Rochester Dickens Festival

Resources

6.2.2011

RESOURCES

Useful sources of inspiration for anyone thinking of coming to the festival in costume. We have no commercial connection with any of these companies, but our spies have been out! If we have been contacted by a company, but haven't used them, we will make this clear.

If you are coming as one of the characters from a novel by Dickens it may be worth taking a look at the 'characters' page in David Perdue's Charles Dickens page

Costume Inspiration for the ladies...

The Costume Store
Based in Lewes, selling all sorts of theatrical props and costume supplies. A good source of gloves and parasols. (the small parasol is on board the 'Kingswear Castle' designed for a child, but works well as an adult fashion parasol if you extend the stick)

The Great Pattern Review
Part of a San Fransisco Bay Costume site, a source of inspiration and well worth exploring. Unfortunately it hasn't been updated since 2008, but it is still very useful.

Habithat
UK based source of European and American re-enactors patterns. The link takes you to the 'historical patterns' page, where you can click on '19th Century' and 'Victorian'. This is the easy way to buy patterns from the US and at the same time save on postage!

Madame's Mercantile
A small American company specialising in Victorian Accessories, and the only place we have found that sells reproduction chatelaines at an affordable price The website doesn't currently handle international orders, but they were happy to take an order by email and sort out the postage.

Gloves
The link we set up for a site that sold affordable ladies lace gloves is now selling something entirely unsuitable - avert your gaze! Now the best course of action is probably a search on Ebay or Amazon. Good search terms are Lace gloves', 'prom gloves' or 'opera gloves'.

Oh Sew Crafty
A Kidderminster based habadashery suppliers who have contacted us. Their website looks inviting, so let us know how you do.

Sew Essential
Useful UK supplier of patterns and haberdashery

Corsets-UK
Off the shelf' corsets. Look on the 'authentic steel boned corsets' page' - especially good value at sale time.

Vena Cava
This is a Corset and Costume Component Site based in Poole, specialising in resources for making your own corset. Also an increasing range of useful and uncommon patterns - look at the parasols in the 'accessories' section. Staffed by real people who reply to your questions!

Lavolta Press
We have been contacted by this American company selling books on historic costuming and vintage clothing. The site looks interesting - let us know your experience if you use them.

'Create the Mood' a new website set up by Frances Tucker selling historic haberdashery. A speciality is antique and vintage braids.

...and for the gentlemen

Classic Chaps of Rye
Worth dropping in if you are looking for men's costumes and within reach of Rye - a small shop with an eclectic collection of Victorian to 1950's men's clothing.

The Costume Store
As above, also for the gentlemen.

Darcy Clothing
Originally known as 'The Vintage Shirt Company', now known as 'Darcy Clothing' for the simple reason that they don't only sell shirts! The range of hats caught our eye. This company is based in Lewes in Sussex - we haven't dealt with them yet, so let us know how you do.

www.thegoodgift.co.uk
If you want to look like a gentleman a rose in your button-hole isn't quite enough - you need a silver posy holder. When we looked there was nothing around at the price we were willing to pay, until we found one at www.thegoodgift.co.uk

If you have found a useful site contact us

Website Resources

Custom buttons GR Sites

Clip art
www.copyright-free-pictures.org.uk/
Designed to a T
http://www.clker.com/

Image presentation Lightbox 2

ROCHESTER DICKENS FESTIVAL

RESOURCES

Costume Inspiration for the ladies...

...and for the gentlemen

Website Resources