Finery Blog

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 […]

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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’ […]

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Past Board Member: Christopher Erickson, Member at Large

Why costuming?  What brought you here?  It was my first hobby after some personal turmoil in my life (love and professional). It was the fun that people were having and the ability to connect with people through their characters and costumes that made me want to put together my first costume. What’s your costuming focus? Science fiction, steampunk and comic […]

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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 […]

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Past Board Member: Evelyn Owens, Workshop Coordinator

Why costuming? What brought you here? I’ve been playing dress up, wearing costumes and performing on stage for as long as I can remember and even before. The best part of acting for me was always the costume. I believe that once you stepped into that costume you became that person. When I stepped away from theater to go to […]

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How to Be the Best Costumer You Can Be

by Vivien Lee This article isn’t about how to sew, put together an outfit, or win a competition. It’s about how to be the best version of yourself at an event. If you are new to the GBACG, welcome! If you are an old-timer, thank you for your participation in making our club what it is today. Either way, read […]

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Open House Wrap-up and Thank You!

by Frankie Lopez Wow! What a week and a whirlwind! Thank you to everyone who came to our Open House! And for all of the kind words and congratulations. It is always a delight to see so many of our members together and enjoying themselves. It would not be possible without our amazing volunteers who show up early, stay late, and wakeup […]

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Meet Your Board: Lauren Moyer, President

Why costuming?  What brought you here? I have been obsessed with historical costumes since I was little and had American Girl dolls and Tom Tierney paper dolls. I would draw them and make stories around the characters. That’s what got me interested in costuming. My mother also studied sewing and I’ve been sewing since I can remember. I didn’t know […]

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Clothes Make the (Victorian) Man

by Rydell Downward. Updated from the original publication in the September/October 2010 issue of Finery. The Victorian era spans the years 1837-1901. Fashions changed continually and drastically over that period, so there isn’t any one “Victorian” style, but there were consistent principles throughout the era. The ideal men’s silhouette was highly structured, stylized and unnatural to the modern eye; it […]

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Past Board Member: Breanna Bayba, Workshop Coordinator

Why costuming?  What brought you here? I have loved dress up and fantasy most of my conscious life. What’s your costuming focus? Emotion. Do you do anything else crafty or artistic? Many things. I have considered myself an artist ever since I can remember. What’s your day job? Stitcher at the San Francisco Opera. What was the first costume you […]

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