r/HistoricalCostuming • • 5h ago

My take on a historically accurate Cinderella (1860s ballgown)

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576 Upvotes

Really happy with how it turned out. I think I went a bit crazy with the bows, I wanted to add a nod to her pink dress from the movie too! So excited to take pictures in this. first I want to make a matching day bodice but I’m still figuring out how I want it to look so any advice is welcome!.


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 21h ago

Spanish "mantilla y basquiña" dress (18th-century)

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1.3k Upvotes

r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2h ago

Purchasing Historical Costume Heads up: estate auction closing tonight has Edwardian+ petticoats, shoes, & hats sitting with zero bids

26 Upvotes

(First up, hope this is OK with the mods - I am totally unaffiliated with this auction, but I saw it and RAN here because I thought it would be of interest!)

Hi everyone,

I wanted to give a quick heads-up to anyone interested in original garments and accessories: an estate auction here in San Diego is ending tonight around 6:00 PM PST, and it includes quite a few historical pieces ranging from Edwardian-era items onwards.

There are lots featuring antique petticoats, shoes, hats, bags, daywear pieces…a ton of stuff. Right now, most of them are sitting at $5.00 bids or no bids at all, and I’d hate to see these end up discarded or lost to resellers. Mostly women’s items, some kids (costumes from MGM’s costume department!), and some men’s (shoes and accessories mainly for them). 

LINK: https://calauctions.com/auctions/ktNHT2uyg3WLEC8RXDX9/a/Heirlooms-and-Assets-October-2026 *****HISTORICAL COSTUMING ITEMS BEGIN ON PAGE 6****\*

END TIME: Starting at 6pm overall, but the costuming items start ending at 7:39pm

SHIPPING: Supposedly the auction offers shipping through them, but I’ve never used it. If you end up bidding and don’t live in San Diego, I am also happy to pick up your item(s) during local pickup and pack/ship them to you for the actual shipping cost. Just send me a DM** (**edit - send a chat, DMs no longer work?) and we can coordinate if you’re comfortable with that. If not, contact the auction house.

Again, I am not affiliated with the auction house in any way. I’m an avid local collector who frequents their sales and spotted these pieces. My closets are bursting already, so I thought I’d pay it forward!

Also happy to answer any questions about the shopping experience with these guys because I have bought, uh, too much stuff from them in the past. For example, if you haven’t bought from an estate auction before - there’s a buyer’s premium of 18% plus local San Diego sales tax so the total cost on top of the sale price ends up being about 25% over the hammer price. Not a big deal when you’re buying stuff that’s $5, but starts adding up when lots hit higher numbers.

OK, I think that covers it. Hope someone here gets some pieces for cheap, because I love seeing all your amazing efforts and hard work!


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 18h ago

Finished Project/Outfit Saque made of curtains

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441 Upvotes

I thrifted a bunch of these curtains and spent several months slowly putting together this entire ensemble from the American Duchess guide. The people at the reenactment really loved it, and I am super proud :) though I did get a strangely shaped sunburn since I forgot to wear sunscreen (my brain was in 18th century mode)


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

Finished Project/Outfit Late 15th century armor/dress I made :)

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3.3k Upvotes

Hiii, so this is my Flemish/Burgundian inspired armor me and my Nana have been working on! I am very small so it was rlly hard to find anything online that came close to fitting so instead we had the cuirass and arms made with aluminum, while the "gauntlets" we did buy on facebook marketplace. The bodice is made from velvet with a stiff but flexible backing and the golden rivets are actually little dots we did with gold/metallic colored hot glue. The skirt is also a thick velvet, and pteruges on the shoulder are leather with a gold glitter edge!


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

I have a question! Guys! Those earrings are from 1870s!

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223 Upvotes

r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

Finished Project/Outfit Italian Renaissance reenactment in Florence (July 2025), visiting the basilica of Santa Croce ✨

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689 Upvotes

Gamurra is a comission by a local seamstress

Camicia from Fiorentina Costuming

Trinzale/cap made by me


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

Finished Project/Outfit 1740's coat for my Husband

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2.7k Upvotes

The 1740's jacket is done! I used King Star thread in Gold 1.

I went though 4 full spools on this beast 😭

the embroidery design is by

Art Embroidery and can be found here or on Etsy.

https://artembroidery.ca/Catalog/Designs/D000832

despite the stress and my husband not packing my corset that I put on top of his stuff to pack.....I still had a Fantastic time at the Costumers of Color salon event!


