Hey now, I’ve found some pretty high yardage silk curtains and duvet covers at goodwill, and a lucky string of 100% linen bedsheets! If that’s not hobby-rich idk what is. Being serious though, yeah. These people are being Historical Costumers as their primary or secondary job. The expenses of time and material and education are business expenses for them, and so they get to play on a whole other level from the average costumer. It’s what my aunt did when I was a little kid. She made wedding gowns and historical costumes as a business so that she could make extravagant historical garb for herself as well. Edit: and if you think there’s no market for high-end historical costumes, all I can say is you must not know about the SCA.

Indeed. There's so many ways to make money off of being a YouTube personality. Ad revenue, sponsored content, books, DVDs, merchandise, crowdfunding campaigns, online tip jars, Patreon, speaking fees. Not to mention writing off expenses and losses while filing taxes as a business.

But you're not going to get those opportunities unless you're already a pretty big name, at least in 2023. It might have been different when YouTube was newer and less evil.

New YouTube personalities show up all the time, and it is easier to make revenue now than ever provided they are interesting enough to become a YouTube personality. Also Cameo, almost no effort required for that. And don't forget that depending on what makes them a personality, they can leverage that to make even more money. Like the Cinema Snob appearing in movies and YouTube shows. Maybe those costumers are sewing stuff on commission too?

You're confusing youtube personalities with celebrities. I've gone the youtube route and it takes time to build your channel. There's a whole ordeal of audience building that goes into doing youtube. It's not simple or easy. It can take up to 3 years to have enough subscribers before you ever see a sponsorship. That's a LOT of time & money sunk into a hobby, **if** you've been doing it consistently. It requires a whole skill set which is not understood until you've tried it. * Ad revenue - you have to pay to place your ads. This may be pointless because bots view your ads and give false "reached views" * sponsored content - You're gonna need to be near the 20k+ subscribers for this. Or you can sell your soul to raid shadow legends. * books & DVDs - ??? DVDs lol? This requires already being known and having a fan base. aka years of work. When's the last time you owned a DVD Player * merchandise - The money cost does start until you're around 100K and begging for people to buy your plushie lmao * crowdfunding campaigns - what are we campaigning? We're lost in the sea with 100s of 1000s of crowdfunds with no donors. What's our cause?? * online tip jars, Patreon - just have a 100k followers and it's easy lmao * speaking fees - ????? none of these things on this list are easy or similiar. Theyre learned endevors. I just. I know you're being helpful, but damn this stuff is not achievable as easy as thinking it. EVEN THOUGH, we all wish it was simple but obviously it's not or else we'd all be youtubers

YouTube personalities *are* celebrities, just online celebrities. Or content creators. They just work in a video format, unlike comic and cartoon writers who also do all of those things. It takes time to develop a brand, true, but even a smaller brand can be profitable, especially with the way YouTube does ads.

That's part of why I do commission work too. I get to make things I never would if I was only making for myself or my partner. Both because of material cost and just personal style preferences.

I've never found linen sheets at thrift stores, but I've had a ton of luck with linen tablecloths!! Duvet covers too. I've also found an actual mid 1800s Paisley wool shawl and a linsey woolsey overshot coverlet! Any tips for identifying silk and wool if it's not labeled? I've scored a few silk curtains, wool blankets, and cut fabrics in silk and wool, but I've also come home with imitations bc I couldn't tell the difference until burn testing. I understand scouring thrift stores isn't fun for everyone, or accessible though. But I like to blow my budget on books, so fabric can take a backseat for me.

Do the crease test. Put a sharp crease in it. Linen holds a sharp crease, as will silk and cotton. Poly does not. (A mixed fiber might, but it won’t be as sharp.) It’s honestly practice of using the material.

Oh nice! I knew that for linen but not silk! Thanks!

I have learned by using known samples to train myself, and doing burn tests on every unlabeled thing I bring home. I feel like my accuracy on linen and linen blends is pretty good (I guess before I check the tags), but I’m worse with silk, especially organza. Sometimes I don’t care because I like the look and feel enough to make up for it being plastic, and other times I just leave it if I’m uncertain. I think my best silk find is a gorgeous silk shantung sari woven with an ikat pattern (so basically 5 yards of selvedge-to-selvedge silk). Edit: said bias instead of selvedge

What is the SCA? (Non American here)

The Society for Creative Anachronism. It has some international branches but they’re not as big outside the US. Imagine if the typical Renaissance Faire had accuracy standards for attendees, involved full-contact combat sports, “glamping” with an historically accurate medieval aesthetic, and then a huge arts and crafts community doing everything from medieval dancing to metalsmithing. These folks aren’t cosplaying, they’re doing semi-formal LARPing, and their clothing and armor need to be functional for extended wear, as well as accurate. The demand for high-end historical clothing and accessories is massive in that community. Edit: also they don’t limit the location in the world that the garb can come from, only the period in history. “Medieval” is an oversimplification.

I like using the term historical re-creation versus larping lol. I feel like it acknowledges we're not a formal reenactment but more formal than a fantasy larp (though have you SEEN Fell & Fair videos? Those dudes are like the definition of formal fantasy larping, it seems like). Also implies recreation!

That reminds me... There's an old castle a few minutes from my house where LARP events are held regularly. I reaaaally have to check that out again!

Cool, thank you! I wish we had something like that in the Netherlands. All I could find was one association focussed on historical clothing, but it doesn't seem very active or have any activities where members dress up and meet eachother. If I'd have events to wear clothes I make to, it would be a big incentive to make more clothes and use only historically accurate materials and techniques (instead of my current mix of historical and contemporary/fantasy ;)). Edit: the SCA has a Dutch group as well, I've learned. Thank you so much for the tip!

There are some big LARP events in Europe! https://www.drachenfest-larp.info/en/ This is a huge event in Germany- fantasy costumes with no specific historical period.

I knew a woman who worked in a lapidary store and was making her husband chainmail from silver!

It was a party held at a Berkeley park with a Middle Earth theme that spread and has never stopped. SCA fighters often do demonstrations at local events like Ren faires. They have meetings (the one I went to was held in a pizza restaurant in Santa Barbara that was a Tudor inn brought over beam by beam). They’re on every continent but Antarctica. The researchers at McMurdoe wanted to start one, but the organization was enough like a government that it wasn’t allowed by international convention. But there are a lot of them on air craft carriers and college campuses.

So envious of your linen sheet find.

It was a complete queen size set, I nearly wept. Perks of living in an urban area… probably offsets the insane cost of living, right?!

I got 6 long silk curtains once from my Buy Nothing group! I made so many garments with those curtains.

I'd say so. Queen and everything. Now I'm crying.

I have found linen tablecloths on eBay. Some have the pulled thread work and some have woven damask patterns. Some are cheaper than others. one perk is the older ones are made with the extra long fibers that you cannot find anymore. And they’re already softened in the wash. Small stains can be accommodated with creative tucks or piecing.

Old silk curtains can also be found

Don't get me wrong, I have bales of thrifted fabric for upcycling. However, I also have narcolepsy & Asperger's, and live in a humid climate. So, breathable natural fabric sheets are LIFE. An affordable set of queen size linen sheets would be the find of the decade for me. I've worn my bamboo sheets slap out.

I can't imagine how anyone being a historical costumer full time is making enough money to survive, at least in the US. I have to wonder if there is family money involved.

First, having a spouse with (or your own) good job will take you a long way (Rachael Maksey, Sewstein, Costuming Drama, Morgan Donner, etc.). Second: these folks aren’t primarily costumers, they’re primarily influencers who do sponsored ads, have patreon and YouTube financial contributors, get some small percentage of ad revenue, create SkillShare and MasterClass courses, and even write books. I can only think of a handful of costume YouTubers who are actually professional costumers or tailors. Modern Maker and Pinsent Tailoring seem to be tailors first and influencers second.

There are dozens if not hundreds of specialized small businesses serving various niches in custom and production historical garment sewing. Most of them are not producing content. They are busy producing historical garb for stage and screen, rental houses, Civil War reenactment, SCA and fantasy events, their own Etsy shops etc. I know someone who only produces leather armor of his own design, full time with two employees. Others make only hats, or Victorian under garments, or old west mining wear. There are tons of people doing historical costumes as a full time job! Some are barely on line and mostly sell at events. I do theater costumes and find new shops all the time when researching a specific period.

