The focus of most reenacting tends to be military, and thus most reenactors tend to have an almost exclusive military wardrobe; and that makes sense since most events are military. There are some who do civilian though, and many of whom I know in the reenacting community, and even many outside of it, wouldn't mind having some period civilian suits in their wardrobe. There is a problem though; because most reenacting is military, there is much more military clothing available, since reproductions are being made. This is not the case with a civilian clothing however. The difficulty of getting civvies is finding them for a decent price, in your size and in good condition. They don't have to be perfect, since you can just take them somewhere and get a suit repaired, but too many holes becomes noticeable, as well as tearing or fraying, especially on formalwear. The key to finding a good period suit is patience and a keen eye; many are way too expensive(1930s and 40s suits sell for a lot)or too small, so waiting for one in your size and the right price can take some looking around. And since I just mentioned size...
It's really beneficial to know your measurements; your inseam, waist size, shoulders, chest, arm length, etc. You can go to a department store, like a Macy's or J.C. Penney, and they'll measure you for free, or just do it yourself. Most older suits are not marked with a size, so you'll either have to try it on, or you'll have to find them online. Sellers usually list the measurements, some even the actual sizes, which is nice. If something is too big, you can always get it tailored, but too small is an issue, unless you just need to lose some excess weight(and no, I don't mean starving yourself, I mean if you just need to get into shape).
Now, the places to actually find a period suit can vary an awful lot; every blue moon, local thrift stores might have something, but the best route is usually eBay or a specialty store, like Memories: Vintage Clothing & Jewelry, which sells early and mid-20th Century clothing and accessories. It's probably one of the best places I've been to. Other places to look for period clothing would be events; some reenactments or historical events sell period clothing, usually from private vendors.
One of the biggest places for this, and one of my favorite is WWII Weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA. This particular event lasts for 3 days, and is the largest WWII event on the East-Coast to my knowledge. There are many, many vendors, including Memories: Vintage Clothing & Jewelry, along with many others who sell furniture, clothing and memorabilia. The event itself consists of not only these shops and vendors, but also entertainment from radio performers for live audiences, evening dances with a live orchestra, singers, reenactors, military camps, period towns, original airplanes and rides, demonstrations, as well as much much more. One of the biggest highlights, perhaps the biggest, is having veterans from WWII there, which gives this event something very special; the chance to talk with them is priceless, and a great honor.
So now that we've gone through the basics, knowing what you want, knowing your measurements, knowing where to look(or some tips on the types of places to go to) and finding a good suit, I think anyone interested should be set. This is just the start though, I still have to talk about hats, shoes, ties and other, as well as some of the specifics of suits themselves, but that will be for future posts! Right now I think we have enough of the basics to get a start.
If anyone has any input, questions, corrections or advice, feel free to comment below!
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