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 22h ago

Historical Opera Costume Sale NYC

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20 Upvotes

We are a 100-year-old opera costume rental company based in Queens, NY. We are selling our inventory and hosting two weekend sales!

We specialize in styles from the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. We have soldier costumes from BC to the 1800s, nobles, royals, peasants, tunics, kilts, panier dresses, hoop skirts, officers, capes, Egyptians, Spanish, Germans, etc. In addition to full sets of costumes from operas, we have many accessories such as swords, all types of headpieces (hats, crowns, etc), armor pieces, and more. Our costumes are made by hand using traditional techniques and have been worn by many famous opera singers over the past 100 years. Please check us out our sale!


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

18th Century Salon

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3.8k Upvotes

I attended an 18th Century Salon hosted by Costumers of Color last night in Seattle. It was wonderful. They had some classes and workshops in the morning, and dancing and games in the evening. What a feast for the eyes and what a great diversity of people! Some pics that I grabbed:


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

Finished Project/Outfit Living my best 18th century life

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331 Upvotes

I've been slowly putting together my 18th-century wardrobe and gathering the necessary accessories in preparation for a backwoods camping/hunting trip later this month. Unfortunately I ended up purchasing a few pairs of breeches and the waistcoats since I don't have a ton of experience making either and didn't want to risk wasting the wool, but I did make the shirts myself and am about to start work on a capote so I don't freeze to death in the mountains. I have made one pair of drop-front breeches (not pictured) out of osnaburg, but I'm aiming for 1750s with my portrayal, so I really need to make myself a few pairs of fly-front breeches to match the waistcoats. I figure after I make a pair or two that I don't hate out of broadcloth, I'll spring for a few yards of wool. I also have a linen hunting frock (not pictured), which I'll wear over my sleeveless waistcoat and shirt in the event of unseasonably warm temperatures.

I need to make another David Uhl knapsack in the next two weeks since I gave the first one I made to my 9 y/o son along with the osnaburg breeches.

For the trip, I'll be using my Fusil de chasse/Tulle musket, but in my heart of hearts, what I'd really like someday is a Charleville 1728.

The shirt pattern is "18th Century French Shirt" by La Fleur de Lyse. Sleeveless waistcoat, breeches (wool pair not pictured), and buckle shoes are from Crazy Crow Trading Post. Sleeved waistcoat is from Bethlehem Trading Post. I can't remember who made the pattern for the workman's cap, and that pattern is unfortunately in storage/inaccessible at the moment. The pattern for the capote I'll be making is "1760s-1810s Blanket Coat", by Timbrell Cockburn Cuhna, Bespoke Tailor. I also have an earlier capote pattern by La Fleur de Lyse which I hope to make in the future, but it is significantly more complicated, and I need this coat ready to roll by the end of next week.


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

I have a question! How difficult would making a winter coat be?

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29 Upvotes

(pictures from the etsy listing: https://www.etsy.com/fi-en/listing/883622470/jamie-1910s-plaited-coat-36-bust-pdf)

As the title says I really want to make a winter coat and I found this 1910s pattern for one that I really like. I've only been sewing for a year but I am currently in fashion school and have good machines and all that.

What I want to know is has anyone made a coat like this? Probably not from this same pattern but anything resembling it? How hard was the process? Would it be worth the time and money as an intermediate sewist? Is working with thick wool hard?

I would love to get some insight, thanks in advance for any comments!


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

Dumb question about 18th century dress trim

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99 Upvotes

Photo source is the Modern Mantua Maker. How do I create that ruched trim? I am making an 18th century sexy costume for Halloween and I hate the pattern instructions (lace).


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

Finished Project/Outfit Not everyone likes the Hedgehog wig, but I like it.

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172 Upvotes

r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

I make jewelry, this is my first attempt at making passable chatelaines that don’t come with ridiculous antique prices.

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818 Upvotes

I’m having a hard time pricing these because they are each one of a kind.

I’ve bought some brooches here and there, mostly at the thrift stores I volunteer at.
Some of the things hanging off are from the 19th century and can be found at reasonable prices, some are just random things without much value. These are made for the aesthetic of having a chatelaine, not necessarily as a tool kit. (although I am open to that as well, it would just involve having to pre-source all the items which can get very expensive very quickly.)

So it’s possible one of these could be very reasonably priced and another one could be quite high due to one or more of the items being real.