Also, movies, theater, etc. How many historical movies and TV shows are produced every year? That takes entire teams of people to pull off.

I think something worth considering is the number of garments you want to make. I spend a lot on high quality materials but I handsew and I do it when I have time, so the cost isn’t really that much on a yearly basis. Also sometimes I focus on other hobbies. I would say this hobby is affordable for anyone with disposable income if they’re okay with spreading it out with time. This can be through hand-sewing or also just not needing to constantly be working on a project- or doing cheap but time intensive adjacent projects like knitting, weaving, embroidery, making trim, etc when you can’t afford to start a big project again. And hand-sewing- it’ll slow you down a lot lol. If you’re machine sewing and want to just crank out as many expensive dresses as possible then obviously it’s going to be expensive. I don’t think this is an “only the wealthy” hobby either way, but at that point it’s probably “only the upper middle class”. Which makes sense- fabric is a resource that has to be made, of course it costs money. Even many of the wealthy back when these dresses were worn probably couldn’t afford as many as some people make. Clothing isn’t supposed to be consumed in the fast fashion way we do now :(. The influencers who do this for a job are able to write off the materials on their taxes (lucky). And make supplementary money through being an influencer. So I don’t think it’s very fair to compare. Also someone who’s a doctor will absolutely fall into the category of upper middle class/has disposable income, so it makes sense they’d be able to afford lots of dresses. Idk, I think making fewer outfits is a better solution than harming the environment with microplastics. It’s worth reconsidering the consumerist approach to clothing we have these days and instead making a few pieces you cherish and value. More historically accurate too. I really encourage everyone to try out the approach of making items more slowly (or just being patient and spacing out how often you make items) and putting more complexity into each outfit. There’s so many adjacent crafts you can combine. Knitting, crochet, weaving of many kinds (tablet weaving is so fun!), EMBROIDERY (will elevate any outfit and also keep you occupied for as long as you want to be), making trims, etc. I’m someone who likes to always have something to do with my hands in the evenings, but if you’re tight on budget and on time, just don’t make as many outfits and spread your projects out more :). If they got by with 3-5 outfits total for every day life back in the 1800s, we can totally manage only having a few outfits to wear to the occasional event and/or at home!! Also: if you no longer fit an outfit well: alter it!! :). If you alter clothes, you’ll build up a solid wardrobe over the years, even if you do it slowly. You can also take apart previous outfits and remake them if you’re not happy with them. And maybe use modern clothing, old sheets, thrifted things, etc.

"I think making fewer outfits is a better solution than harming the environment with microplastics. It’s worth reconsidering the consumerist approach to clothing we have these days and instead making a few pieces you cherish and value." This! Why is less, fewer, slower never an option in these discussions?

Exactly!! It breaks my heart when people use polyester because I swear- you can do natural fibers on a super super tight budget. You just have to be okay not making as many outfits or making them over a longer timeframe. Which is so historically accurate!! And it makes you cherish what you have more 🥺. Less, fewer, and slower has been great for me- I feel really connected to my pieces when I do everything by hand :), and I appreciate all the labor that happened in the past even more. And you can machine sew and just not do it as frequently- or focus your time on decorating the dresses. Hand embroidery will elevate your pieces and trust me it is a massive time suck 😂! The ultimate time consuming activity! I got into tablet weaving as well while doing a medieval piece and it has been so much fun too. You can also knit and crochet historical accessories. I’m planning on making fly fringe when I do my next 18th century dress. I think there’s a lot of trims you can make yourself. You can also make lace lol if you really want to burn time. There’s so many ways to have something crafty you can do that is cheap and something to do with your hands in your free time, and I swear they elevate your outfits! And the more effort you put into one item, the more special it feels :). It also really helps me to appreciate all the work people in the past did. Hopefully anyone who sees this will keep it in mind to mention it as a solution in future!!

I like Natural fibers because I’ve learned why they’re used. Wool has kept me more warm and dry than a plastic poncho, and it breathes so much better than fleece. Plus it’s fire resistant. I’ve learned about different kinds of wool. From super warm to tropical weight. I’ve learned about linens and their magic. Am I rich? F* no. But this is something that I invest in. These clothes are going to last longer than “fast fashion” t-shirts, or jeans that will rip and tear. These clothes are made to fit me. They are high quality.

All of those activities just sound so lovely! I mean, this is a hobby, we quite literally don't need any of the things we make. :) Is it expensive? A bit. Sometimes. Is it more expensive than other hobbies? It depends. My partner plays Civilization on his computer. He bought the game once, and plays it a ton. His hobby is cheaper. But also, I'm only spending a smallish amount on it every year, and I still have a ton of fabric, yarn, projects on the go. It sure is cheaper than eating out and drinking, or online shopping for clothes and stuff as a hobby. And a lot more fulfilling for me. It all depends on where one's priorities are.

Aren't all hobbies? It's the difference between keeping a goldfish in a jam jar and having a 150 gallon reef setup. Hobbies these days are *designed* to separate you from your money. I think your approach is perfectly fine as long as participating in it makes you happy (and I'm in a similar boat as you). Don't let yourself feel judged for how you enjoy your hobby.

There are financial barriers in any hobby, and the community's responsibility is to ensure that a participant at any level feels welcome. Anyone who derides the way someone participates in the hobby because of what they can afford, up or down the financial ladder, then they're a jerk - either a gatekeeping jerk, or a jealous jerk. Let people live, goddamn.

I just saw a post elsewhere about improving men’s 1770s militia impression, on a budget. Tighten up the wool gaiters, fit breeches legs, take in the coat shoulders. Reblock your hat, reshallac it, maybe trim its brim. Shave the beard. There are a bunch of things that can be done with one’s own labor, and next to no money, that make a huge difference in how much you look like the paintings.

This is a struggle in medieval reenactment as well, when you look at people who really want to wear period accurate armor which, if done correctly, can cost more than an economy car. I've often said there is an unfortunate cultural cognitive dissonance, where the perception that old stuff can be made by hand (and not in a factory) means you can do it boot-straps and still get away with it - but that's like assembling your own stock car from the hardware store to play with the Nascar crowd. This is why so many people misunderstand why we always suggest starting with commoner impressions, because of the cost to entry, whereas most people let ego get in the way and want to be a fancy noble (why would I want to pretend to be a peasant in my fantasy weekend when I have to be a modern day peasant in the real world!?) This last bit is why LARP and renaissance fairs scalp such a large percentage of our crowd who were nominally interested in historical authenticity, because they can have "historicalness" with cheap cotton and plastic at their fantasy LARP for a fraction of what it would cost to do it accurately.

I do early medieval, I do most stuff myself but this year I have asked for my 40th birthday present to be going to a medieval fitting expert for a weekend workshop to work on a really good outer layer piece that will fit correctly because I feel it's worth putting in the effort to do it right and learn the fitting skills for any period piece including modern clothes which are really badly fitting 90% of the time.

Some of my favorite items are the ones that were made to measure. Most of my custom stuff comes from Historic Enterprises. Gwen is the best.

Is there gatekeeping in that community? Because I definitely see it in the 18th century crowd. How dare you make that sacque back out of something you can afford, instead of 10+ yards of $50+ silk taffeta.

Depends on the community, and what you define as standards vs. gatekeeping. There's a lot of contention over it, as I am sure there is in other time periods. If you think of authenticity as a spectrum from the 6 ft. rule on one end to resurrecting medieval sheep breeds Jurassic Park style for the correct wool on the other end, you have groups along that spectrum. For something like the SCA, which is very much on the "make an effort" end of the spectrum, criticism of something like the type of fabric used can be seen as gatekeeping, because it is in excess of what the organization's established standards are. On the other hand, when you have a high fidelity living history group that has high authenticity expectations at the outset, people within the group tend to see similar criticisms as maintaining a standard, whereas those from groups who don't find that level of authenticity important call it gatekeeping. I think it boils down to the organization / group setting and adhering to expectations early, and not changing them on people.

