Our passion to help set the standard for reproducing late 19th Century garments begins with an understanding of all the details found in original/extant garments. Often, when we look at reproduction garments (film, reenactment, old time dress-up), we notice that they often repeat the mistakes found in tired, mass-produced reproduction patterns. To us, the only true way of recreating late 19th Century garments are by starting with an examination of original/extant garments. All our designs are based on originals garments and probably 80% of those specific designs are based on extant garments in our collection; if you view our social media (Facebook, Instagram), you will see our designs next to the originals that inspired them.

Side-by-side comparison. Now, bear in mind that our designs are not always line-for-line reproductions but rather we use various period design elements and combine them to create more of “inspired-by” creations.

This is the heart of the patterning/design operation- pattern pieces are checked by placing on a mannequin as well as “walking” the pieces and truing up the edges. Yes, this takes time and effort but it avoids mistakes and saves a lot of time and eliminates a lot of grief in the end. Trust us… In future posts, we’ll have more on our design philosophy.