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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Going Civilian: What To Research And Where to Look


     
     So now that you know a few places to start looking, you'll begin your process of weeding through suits to find the one(s) that will best fit your impression.

     The first thing that you should be doing is research; if you're looking for something for a 1920s impression, start looking at pictures of the era, ads, style guides, movies, and anything else from the era you seek to emulate. Photographs will give very good examples, while ads have color usually. Something that photographs will have, especially of ordinary people, is realism, whereas an ad, or style guide will show an ideal image. The difference between ideal images of the past and ideal images of the present though, is that the former are achievable and the latter often are not; one can go out and purchase a period suit, shoes, hat, etc. and look exactly like someone on an old ad, however, that is not the case with modern airbrushing and the ultra expensive clothing that is shown in modern ads, so there is no need to fret!

     Be wary of some of the more modern style guides on vintage/period fashion, as I've seen some sites that get facts completely wrong. British style sites seem to be the best, such as Gentleman's Gazette, which offers very good period examples and has very well written articles. A good American/international forum is The Fedora Lounge, but you'll need to create a profile for it. It's got a lot of people who show their impressions and clothing, and a lot of advice and suggestions as to where to go and purchase clothing.

     Anyway, after your research, you can start looking around, either in local antique/vintage shops or online. Some other great places than eBay are EtsyRuby Lane, and Darcy Clothing. The first three sell just about everything, whatever sellers put up, and the last, Darcy Clothing, makes a lot shirts, hats, gloves and other accessories for period impressions. They are very high quality and predominately made in England, if not all. Some stuff can be a bit pricy, but the quality is old world quality, so getting some of the stuff is about the same as getting an original piece of clothing.
     Your best bet for getting what you want for your impression is to get an original pice/set of clothing, get a reproduction/look-alike or just have something made. The least expensive options are the first two, as having clothing made is very pricy. Be careful of reproductions, make sure that it actually looks period, and that the materials aren't cheap. Synthetic materials are a terrible substitute for an original piece made of real materials. Often more modern substitutes are made improperly and are uncomfortable. Synthetics aren't made to be real clothing. Original clothing was made to be worn often rather than special occasion. Although original clothing will cost more, it's worth it in the long run, both for durability and for being authentic. The good modern substitutes that do exist will almost always come from Britain, and while they'll be well made, they'll usually cost a close price to an original. Sometimes getting a few new items is better, like the old starched shirt collars, since the new ones won't be stained, for example.

     Now that you know what to do(research and study your impression), where to look and some of what to look for, you'll be well on your way to finding period clothing and maybe even some newly made quality clothing and accessories. As long as you keep looking and are patient and picky, you'll be sure to get what you need for your impression! 


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