another day, our word “costume” can mean anything related to clothing. A Halloween costume, […]

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 16 May 2020 23:06:57 +0000

In reply to Alice. Or people adamantly insisting that corsets were torture devices made of leather.

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 16 May 2020 23:05:59 +0000

In reply to Alice. I read about people saying Garibaldi shirts and Zouave jackets weren't accurate to the 1860s. It's things like that that can get under the skin.

By: Jennifer Rosbrugh

Jennifer Rosbrugh — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 14:33:26 +0000

In reply to LadyD. Exactly the way to do it! We all started with inappropriate fabrics and shaky steps. The only way to learn is to just start where you're at and move forward. The skills and know-how come over time and with each project.

By: LadyD

LadyD — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 12:46:32 +0000

Sinced I’ve started focusing my historical sewing towards the cosplay end of the spectrum I’ve learned a valuble lesson. Incremental upgrades. Your first ‘costume’ may be made using cheap materials and the wrong patterns but its always ONLY the FIRST Step’ towards your final outfit. a placeholder if you will. You make it you learn a whole load of stuff. Next year you tweak it, replace elements and add others. Till several years down the line you;ve got yourself a passable historical outfit rather than fancy dress costume. This is a great way to do it if you have like me a limited budget or are not confident with skills.
I’ve been supplimenting my ‘closet cosplays’ by sewing new more historically correct items to upgrade.

By: Maryssa

Maryssa — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 01:29:39 +0000

I had kind of the opposite thing happen to me at a non-costume-themed party. It was late December, but not everyone in the group celebrated one of the various religious holidays from that time of year – let alone the same holiday – so we called it a pre-emptive New Year’s party. I wore a green, long-sleeved, long-skirted dress. The bodice was based on an Elizabethan corset and the pleats of the skirt at the back waist suggested a bustle. Several people came up and asked me if I was dressed as a Victorian caroller – despite my lack of bonnet or muff or songbook, despite my very modern ponytail and glasses and nail polish, and despite the shiny polyester sateen my dress was made of. Ironically, I probably wouldn’t have been asked if I’d been in a patterned dress. A lot of people outside the historical costuming community seem to think printed patterned fabric wasn’t invented until the 1950s or so. On the other hand, I was a North American woman under the age of 30 wearing an ankle-length skirt in a non-formal setting, so maybe it’s not so shocking people thought I was in costume.

By: Jennifer Rosbrugh

Jennifer Rosbrugh — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 04:30:50 +0000

In reply to Connie Nikiforoff. Thanks for the comment Connie. We all do the best we can with the resources we have but there is always room (and desire) for improvement. :-)

By: Connie Nikiforoff

Connie Nikiforoff — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 00:30:31 +0000

In reply to Robin. Love your efforts! Keep doing what you do and enjoy your time. One day, you'll be the one in the room with THE Best Dress on and you'll be helping out those of us who are still learning.