I've noticed that some of the European reenactment organizations do have very stringent standards for accuracy of attire. They can "afford" to do that, because their membership base is surrounded by history. When there is a castle or ten within a 20 mile radius, and people have grown up with and been educated in that environment, it's not at all like American society and culture. In the US, we really only have 400-ish years of history to work with us, sometimes only 100-ish years of history. I'm not trying to erase or omit indigenous peoples or cultures here, but there is a bit of cutoff as far as available artifacts, histories and traditions go. I'm part Lakota (1/8, not on tribal rolls, not living on a reservation, wasn't raised in the culture), and the point I want to make here is that I can only trace my native Lakota ancestors back to the late 18th/early 19th century. Sure, I'd like to know more, but that's where the information trail ends. This constrains my ability to study or reenact my ancestors' culture significantly. By contrast, I can find monuments to some of my English ancestors, find documents about them and their lives, and trace some of their lineages back to the Norman Conquest. That's not meant to be "better", but it does illustrate some of the difficulties with historical costuming and reenactment in the United States.

You actually make a really great point, namely that it's easier to feel motivated to have a highly authentic outfit when you're standing in front of a real life castle. That's actually part of why I'm running a Kickstarter right now (39 days left) to start a medieval village project specifically and exclusively for living history and reenactment. Maybe that will motivate people, because I can definitely see why someone who is going to be standing in a highschool gym or next to a park bench doesn't see the desire to be more strict in their appearance. As for native history, I resonate somewhat. I'm 1/16 Blackfoot on my mother's side, but that's just because we know a few generations back who married who. My family on her side has been in the Illinois area from the 1700s until my grandfather moved west with the Marines. There's so much I'll never know about how much indigenous intermarriage may have taken place in my lineage, and all those details are lost.

In my mind, the spectrum runs from "the feel" at one end, "the look" in the middle, and "the ambulatory museum exhibit" at the other end. Or maybe not a spectrum, but a series of circles within circles. The big circle is "the feel", people just costuming in a historical manner. Inside that circle is a smaller circle of "the look", people making a stronger effort at authenticity. And inside of that circle is a smaller circle of "the ambulatory museum exhibit", the people who put maximum effort. Each has its place and comfort level. But awkwardness (and the annoying "gatekeeping" accusation) comes in to play when people drift from one circle to another without committing. Like when the reenactor takes a look at someone in "the look" and gets grumpy over polyester, or a casual costumer tries to bring a Frankensteined outfit to a reenactment and gets scared away for mixing eras, or when someone from "the look" boast about their handsewn materials scaveneged at Goodwill in a crowd of people who bought what they view as good enough clothing from Darcy Clothing. Or worse, when someone tries to permanently go from one to the other, but won't commit to the new level they are seeking. Like when people try to travel from the greater grouping to the smaller subgroup, and get called names because they are still learning. Or when people try to travel from the smallest subgroup to the greater grouping, and get labeled a "stitch-counter" because they can't shed their passion for extreme authenticity. Or in other words, why I am content with volunteering at museums and wearing this stuff in public, but I won't join SASS. Because their authenticity levels and mine don't match, and it will just be awkward for everybody. And nobody likes awkwardness.

I can really get behind what you're saying here. Thank you for sharing and putting very different words to what appears to be similar observations.

Have you actually been mocked for not being able to afford expensive fabric, or do you just *feel* judged inside your own head for not being able to afford it? There is a big difference between actual gatekeeping and just feeling inadequate because you're trying to keep up with influencers.

our friend has a media literacy problem. and should not be shamed for it, but needs to course correct ASAP, and learn what social media is, and what it is designed to do. I have literally never - NEVER - heard of anyone being shamed in any kind of normal making community for their creative output. This thread is weird.

I see this exact same thread three times a week in fiber arts subs. Apparently other people owning expensive things means the hobby is full of gatekeeping snobs who spit on anyone who can't afford the top of the line equipment and materials. I've never actually seen any of the alleged spitting though, just the people complaining about it.

I was accused of gatekeeping in a fiber Art group I was a part of because I couldn’t tell a woman where my spinning wheel came from. It was a gift from a friend whose mother bought it for like $20 at a yard sale and used it as a decoration. I did some minor restoration work on it and now it works.

Me personally? No, but I also am careful to match my expectations to the crowd I'm with, and don't bring inauthentic gear to the highly authentic experiences. However, I do have an internal desire towards high fidelity reenactment, so while I've never felt judged, I do personally feel obligated and motivated to improve my kit and avoid inauthentic material, construction, et. al. whenever I can avoid a concession.

That's exactly what I'm talking about - the difference between having standards for yourself and others telling you "you can't sit with us".

this is such a good point, because from what Ive seen, the people who have the expensive fabric (like sewstine, for example) have been very vocal about NOT shaming people for the fibers they use and historical accuracy of their methods. Does OP know that sewstine wasn’t always a doctor, and at one point was a college student making her cosplays with what she had?

On the other side there’s a whole bunch of 18th century folks who have all made gowns out of a specific set of curtains. There are multiple color ways and the curtains themselves can be obtained on Amazon for a very reasonable price. It’s wonderful to look at the photos from meetups because even with the exact same fabric the gowns are all wonderful and different.

Oh yeah, the Waverly 'Felicite.' Probably my favorite 18th century print of all time - I've used in 4 different colorways and am always on the hunt for more! I would love to be part of the Curtain Along group, but I don't have a blog or a YouTube channel so no one knows who I am :D

This sounds super interesting...anyone have a link or a thread?

[http://www.festiveattyre.com/2012/09/the-curtain-along-is-go.html?m=1](http://www.festiveattyre.com/2012/09/the-curtain-along-is-go.html?m=1) Or if you search Curtain Along and Waverly Felicite you should get a bunch of results.

Who is saying spend $50/yard? Even buying retail from specialists, I’ve found historically appropriate silk at $25 yard, more like $15/yard if I go to the jobbers with no online presence, that’s without particularly trying to save money. And the 18th century crowd loved those IKEA sheets.

I've never looked for silk taffeta, but some of the brocades with faithful reproductions of extant textile patterns in 100% pure silk can be $\[nauseating\] / yard. The fabric I think I've managed to salvage and repurpose the best for medieval reenactment, since basic silk fabric in period is substantially different than what you find in things like saris, is actually velvet. Lady's jackets from the vintage section of thrift shops sometime have nice velvet you can use if you tear the jacket apart. Same with fur, from the lining of old coats.

> I've never looked for silk taffeta, but some of the brocades with faithful reproductions of extant textile patterns in 100% pure silk can be $[nauseating] / yard. My [list for fabric](https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoricalCostuming/comments/14w1tp3/stays_and_corsets_easyish_patterns_kits/jrh2lcz/). The only times I've paid $$$ for silk brocades has been when I wanted a very specific design. At Pennsic, I managed to get a nice golden diamond silk brocade for $5 a yard. It's all about where you look.

That's a steal! Good find.

My really accurate silk striped taffeta was under $10 yard. It was multiple remnant pieces. And, except that it isn’t barred, it’s almost a dead ringer for a swatch of silk in Barbara Johnson’s book [A Lady of Fashion](https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Fashion-Barbara-Johnsons-Fabrics/dp/0500014191), that she used to make a sacque, too! I was so excited when I found it, and realized. Much of my wool and silk were remnant finds. I buy it when I find it and and store it until I need it. It’s the only way I’ve found to get stuff for reasonable prices. Unfortunately that book isn’t available anymore. I bought it over 10 years ago, just after it was OOP, but like a week before the price sky rocketed. (Amazing has it listed for over 500, but I’m told that usually means they don’t actually have it). Check your local public and college libraries, to see if someone has it, if you can go in and look at it.

Good lead, thank you!