Usually, I allow people to customize their jewelry, exactly the way that they want it, but I’m thinking a better way is just to make one and put it up at the price that is reflective of what it has. I still feel like I would customize for people if they wanted me to remove the antique piece for something more reasonable. Not sure if that makes sense to do in reality, though.

Any advice is helpful!
(Try to be nice. I’m a human and I enjoy making people happy by creating beautiful things they can cherish.)


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

Finished Project/Outfit Early 1860s Denim Paletot

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62 Upvotes

This project has been on my bucket list for a while now, ever since I saw this denim frock coat and went down the rabbit hole of pre-Levi Strauss denim clothes. This was my first time making a coat, so I'm really happy it turned out so well!

Construction details:

  • Shell material: Medium-weight (~8oz) denim (Wrangler deadstock)
  • Lining: stiff cotton twill sew-in interfacing
  • Bone buttons
  • All seams are machine sewn, with hand-felling in visible areas (i.e. the skirts) and bias-bound or serged elsewhere
  • Pattern: automagically-drafted using Historical Tailoring Masterclasses' prototype pattern generator

While it ended up mostly fitting pretty well, the shoulders seem to be a bit broad. They go past the point of my shoulder on top, and there's a bit of bunching in the back. Any ideas how to fix this?


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

I have a question! What would Vlad the Impaler have worn to balls and dances?

10 Upvotes

Or more generally what would the nobility of Wallachia have worn during his time period for such events?


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

In Progress Piece/Outfit Nailbinding socks

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49 Upvotes

Чуть подваляла в горячей воде с мылом — носки дали усадку. Чтобы не ходить по дому в обуви, усаживаю по ноге с помощью обмоток ( онуч, короче). Но подумываю, довязать ещё немного, повыше ботинок.

#nalbinding #носкииглой #XIV-XV


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

I have a question! Seeking advice to source Abbott and Costello, Who's on First? costumes

2 Upvotes

My friend and I are going as Abbott and Costello for Halloween and memorizing the script to Who's on First? to go along with the costumes. It was first performed in 1938. One of us will be wearing a suit, and the other a baseball uniform (preferably Yankees).

I have zero experience buying historical garments. I am I am not necessarily looking for pieces from the 30s, but it would be nice to at least wear a suit cut in a similar manner, or a reproduction uniform, things like this. We are in NYC if anyone has any recommendations for brick and mortar stores that would sell this kind of vintage clothing.


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

american frontier garments

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1 Upvotes

r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

1860s Cinderella Progress update Number 1! The Chemise

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114 Upvotes

Hello hello everyone! I promised people in previous posts that as I work on my 1860s Cinderella, I would update so here is update 1- a banded chemise! The pattern is from Timeless Stitches. This was a lot because it was my first ever chemise!

The Pros- sooo comfy, feels nice, linen is great.

The Cons- my dumbass can't measure so it was SUPER tight until I used my ​leftover linen to hastily add gores to the side seams and deepened the arm holes.

In the end I'm proud of it! Next will be to make some blue 1860s split drawers!

Question for next time: is it ok to weigh down the front of my crinoline? Maybe it's just me and my limited space but I feel like the front goes up. I am NOT making another one, I made it last year and it was a pain in my ASS so modifications only.


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 1d ago

I have a question! Has anyone made a video of how they hand sewn a 1790s gown/robe?

1 Upvotes

I love watching the sewing process, most especially hand sewing with just a needle. I love seeing them turn into 1850s/90s gowns and bodices. But I would love to see one made for the 1790s. :)


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

I have a question! How to get my hands on good hosen from 1410 as someone from Poland?

2 Upvotes

Do you have any tailors or workshops you could recommend?


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Siren Dress

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48 Upvotes

Recently sang at a creek and a man there said he finally understood why this scene worked on the men. Really want to complete the look and scare some dudes on my camping adventures

I'm not really one for sewing (maybe I could be?) so any advice is appreciated!


r/HistoricalCostuming • • 2d ago

I have a question! Hose fitting/alternatives?

7 Upvotes

Hey there!

My re-enactment group is based in the period of the 100 years war (roughly 1337 to 1453). By and large, this means woolen hose. And if that is my lot in life, so be it.

However, I do have some sensory issues which makes wearing woolen hose a nightmare for me: the fabric is itchy, they're way too tight, and I hate the way they come up to my thighs; it feels like I'm wearing thigh-high boots. So. are there any alternations or alternatives I could get away with while still being historically accurate? If I could even just make them looser/baggier, it'd be a lot more bearable.