Make Your Own Ribbon Watch Chain
by Kathe Gust During the 18th century, watches became an indispensable accessory for both men and women. In menswear of the period, the trouser pocket for watch storage was called a “fob” and the decorative attachment to the watch was called a “chain”. Even today, many denim jeans have fob pockets, but those are actually easier to access than Georgian and […]
Putting Together a Western Outfit
By Christopher Erickson GBACG Board Member-At-Large Putting together a western or cowboy outfit can be something that can easily be accomplished utilizing items already in one’s wardrobe or cheaply found at any store or thrift outlet. OUTFIT SPECIFICS Shirts can be any dress shirt from a linen or poplin-style fabric. The material should be a bit rougher and less refined. […]
Men’s Cheat List for Costuming as a Patron at Dickens Fair
By Christopher EricksonGBACG Member-at-Large Here are a few tips and tricks that I picked up from starting out by costuming out of my closet that works great for men’s wear. Most men should either have most of these items in their closet or be able to find these items at thrift stores or online. Men’s shirt: A plain white […]
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’ […]
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 […]
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 […]
Paraphernalia for the Regency Man
Going beyond hat and gloves for the serious reenactor by Brian Cushing, First Published for the May/June 2014 issue of Finery While modern eyes view the Regency man as elegant and refined, contemporary conservative eyes looking on him would have perceived him as anything but. The wardrobe of some dandies like Beau Brummel were plain and rooted in those requiring […]
Accessories for the Regency Gentleman
by Chris Bertani, First published for the September/October 2013 issue of Finery The English Regency is a long period of time. Although technically it only covers the years when the future George IV ruled as a proxy for his father (from 1811 to 1820), the Regency period is often considered to encompass the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars as well […]
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 […]
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 […]