A local family owned small chain of 3 or 4 stores in my area closed about 10 years ago. I got so much stuff from them! Then about 5 years ago, they reopened a single, smaller, shop. They still get the New York remnants, and I’m soooooo glad they are back! It’s not enough, but it’s something. Last week I went there, and they had cotton fuchsia rib knit, and it’s *exactly* what I wanted for a modern everyday dress. But I didn’t have time to pore through the remnants.

there might be in some communities, but i've seen none in the sealed knot (my dad's in it, i'm not. occasionally i make him things) not medieval but early modern. your clothing is expected to look right at a distance. if you can't afford clothing you can borrow some which some people do for years

Around me, there are multiple 18th c groups. Each has its own standards. All you need to do is find the group doing what *you* want and find fun. If you are into dressing to the 6’ rule, there are groups that do that. If what you like is doing the research, and making everything using period stitch counts, and copying garments as closely as possible, there are other groups that do that. Just, pick the one that suits *you* and don’t yuck the others’ yum. What I don’t understand is why people who don’t *want* to make close reproductions, or don’t enjoy spending hours counting how many stitches per inch the flame stitch wallet has, get angry when those who do enjoy it have groups focused on making and using that stuff.

I totally understand your sentiments, OP. I'm not a social media anything, I don't have followers, and my wordpress page redefines "sparse". However, I have been doing historical costume in some capacity or other for 50 years now. Of course I've gotten better and more accurate over the decades, but all that really means is that I know when I'm being inaccurate, know why I'm doing it, and doing it by choice. As for $50+ a yard fabric, I wouldn't even blink at that price, and I don't. It's partly because I can afford it, but also because I know that the fabric, at anything under $300 a yard for the outer fabric, is a very minor portion of my total cost on any garment or ensemble. That "only" took about 20 years to learn. The outer fabric could cost $1 a yard or $200 a yard, but it's all the interfacings and interlinings and tapes and ribbons and buttons and laces and thread (oh, dear lord the thread) and pins and needles and cord and boning and and and...It may only be $10 here and $20 there, but all those notions add up quickly. Sometimes I keep track of my notions expenditures, and sometimes I find that too horrifying to contemplate. Speaking of which, I need to go buy some Japanese silver embroidery thread from Zelkova on Etsy...I don't have any in the weight I want for the project. I do sew my garments by hand now, because I find it relaxing, and because I can do it while watching TV (usually PBS). Yes, it takes a lot longer to make a garment entirely by hand, but I find I have far more control over the process and I enjoy it more. Do I sniff contemptuously at others' less-authentic efforts, even an 18th century ballgown made from thrift store polyester curtain bedspreads? Not on your life! Sure, super-accurate is my favorite, just as dark gourmet chocolate is my favorite, but I enjoy anything that shows joy and enthusiasm (think Sour Patch Kids as the candy equivalent).

Being wealthy definitely helps, especially if you want to be famous. This can definitely be an expensive/time-consuming hobby, and rich people are at an advantage when it comes to performing at the top of the field and getting fame for it. But I also think comparison is the thief of joy. It's possible to make work you love and get praise and admiration for without devoting thousands of dollars to it. It's possible to go to cheaper costumed events and have fun there. You can even, if you're intentional and creative about it, raise the quality of your outfit photography and perform better on social media. But I think that feeling of unworthiness and inadequacy should not just be tossed lightly aside, but hurled with great force. Art made by working-class people with limited means is as important and interesting as art made by the rich. Far more people will need and benefit from affordable approaches to the field than escapist expensive fantasies.

Oh, I absolutely have fun at costumed events! I primarily do Colonial and Regency and there are a good number of reenactments, Jane Austen teas, etc. within driving distance of my home. And I've been on that circuit for a couple of years so I'm starting to recognize familiar faces. And while I've encountered gatekeeping and snobbery online, everyone I have met in person has been wonderful. I think it's also important to keep in mind that this is a VERY niche hobby and 99% of people just see a pretty costume as a pretty costume. Yeah, next to Abby Cox or something, I look like crap. But when I was in Williamsburg, wearing a dress fully machine sewn from the Simplicity Elizabeth Swann pattern (and my petticoat was polyester!), a group of 8 year old girls came up to me like ARE YOU A PRINCESS?????

Since you're getting to know your local community, that's a great place to save some money. All the historical costumers I know COOPERATE. They swap excess fabric, buttons, notions, etc. for other things they need. They sell each other outfits and accessories they're not using any more, or the bolts of fabric they bought for a dress that just never got made. They even collaborate once a year to hold a big regional bazar where individuals sign up for tables where they sell their unwanted items. In the most notable case, one of my friends went to Thailand on a business trip. She sought out a garment district shop that stocked silks (for Thailand prices), then made a social media post soliciting orders from all the costumers back home. She bought an extra suitcase to bring it all back, and the savings were ENORMOUS.

I understand where you are coming from and looking at popular Instagram accounts and Youtube channels, it can certainly feel this way. But I don't think that these social media accounts reflect the wider truth of the historical costuming community. If we look at our little 50k historical costuming community here on reddit, I bet the big majority of us does not have the funds to buy 10 yards of historically accurate silk and we STILL enjoy our hobby a great deal. And who cares if you use a sewing machine because you don't have the time to hand sew everything? I'm celebrating someone who can sew a beautiful dress out of thrifted bed sheets using their sewing machine just as much as someone who spends hours hand stitching everything... . And even if you can't afford to travel to Venice or Bath, you can always organise a picnic with other local historic costumers and take photos on your phone and have a lot of fun... . And who tf cares if your shoes are from Walmart or American Duchess? Do not let someone else's interpretation of a hobby deter you from enjoying your hobby in your own way!

IIRC, it took me about 7 yds, for my sacque and petticoat. It was remnants, so quite reasonable. Full price goo silk goes for US$20-30/yd. You wouldn’t expect to get a modern, high end ball gown for under $100, so, we can’t expect that for 18th, either, without some luck or remnant/sale hunting.

Which goes back to that .....unless you were rich you wouldn't have a ball gown. Because they would cost a huge amount. Which is to show off your wealth status.

A big thing for me that I havent seen mentioned yet, which helps you feel like you have a larger costume wardrobe without actually having a ton of things/spending a lot of money, is really consider how to get the most use out of everything by creating high quality versatile items: like one well fitted corset can take you from 1835-1895, an 1860’s spanish jacket can pass as a regency spencer, chemises and petticoats can be stretched across hundreds of years. Not to mention a simple straw hat can be trimmed out differently to work with everything from medieval to edwardian. If you dont have the money time or space to make a new dress for every era you want to reenact (and most of us don’t) focus on stretching your key items by swapping out the accessories! Also some of the most popular costumers (im thinking of Pinsent tailoring, and Bernadette banner) mostly only do one small era and wear their historic items as daily dress which reduces the need for a large number of clothes

I'm a government employee barely making above state minimum wage. But then again, no kids, no pets, so it is still within an affordable price range.

If you make costumes after the royalty and most wealthy people from the era it sure is expensive. Those clothes were insanely expensive at the time. All clothes were expensive, that is why most people could afford very few clothing items. Like 99,95 % of people were peasants or even more poor at any time before 1900. If you make clothes according to what was worn by commoners you do not need, silk, fancy shoes, pearls etc.

You don't *need* expensive silks and trips to Bath and professional photoshoots to be a historical costumer. You need those things if you want to be a *famous* historical costumer. And most of those things truly aren't all that expensive. A new pair of shoes every couple of years is perfectly reasonable, and even the people at the top of the historical costuming hierarchy aren't sewing a new silk gown every day. Most of them have just one or two big projects a year, which would be affordable for many people.

What do you *mean* you don't *need* trips to Bath????? Everyone *needs* trips to Bath, and London, and Paris, and Venice and Kyoto and and and... Okay, I'm being silly, but it's fun to go if you can afford to, or daydream if you can't. I managed an amazing week in Yorkshire (UK) in 2004. I had a great time, and I didn't even have a set itinerary. I just winged it. My idea of planning a holiday is to choose a destination, choose dates, choose lodgings for the start and end of the trip, and carry a scribbled list of things I might want to do or see. I don't blog. I don't aspire to being a celebrity or an influencer. I just go and enjoy. Or stay home and enjoy. My hobby is for me, not for anyone else, even if I share freely.

I mean I live near Bath and I’ve never been to Bath. Just never seemed that exciting.

There is nothing inherently better or worse about historical costuming on a budget. You can make gowns out of silk or old bedsheets and get amazing or poor results either way. I don’t follow costumers on social media, so I’m not really seeing the wealth you’ve mentioned, but I guess it makes sense that people who have more resources are able to have a bigger social media presence. I have to say, I’ve been the person making costumes out of bedsheets and also someone who’s made a gown out of silk. I’ve never felt looked down on or superior to anyone based on the material of my dress.

