Historical Resources

Historical Resources

Fabric & Supplies

Fabricmart - often very nice and affordable fabric. They frequently have huge sales.

Fabrics-Store - Cheap Linens and other fabrics. *

Renaissance Fabrics *

William Booth Draper - Historical Fabric including historical interfacing *

Burnley & Trowbridge - fabric, cravats/scarves, tools, etc.

Wooded Hamlet - Recommended to me by the tailors at Colonial Williamsburg for tapes and braiding. *

I often thrift many fabrics locally.

Patterns

Kannik’s Korner - mostly undergarment patterns

Laughing Moon Mercantile - Best patterns I’ve used but only sells digital patterns now.

Mrs. Depew - Vintage and late 19th century patterns, original and copies *

1827 Tailor Drafting Guide

Sellers

Townsends - clothes, tools, buttons, kitchenware, book reproductions, etc. (they have a men’s shirt that is less expensive than a handmade one but still very nice.)

Revival Vintage - Vintage reproduction menswear

Retro Fairy - Women’s vintage and historically inspired outfits *

American Duchess - Shoes, of course, but also stockings and buttonhooks

Lady Detalle - Very pretty historical reproduction jewellery *

Letter Seals - Wax and Wax Seals *

Penny River - general historical accessories *

Schmalberg Flowers - Decorative flowers made with original Victorian tools

Samson Historical *

Little Bits - Apothecary/ historical beauty products

Resources

The Art of Tying the Cravat - Book written in 1828

Pinsent Tailoring’s Pinterest

Historical Sewing Supplies 101 - Video

Costumer’s Manifesto - Has many resources to historical sources for costuming including drafting manuals and catalogues for the early 20th and late 19th century.

* I have not personally purchased from them but still seems like a good resource

* Friends and other costumers I’ve met have recommended or liked

The cravat is called the American or similar names such as Independence or Washington. It requires to be well starched and pinned in place. This cravat fabric is probably my favourite. It retains its crispness for hours while being light and extremely comfortable.

Le Blanc makes a joke about it when discussing it, “This style has many admirers here, and also among our friends, the fashionables of the New World, who pride themselves on its name, which they call “Independence;” this title may, to a certain point, be disputed, as the neck is fixed in a kind of vice, which entirely prohibits any very free movements.”

A very specific and powerful Kryptonite: cheerfully dumb characters with one (1) intense skill that they don’t even realize is difficult and are therefore not prideful about. Bertie Wooster can flawlessly sight-read brand-new pieces for jazz piano while also sight-singing the lyrics, but only does it because he wants to listen to the song and he has to perform it in order to hear it. He finishes virtuosic prima vista performances with “I say, jolly clever lyric, that,” as if he’d been listening to it on the wireless. He just somehow drank an entire martini while simultaneously playing a ragtime piece by ear, and all he knows is that he is ready for a refill. He thinks his greatest talent is the ability to grow a mustache. 

Wendell & Wild

Character design by Pablo Lobato.