A 1940s Aesthetic Guide
By Frankie LopezGBACG President The following links are my personal recommendations to achieve The 40s Aesthetic. Here are some resources and techniques to achieve this quintessential look. Hair Lotta Body Setting Lotion I typically dilute this in a spray bottle, and use it for my wet sets. This brand has been around since the 1970s and it is a great […]
Dressing for the 1940s USO Tea
By Kathe GustGBACG Membership Coordinator There are two things I will not be addressing in this article. I won’t discuss military uniforms, because if you wear uniforms you likely know more about that than I do. If you want confirmation of your authenticity, I suggest you look for articles like this one by expert Byron Connell “WWII U.S. Army Officers’ […]
How I made my Goddess Hera Costume
By Sabrina L. NelsonGBACG Member ResearchI’m from the “historically approximate” school of costume design. This means that while I will do a lot of research to make something look as period as possible, I don’t follow all the rules because I want to add more personal touches, and I love shine and glitz. So I Googled “Greek robe” and discovered […]
PSA: Lamp Shade Prevention
by Frankie Lopez. Published November 3, 2017 as a Facebook note. This little article will cover three of the most common mistakes for Victorian skirts, and some quick fixes. Before you get discouraged … I have done all of these. Every. Single. One. You are in good company. With that… let’s fix that skirt problem! Lamp Shade Effect: The Lamp […]
You’re So Fancy: How To Pull Together a Victorian Fancy Dress Outfit From Your Closet
by Catherine Scholar. Published as a Facebook note on September 26, 2017. Do you want to attend our Halloween Tea, but are afraid you’ll have nothing to wear? Do you look at amazingly detailed pictures of 19th century couture costumes and lament that you have no time to sew right now? Does the idea of making not just a Victorian […]
Turning Circles: how to draft a circle skirt pattern to your measurements
by Cybele A. Baker. Published in the September/October 2016 issue of Finery. The circle skirt has very little fabric at the waist and flares out to a full circle at the hemline. It can be any length you want but varies from person to person as it is reliant on your specific measurements. This is why you don’t see many […]
DIY Gentleman’s Cane
by Denise Tanaka. Published in the September/October 2015 issue of Finery. Recently I went shopping for a Victorian gentleman’s walking cane. The cheap plastic ones at the Halloween costume warehouses are… well, cheap looking. The very nice ones sold online are $50 and up— beyond my budget for outfitting a relative who may never wear the costume again. So I […]
There’s No Crying in Baseball
by Lynne Taylor. Published in the January/February 2015 issue of Finery. Just about everyone has seen the 1992 movie “A League of Their Own.” It stars Tom Hanks as a former professional baseball player, who becomes the coach for a women’s professional baseball team. The movie is entertaining and contains a mix of history and fancy that served to expose […]
Creating a Costume for a Fictional Character
How an author envisions her creation by Denise Robarge-Tanaka, First published in the November/December 2014 issue of Finery I write fantasy novels set in a faraway world of my own creation. My latest magical adventure, A Blighted Touch, is scheduled for release next spring. It’s about a mysterious chime that rings out a curse across the land. In one city, everyone feels […]
SciFi Costuming on a Budget
by Kathe Gust, First published for the July/August 2013 issue of Finery Thrift store science fiction costuming can work if you are open about the character you are willing to attempt. If you are planning to replicate something exactly, this is may not be the method for you. If you are willing to be the Ambassador from Planet X, a […]