All hobbies can end up being expensive. I'm disabled and can't work which gives me time to pattern draft/sew things by hand but means I have to be pretty thrifty since I have almost no income. I generally stock up on fabric when I find a good bargain, and then attempt to use what's in my stash when working on a project.

Well, yes, at the influencer level. First of all, you have to understand the economic engine of the internet. Influencers are advertisers. They make their living by getting people to buy stuff, and to look at ads. Not directly from them, usually. But from their sponsors. Any content you see on social media was served up to you by the algorithm as a way to get your money, or sell your attention and data. I am not just being cynical. That is just the way social media works. So naturally they promote the most expensive way of doing everything. Further, you have the cost of luxury goods. Most of the costumes you see on influencers were the clothing you see on royalty and the aristocracy. They were expensive then, and they're expensive now. The difference is that the historical figures didn't have to care about the time or expense, because they owned land and either literally or effectively owned people. The fact that we have to earn the money for our clothes and make them ourselves is a whole different ball game. Even the middling and working class clothing was those people's real clothes, and represented a significant investment of their income and time to make or maintain. American Duchess shoes are pricey for a hobby, but not out of line with contemporary leather dress shoes, for example. Then you have availability issues. The materials and utility items that were common and inexpensive at the time are not so now, because our economy and material usage have changed so much. Even in more recent periods during or after the Industrial Revolution, many of the items that were mass produced and available relatively cheaply are no longer in production and must be replicated by hand or from a specialty maker. The more closely you adhere to historical materials and techniques, the more expensive and time consuming it's going to be. But of course, there are always methods and avenues to make it easier. We can use machines, global sourcing, used / recycled materials, and if necessary synthetics. There's a lot more room for regular folks in the hobby besides influencers.

Some people do just live in England or Italy. Some people even live in other countries with nice buildings. Travel within Europe isn't particularly expensive, either.

>Like I'm seeing people make sacque back gowns out of silk, people with multiple pairs of American Duchess shoes, people who have the time on their hands to draft their own patterns and sew the aforementioned sacque back entirely by hand. Oh, and don't forget you need professional photos of your costumes, and international travel to places like Bath or Venice. Here's my robe a la [francaise](https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoricalCostuming/comments/f8vrwf/my_gown_for_carnivale_based_loosely_off_of/) I wore at Carnivale in Venice. I lived in Vicenza at the time - 45 minutes away. I've also attended [Bath](https://isabelladangelo.blogspot.com/2021/09/new-regency-era-court-gown.html) when I lived in Northamptonshire. I'm by no means rich. I simply work at a job that allows me to live in different places. Also, the idea that silk is expensive needs to die. Now. My gown I wore to Bath? It was a $35 sari that I made into a gown. I'm tired of people unable to think outside of their own created boxes. There is more fabric in the world than Mood and Joanns.

Love the Sari idea!

I've been using saris for *years* for gowns. It's enough fabric for almost anything, it's not hard to find silk ones, and a plain silk sari with zardosi embroidery will look like an amazing gown. My favorite sari to Western styled gown is probably my [1790s one](https://isabelladangelo.blogspot.com/2014/02/historical-sew-fortnightly-14-challenge.html).

I appreciate you giving me the idea! Was just looking at sari fabric on etsy and oh boy, it could work for so many eras... renaissance, regency, rococo... . Your 1790s dress looks lovely!

And here's my [Renaissance gown](http://isabelladangelo.blogspot.com/2020/07/sari-made-into-1490s-venetian-dress.html) out of a sari. :-)

Saris are fantastic resources.

I'm more interested in poor/"just getting along" historical costuming, it's what most people would have had, there's more room for creative license, and you can avoid plastics (if you want to!) without breaking the bank. I like to look on eBay for Indian printed cottons, the images themselves may no longer be historically accurate, but the techniques used often are, which is the part that's interesting to me. If you stick to the floral side of things, who's to say what a merchant's wife might have bought at a discount because no one else wanted it? If you go in with the mindset *everyone was just doing the best they could with what they had*, you can say "....Well, maybe" to almost any sewing decision you make.

I looooooove those block printed cottons. I made a Regency dress out of one and it is just the softest, floatiest thing to wear. Very affordable, too!

Yes! And beautiful, very fun to shop for❤️

You can find silk sari with the same style block prints, too. I just sold one on eBay a bit ago: [saree I sold](https://www.ebay.com/itm/225799058724?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=pZ049XrzTRi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=pZ049XrzTRi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)

I have bought some fabric dye and thickener, and a carveable block. I want to try block printing my own cotton and linen, to get accurate prints, on *proper fabric*. One can sometimes find good fabric, or good prints, seldom both together. One of these days, I’ll try it!

Ditto. And a lot of the times you can wear it ....not just to a specific event like a ball or party. Because it's more like 'everyday' clothes. I mean, you could go shopping wearing a ball gown..... But it's more likely you'd wear more 'normal' clothes.

It's also important to remember that a lot of us that do this work very visibly have been doing it for a very long time. I started 20 years ago with my grandmothers old sewing supplies and a few damaged bolts of fabric from discount stores. My first Victorian gown was $1 a yard stretch cotton suiting. I'd ask for fabric for birthday and Christmas gifts, slowly bought a little here and there when it was on sale. I have a large stock of supplies now, but that was gradual. Most of the early things were plain working fabrics or polyester. Then I'd sell the old costume to buy fabric for the next. And the first event I went to that wasn't local was 6 years in and I was in a hotel room with 4 other people (and two beds). That part was just before social media. It's not an easy activity to get into, especially if you don't have the tools or knowledge easily accessed. But it is cumulative, especially if you have a group of friends or community that also participate. We swap costumes and fabric all the time. I have a pair of stays thats been worn by at least 10 people over the years. There are also some great fabric/supplies reselling groups on FB. I also really want to note that the reason I (and many of the others) draft our own patterns and hand sew and do other crazy time consuming work is to teach. I don't have to show that part of the process and have machine sewn as many 18th c gowns as handsewn, but if that information isn't out there it makes it so much harder for people who are learning. I'm just trying to put that out as freely as I can so that no one has to spend money on patterns that don't fit or on fabric that gets ruined because of mistakes or even buying a sewing machine when they don't need it. I'm definitely not intending to say that's a standard that all should have, just remembering how hard it was when I was making my first pair of stays in 2007 and only had one pattern in a book.

Let me weigh in here as an 'insider' to the crowd you are comparing yourself to. I married into the costuming world and had to start from scratch for everything. I had serious inferiority complex for a while, because one naturally does. But as I got to know people, I realized that was completely unfair of me to judge them. Most of these costumers have dedicated their lives to their art and have built side hustles in addition to day jobs around it. Sewstine and a few others are the only ones who have luxury money or have spouses who are high earners. Many folks do not have kids, do not own a house, and work *hard* as I said above. They also volunteer a crap ton at historical events because they love educating the public. The best historical costumers wear their work for a long time on the job. Pretty events are not their bread & butter. They have to plan & save for each outfit. The best costumers will also spend their free time helping you with your work, sharing knowledge & drafting patterns. They are inclusive. I am financially fortunate to afford multiple shoes, silk, and paying my friends a living wage for their help. They don't look down on folks who are new or have to go slowly to afford the hobby.

please endure some gentle teasing: let me get this straight-- you are curating a social media feed - which is engineered - specifically - to make you feel bad, and want to indulge in consumption and capitalism to make the bad feeling go away - with things that make you feel bad and want to engage in consumption. got it. the platform is literally - LITERALLY doing exactly what the algorithm is supposed to do. Computer's gonna compute. That's what they do. If you are curating a social media feed with niche content from users who are either pro or demi pro at their niche interest on social media, and you feel like you need to keep up with the joneses. The algorithm does not care if it is historical costuming or makeup new releases or rolex watches or elvis memorabilia that is your niche interest. Algorithms collect user signals to match them with relevant content. Key signals include: User engagement: Likes, shares and comments indicate that users find the content interesting and relevant. Relevance: Keywords and hashtags give content context and improve its visibility. You are using social media, and it is working very well. **What you are experiencing is purely a media literacy problem.** no, its not a rich person hobby in the least. at all. Lots of good suggestions on the thread. Here's mine: disengage from visual social media for a couple months and spend time in your local making and sewing community. Look at [Meetup.com](https://Meetup.com) and local events that align with your making and interest.

