Finery Blog

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 […]

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Book review of Embellishments by Astrida Schaeffer

by Catherine Scholar, First published for the May/June 2013 issue of Finery Victorian costumers, brace yourselves! There’s a whole new world of inspiration and practical assistance coming your way. I recently had the privilege of previewing the first three chapters of Embellishments by Astrida Schaeffer, an upcoming book that details, well, embellishments. On late Victorian gowns. In here’s-how-you-do-it detail. Interested […]

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Regency Accessories: What you need beyond the dress

by Virginia Solomon, First published for the May/June 2013 issue of Finery The fashionable Regency lady would not feel her dress is complete without the appropriate accoutrements that will make your ensemble part of the Bon Ton. There are many accessories you could add to your ensemble for different occasions; here is an overview of the most vital of Regency […]

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Japonisme or Not?

by Sandy Vrooman, First published for the March/April 2013 issue of Finery When trying to trace the influences of one culture to another, where does one start? In the case of Oriental influences on western fashion, we could go back to Marco Polo’s travels and the introduction of silk to European royalty; the flat Chinese fans used at Versailles, and […]

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Adventures in Glove Making (or how not to reproduce Elizabethan gloves)

by Thena (T.E.) MacArthur, First published for the March/April 2013 I say that title with tongue firmly in cheek. Reproducing a pair of Elizabethan gauntlet gloves was rather fun, enlightening, and yes … satisfying, if for no other reason than I discovered quite a bit about my own levels of frustration and what I’ll need to do to avoid that […]

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Imbibing Fashionable Waters

by Deborah Parker Wong, First published for the March/April 2013 issue of Finery From sacred springs to the Roman baths, the healing power of water are found referenced throughout history. During the 18th and 19th centuries, “taking the waters” became a popular past time for the leisure class. Whether done at the advice of a doctor or simply as a […]

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Care and Feeding of Men’s Hats

by Cable Car Clothiers, Reprinted with permission for the January/February 2013 issue of Finery Your hats will actually improve with age with proper care! This is a brief guide explaining how: Touch your hat with clean hands; oils from your hands may stain a light hat. When you put your hat on or take it off or need to adjust […]

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The 1870s Year by Year

by Judith Hollenberger Dunlap, First published for the January/February 2013 issue of Finery The decade of 1870-1879 included drastic changes of silhouette in women’s clothing. The large elliptical hoop of the late 1860s was pushed back into a bustle, which was quickly dropped for a form fitting ‘natural’ shape. Natural in name only, as it was achieved by lengthening the […]

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When a Muslin Dress Just Isn’t Enough

by Jean Martin, First published for the January/February 2013 issue of Finery For most Regency events and balls, most of us costumers can get away with not wearing period-correct outerwear since we will most likely be indoors, or outdoors during the summer. However, if you want to wear a Regency costume this winter, or at an outdoor event such as […]

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Bits About Busks

by Cynthia Barnes, First published for the November/December 2012 issue of Finery The busk of the 1580s and 1590s is not simply a piece of wood, but comprises the stay, covering case and the points which secure it. We thought it would be fun to recreate one as it might have looked in Queen Elizabeth I’s time. No original late […]

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