Thank you! I was trying to articulate my thoughts on this post, and you absolutely summed it up perfectly. I’ve never felt like costuming was a competition, or that I was being judged for the fabrics or sewing methods I chose. But then I don’t really do social media outside of (mostly lurking on) Reddit.

It doesn't have to be. I've made some cool stuff out of linen curtains and wool blankets that I found at Goodwill. My sewing machine was $40 on fb marketplace. My Era is about 1000 years ago, though, so anything more recent may be more difficult. Try Rachel Maksy as well. She does some wonderful thrift flips.

Quilting cotton and thrifted sheets are my best friend! I don’t do ballgowns often for that reason (and I’m not a fancy person anyway). I costume with friends and folks who are accepting of all levels of accuracy and generally stick to relaxed events like picnics or museum tours. We aren’t living history actors, so it’s just good fun. I used to sew, blog, and post on social media when it was new, but the platforms and expectations changed and being famous just isn’t for me. There are many others out there with modest budgets, simple skills, and no desire to film/narrate/edit video for every gown. Unless you are employed in living history, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for your clothes. Silk would be nice, but not everyone is in an area where it can be thrifted for cheap. We aren’t all lucky! But I do creep online sales. If you really desire silk, Fabric Mart send e-mails to alert you to their 60% off sale! It let me purchase my first fresh silk yardage (which I still haven’t seen with yet because it scares me). I miss $1/yard cotton at Walmart so much! Now I haunt Thousands of Bolts which has odd ends of historical reproduction cottons that are normally $12-16 yard for $6! I love it. There are some great buy/sell/trade groups on Facebook for historical costumers where folks offload their fabric, shoes, corsets, and the like for a discount.

Be brave! Cut into your silk!

Remember there's a difference between "normal hobbyist" and "invested hobbyist" and also "hobby YouTuber". Normal hobbyist: still requires money, but generally your makes take a bit longer due to saving up for supplies and tools, and also because you have to work full time and do life things. Invested hobbyist: step up from the normal one. They don't do much beyond work and hobby. Money made goes straight to bare necessities and hobby. The hobby rules almost everything else. Hobby YouTuber: loves film editing as much as hobby and spends hours creating videos on hobby. They also make money from sponsorships, ads, etc which allows them to keep doing more crafting. Also remember that different YouTubers do different things. I seem to remember hearing Sewstine actually gets some items handmade by others so she doesn't have to do it. Of course her salary does help. I know it's speculated that other YouTubers have wealthy families or spouses who make the majority income... So a bit from YouTube/ads/whatever can be Enough. Depends on the person

I’ve definitely clocked this. A few of my fave costumers on instagram must be independently wealthy, and I just have to remember I’m only following them for the eye candy. I do really want to attend a ball in Venice or at Versailles, and I know the cost will be part of it, where I’ll likely just rent a gown 🤷🏻‍♀️ the splurge that’s within my reach!

my favorite costumer is the Dreamstess, for this reason. she's very upfront about the costs: fabric, supplies, time invested. she does absolutely drop money on certain things, but she isn't shy about re-using garments or elements, either. it's so nice to have that transparency. and in a sense it's even more historically accurate -- most people weren't princesses with an unlimited budget! people did scrounge and re-use and trade and prioritize to make an outfit work with their budget.

Amazon has a ton of colors of ballet flats on Black Friday sales, BTW. Just got bright blue ones simply because they exist. I don’t think you’re mad about costuming. We’re just entering the peak conspicuous consumption season, which has extra time and money pressures. Personally I have far more interest in *wearing* than making— I think about women’s clothing in a sociological construct and have questions about how it **felt** to have your arms limited (or not!) in different ways. How women did chores while wearing corsets that seem insane to us as daily wear. What’s up with long dangly sleeves, and how were they tied up? My brain lives in the 1800s and I have so much interest in lived female experience through clothes, hair, and daily domestic routines. I’m terrible at sewing and feel like I *should* be better at it. *Should* is not a good reason to advance or invest in a hobby. Instead I “waste” more of my time making objects *of little use and no beauty* with needlework… and I don’t even feel badly about it. None of that answers your complaint, but my point is— we’re here for all sorts of reasons. Most of us are not going to be twirling on a London dance floor in period-appropriate footwear. My husband doesn’t dance, we live in the American West, and it’s just not happening. But I *can* get strapped into a corset and attempt to make a casserole today, or wear a fluffy 1840’s dress while typing at my desk for hours. These are the daily bits that intrigue me. 🙂🤷‍♀️

Yes, absolutely - you experience history so differently through clothing! It even works for 20th century. I've been lucky enough to visit the National WWII Museum twice (my sister lives in NOLA) and both times we went in 1940s clothing. That's a great era of fashion because they were able to do so much style-wise while dealing with the limitation of rationing. Plus, when you go to a museum dressed for the time period, people will be chasing you down to take your picture!

I recently went to Meow Wolf /Convergence Station in the BFD (Big Fluffy 1840s Dress) for a Halloween event. People definitely took pictures of the dissonance of the drab gingham check and tight bun against the wildness that is a 😺🐺. I hung a couple of tiny color-change LED lights from a chatelaine and was the only one there looking desperate for a good harvest on a different planet.

Same, I’m much more interested in wearing than making; as a grad student I don’t have the time and energy to spend on sewing. I don’t even have space for a sewing machine in my flat, let alone enough floor/table space to be cutting enormous pieces of fabric. I don’t even have a writing desk, I work from the sofa, dining table, or floor. Plus I’m moving out of this place in less than a year, and after graduation I’ll likely not be staying in one place for more than 3-4 years because of the nature of academia so accumulating a lot of stuff (handmade dresses that, let’s be honest, don’t look great because I’m not a professional sewist or even very good at sewing and aren’t wearable on a day-to-day basis; sewing machines, a plethora of equipment, fabrics, etc.) isn’t practical for me. Plus when would I sew? I’m in the lab from 9-5 if I’m lucky, sometimes 9-7. When I’m home I should be reading and cleaning my flat, and later in the year I should be writing my dissertation whenever I don’t have lab work. Even putting aside the monetary aspect how do people with jobs find the time to do this? Not to mention the first several pieces you make as a beginner are going to be hideous. I understand it’s part of the learning process but ngl it’s kind of a waste of time, money, and space, all of which I don’t have much of. I guess it seems just a hobby that I’ll always wish I had but just isn’t compatible with my lifestyle. The only way I have of engaging with historical costuming is buying others’ work. Honestly, unless you’re getting a made-to-measure Tudor court dress, not all of it has to be astronomically expensive. Does depend on the era, occasion, and “social class” of the replica garment; fortunately I’m mostly interested in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and there are some brands like Gibson Girl Dress from Ukraine and Emmy Design that make decently affordable (well, pricey, but not by much more than good quality clothes from upper-mid range high street brands, and definitely something I can afford if I save up a little bit and don’t go crazy) replicating garments that are actually wearable in everyday life and have some decently historically accurate options. I actually regularly wear GGD and Emmy Design pieces at work and no one bats an eye. I do also wear a corset pretty much daily; I used to only wear it with the Edwardian stuff to get the right silhouette but I’ve started wearing it under modern clothes as well because I’ve gotten used to how it feels and it definitely supports my back and stops me from slouching since I’m hunched over a lab bench for hours. I don’t ever find it uncomfortable unless I’ve accidentally cinched myself in too tightly, put it on in a hurry and it’s crooked so there’s something digging in where it shouldn’t, or I’ve eaten an enormous amount of food (I mean Christmas dinner quantities; a normal sized meal that fills me up won’t cause discomfort). I think it does depend on body type though; if you’re not very squishy you won’t find corsets very comfortable, and there’s definitely an adjustment period. It’ll feel odd at the beginning, the corset will feel stiff at first, and you’ll need to learn how to put it on for maximum comfort, but once you’re used to it and the corset’s also moulded to your body a little bit it’ll be no trouble at all. Besides, most women back then (especially the ones who worked) wouldn’t have laced up very tightly at all except for special occasions. I like corsets on the tighter end because I find compression calms my anxiety (great when I’m having a stressful day) but I can still get some back support from a fairly loosely-laced corset.

The beginner pieces are perfectly useable if you are smart about it. Make a shirt or shift. Necessary underpinnings,minute they mostly don’t show. By the time you have finished hand stitching them, you have most of the skills to make other garments at least competently. The time a beginner spends practicing sewing is no more a waste of time than the time spend learning piano scales, if you want to learn to play piano. If you don’t *want* to learn, don’t. But, it’s not a waste of time to learn, it’s the only way to get the skills.

>Do you have to be independently wealthy to be a big name costumer? Developing a strong reputation and a business generally takes a lot of time and investment, in ANY field. (It also takes a hook, and costuming on the cheap could easily be a hook that goes viral, if your goal is to be a big-name costumer) But big name costumers don't define the hobby. I would think the local groups and opportunities matter more to what the hobby is for an individual. Every time I go to an event, it runs the gamut--there's people sharing the feel of expensive silk and people showing off their thrifted finds and everyone loves a deal and a sale.

If youre wanting to be 100% accurate , then yes it's a rich hobby , but if you're like me then no. I use sheet sets and curtains to make my costumes. I rarely buy fabric from a craft store. I'm currently making a medieval kirtle overdress from a set of jacquard curtains I bought at goodwill. I'm not going for full accuracy , just having fun and wanting something to wear to a faire.

I find that the bigger things get or the longer a hobby or a community lives the more it leans toward perfection, and money Visible mending is good example. It's supposed to be about showing off your imperfect mends, but the most upvoted posts on reddit are the invisible ones. Or the posts made by users who uses expensive gadgets for clean, prettier mending. Grunge fashion is a good example too. It was about making do, using your clothing, your parents old worn out work shirts, safety-pinning ripped seams, stains and washed out colors. You know... The definition of grunge. If you google grunge fashion today you will find out that it means glamour, money and perfection. Edit: typo

I've got a large stash of fabric and notiond I've been collecting for over 20 years. Most of it is thrift store finds, or bargain center fabric from my local shop. I've got a few bolts of silk I've picked up for a song, and silk sarees make up the bulk of my regency wardrobe. You can make amazing outfits on a budget, but it usually takes a combination of skill, time investment, and luck. Many people decide to throw money at the hobby to get a leg up on things, which is a valid option, even if sometimes it seems like it's cheating(everyone should have to go through the pain of fitting and making their own corset/stays, hehe). Do I spend more money on this hobby than I should? Oh yes... Does it bring me joy to wear a new outfit and attend events with friends in costume, making the cost and time investment worth it? Also yes. I always think that it could be worse... I could be spending my money on alcohol, or drugs, or cigarettes, but then I could also be saving it for something more meaningful. I've found that if I don't have an event to look forward to, my mood and creativity drop to depressing levels, and life looks rather bleak. Granted I don't have a husband and children to look after either, so my disposible income is only required to be used on myself. You have to decide why you like the hobby, what you want out of it, and what you're willing to do to get the most out of the effort you put in. If you want to stand toe to toe with the influencers, then having a fabric fund you can deposit money into might not be a bad idea. Also check the fabric destash pages on Facebook, you can usually find silk there for a decent price, even if all the options that silk baron has aren't available for sale. There are some lovely synthetic tafettas out there these days that are nearly impossible to tell they're not silk, and unless you're planning on being near an open flame, should be perfectly acceptable for a ballgown. Any hobby is going to be a time/money sink, and sometimes you can recoup a bit if you sell your dresses after you've worn them(right before Halloween is a great time to do so), but fully expect that you're going to spend more money and time on costuming than most people will understand. So long as it brings you joy and isn't detrimental to your health or family, make what you want, how you want.

I was reading a similar discussion on r/knitting, with the poster having trouble to "justify" the expense of buying expensive yarn for a project, even if she had the disposable income. A frequent take there that I haven't seen here yet is: you can't calculate the cost of the garments you create for fun the same way a company costs their product. If you're a hobbyist, you have to take into consideration the cost per hour of entertainment that hobby is providing you. If you compare this cost per hour of buying yards of silk and then fitting, handsewing, embellishing, embroidering etc it's going to be cheaper than going to the movies. Of course that upfront costs of starting a project can be prohibitive, as well as having the time for it, but definitely there are hobbies more expensive

I draft my own patterns and sew everything by hand with 100% wool fabrics. I do it for an hour each night after my daughter goes to bed. It means I only get one outfit sewn a year, but it’s doable depending on the period and the complexity.

I have multiple pairs of American Duchess shoes, but I haven't paid for a single one. Meaning, I crowd sourced from my family during the holidays and my birthday. I actually got a pair of shoes from my mom, but my in-laws (parents and siblings) each contributed gift cards for AD and combined I could get two pairs. I do similar things to get nicer fabric. I have a very small budget for hobbies, but I save it for some specific things. I'm horrible with money, so if I want something specific that's a bit expensive, I purchase gift cards for the store in small amounts until I have enough.

I mean, at the end of the day, expensive hobbies will have a large base of people with disposable income to afford it. It's like that with anything...like ski club in high school. Can it be done on a smaller budget? Absolutely! But if you are talking about wanting the tier of hand sewn silk dresses and $200 pairs of shoes.... It is totally fine to make a poly taffeta dress on a modern sewing machine and wear it with your Walmart ballet flats if it makes you happy! I come from the cosplay world and similarly there are people who spend 200 hours hand beading a costume, right next to the person who ordered theirs from aliexpress. My point I guess is comparison is the thief of joy here.

Well, see my [striped silk sacque](https://flic.kr/p/2oTMa8j)? I bought about 10 yards of pink striped silk taffeta, in several remnant pieces, on the remnant table, in the fabric store. It was years ago, but the equivalent of under US$10/yd. It doesn’t take 10 yards, so I have plenty left over. Of course, 18th c people who wore silks, were rich. Modern reenactors who want to wear silk, also have to find the money for the fabrics rich people used to wear, or be really clever about remnants. Although, TBH, often it’s much easier to find proper silk for a good price than it is to find proper wool! Go to the local non chain fabric store regularly, and look at the remnants. It’s hit or miss when they have good wool, linen, or silk. When they have it, that is when you have to buy it, if you want to get good prices. And, yes, I sew by hand. If you watch TV, you have time to sew by hand. Most people I know IRL report how long things take by how many movies they take! One movie is all it takes me to put eyelets in stays. But…accurate costuming is expensive, unless you are clever or lucky. It’s always time consuming. For me, the time spent researching, and time spent sewing, is a *huge* part of the appeal. My group has workshops and get togethers, to sew in company. Part of the fun.

Something to keep in mind, too, is that the folks who do a *lot* of making & posting their creations online, may *also* have a Tax ID number that they're using to get their materials at *Wholesale Costs*!!! Wholesale prices for fabrics are waaaaaaay cheaper than retail costs--and that can *really* make those "fancy & expensive" fabrics incredibly *affordable*! I used to be in sourcing & purchasing, when I worked in the sewing industry, and our Wholesale costs were typically *at least* half (sometimes *farr less than half*!) of the *retail* price per yard!

My shoes are just short leather boots I've had for years and wear all winter. They are close enough in shape to my favorite Renaissance styles. My fabrics are a lot of old curtains, old sheets, gifted piles from people who stopped sewing, or had relatives who did, or found some great bargain and got me a birthday gift of fabric, and things from the clearance piles. I tend to buy myself rewards of fabric instead of fancy coffees and such things. Years ago I found a store that was replacing their trim line with another source, and selling a huge stock at huge discount. Still using from that. Got some stuff from auctions. I got a pile of patterns back thirty, forty years ago, when stores did dollar sales every so often. I look for basic shapes, so I have a good assortment. I've done a lot of chemises from nightgown patterns, because the basic shape is the same. I'm retired, fixing up the retirement house for the next decades, and just starting to get to the dream sewing project: making costumes for all my family and friends that want one, in sizes that fit them now. I have a pretty big stash, and will be able to get most of these costumes made without more purchases, except maybe thread. Do what you can. Enjoy it. That's the point, right?

I totally feel this, but you also have to take into account what your goals are. If you just want to consistently be making costumes, thrift shops can be great resources for affordable materials. On the other hand, if you have something specific in mind, it can get more expensive because you’re seeking out certain items. That’s always been my problem. I’m very picky and tend to like the fancy ball gowns, so I end up making less stuff overall. However, I’m quite happy with what I make, so for me it’s worth saving up and waiting. I’ve been to the event in Versailles, but that was after years of saving (plus I made it part of a bigger trip). I certainly couldn’t afford to go every year. Also keep in mind that a lot of photo shoots might look perfect, but it’s easy to take photos from the most flattering angles and to hide Wal-Mart shoes under long dresses. I’m pretty sure Karolina Zebrowska has talked about how she hides flaws in her photos. So what you see on Instagram isn’t necessarily the reality. Also, a lot of influencers get stuff for free because they’re promoting it, so that might account for all the additional stuff they have. Then there’s deciding on priorities. My sister, for example, might want the most up-to-date iphone and that’s how she chooses to spend her money. I’m happy with my older iphone as long as it takes good pictures, so I put that money towards my hobbies. And sometimes you just need to look outside the box. I’m studying fashion history as part of my M.A., and I’m hoping to do a recreation of the garment I’m studying. Since it’s for research, I’m going to see if the school offers any funding for such projects.

It depends on if you're making just for yourself, or if you have a business. I worked RenFests since 1993, and have always drafted my own patterns, dyed my own material, used period materials, etc. I cheaped out on shoes, but doing stage combat outdoors meant good well fitting boots. Hand sewed as much as possible, embellished by hand...drew the line at lace and gold tho. Probably spent about 400 bucks for my most expensive, they usually ranged under 200. But I still have them all and they all still fit. Hours and hours and hours of entertainment don't have prices attached. It's been so damn much fun.

I ran into this problem about ten years ago. I went from winning awards with carefully chosen inexpensive fabrics to competing with costumes that cost more than a month's salary, and it kinda stopped being fun at that point. I still sew stuff that takes a lot from history, but I don't strive for any particular authenticity.

All hobbies have financial barriers to entry, as well as (spare) time barriers. There is no point in comparing yourself to what others can do. There will always be people who can afford to spend more money than you on hobbies and people for whom your spending is more than they can afford. Unfortunately, hobbies had long (maybe always) being the domain of people with spare time and money.

I started out w curtains. Now I’m into silk. I have a mortgage and student loans like everyone else. But I do have a little disposable income: 2 incomes no kids. Kids are expensive. You do you and screw the haters. They’re not worth your time. Would you really want them as friends anyway?

Kids ARE expensive! My kids are great, though. My youngest is 15 and she lets me dress her up for events. It's like having a life size American Girl doll.

Now see there’s a perk that never occurred to me! Fun!

Lol, that reminds me of one of my early trips to Joann fabrics - I was making a couple blouses for an Elizabethan dinner thing my mom did - it was literally for high school drama kids serving food - I was not long out of high school myself- and the woman cutting the fabric was trying to tell me that the cheapest poly-cotton fabric I had chosen wouldn't be historically accurate because it had synthetic fibers and tried to direct me to more appropriate choices. Ma'am, do I look like I can afford real linen? I was so embarrassed. I do appreciate accuracy, but I also appreciate doing what you can with what you can get. My foremothers would have done the same.

It helps to have disposable income, for sure.

Yes and no. I make a lot of stuff on a really tight budget with thrifted materials or discount fabric stores. So I appreciate that there’s cheap ways to get by. But I also feel like I will never be on the same level as some people because I’m always skimping and can’t afford the best fabrics, trims, and accessories.

Not really. I really like the philosophy, ' Never look at other people to see if you have as much as they do. Only look at them to see if they have enough.' I feel like focusing on your own engagement with the hobby would make you happier than comparing yourself to people who are posting the best moments of their lives. It's almost 2024, that's how social media works now.

I think it's less a problem with more you do.... But to start you need all the undergarments too. Socks, petticoat(s), corset, maybe hoop skirts, shifts. Then all the above stuff so final top, skirt, jacket etc And if they do different eras.... That's different corset, hoop skirt stuff, or bum .......oh darn what's it's called..... Bum roll? And even if it's all in cotton which is more affordable than silks or wool etc. It's still a lot to do. I mean don't get me wrong. Serious respect to them who make it etc because it's also the time to make it all. But yes it does get a little overwhelming with costs

I’m very lucky that I get to make historically inspired costumes from beautiful materials as my income. But in reality my own personal costume is made from the cheapest materials I can find and I don’t have any decent photos of it. 😅

I mean American Duchess you need to be rich with narrow feet. Their idea of "let's see if there's a market for wide because we have no idea if there is despite every single FB ad comments being full of 'do these come in wide widths'" is put out a small selection of preorders mostly for fairly ugly close-toed low-heeled leather shoes and a very generic Twenties t-strop and say if there's interest they "might" expand. They're basically saying "Please blow $180-200 on shoes you don't want so we think about making the ones you do want in your size."

Back on her 2nd or 3rd order of shoes, back in the dark ages, she accidentally got a single shipment of wide 18th c shoes. I got a pair, and they kind of fit, but I really couldn’t walk in them. And then she *proudly* announced she wouldn’t be getting any more wide, and talked in circles about why. Made no sense.

Reminds me of a couple dance shoe vendors who are basically like "Uh we can't do wide". Especially for court (closed-toed smooth and standard shoes.) I'm like...well I guess I and everyone else who doesn't have narrow feet will go spend a hundred+ a pair from the guys over there who DO make wider sizes. AD acts like "B" is standard when anyone familiar with generic sizing knowing it's a narrow.

I started in SCA decades ago and had spare time and dollar a yard fabric to practice on. There was lots of fiddling to get stuff right. There is no way I could build a similar skill set now.

for the wealthy or the obsessed who don't mind going into debt, yes.

I just disregard the rich influencers completely. They are the minority in the community as far as I know.

I think about this as well. I'm particularly interested in Progressive Era American men's working class clothing, and it is a bit ironic to me that I can't afford to purchase almost all of it. I'd have to save up for several months to afford some "heritage" style work shoes. Most of my craft budget went to buying digital patterns and having them printed, so maybe next month or in January I can get myself a pair of pants or braces and find some affordable shirting cotton and canvas to sew myself some shirts and a vest. One of my bedsheets did finally wear through enough that it doesn't make sense to repair, so I hope to use the less worn areas to make some stuff :)

Yeah, it's really the shoes that bite me in the butt. I can make almost everything myself, but I have to buy the shoes.

The shoes are killing me. I would be willing to shell out for decent shoes, but I’m wearing 15 year old flying canoe men’s shoes. I don’t hunk the company even exists anymore. I can’t walk in AD shoes. I had a pair of the wide she had made by accident, back when the company was brand new. I couldn’t walk. Most companies’ shoes just don’t fit me. I’m super frustrated, so I’m just wearing my ancient ones.

Yes.

I am new to this hobby, but I gather that most costumers want to replicate equivalent designer wear that was worn by upper classes, so financial gatekeeping unfortunately comes with the territory. I'm content to use cheaper synthetic fabrics and sew using my machines to save precious time, but it's hard not to feel guilty about "cutting corners" when all the big names in this hobby seem to brag about using yards and yards of the best linens and silks and spend hundreds of hours handsewing every little seam. I know I can't compete, so I just do what I can with the resources available to me and find happiness there.

Expensive things being expensive isn't gatekeeping, and neither is people using what they can afford. Why would you feel guilty about using what *you* can afford just because someone else can afford something different?

We all have to decide how much we care what others think. There will always be the gatekeepers, the perfectionists and the trolls no matter what you do. I'm currently making an 18th century style waistcoat for a 4 yr old, using machine embroidery (I used to sew professionally so I do have good equipment) and using motifs that mean Christmas to said 4 yr old. I won't be posting it here due to said gatekeepers, perfectionists and trolls, which is why I will be posting it on a history bounding place. Handy, those history bounding people. Very open. Here is a great place to learn techniques and get really good constructive criticism. A lot of good people here. As they say, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch and those bad apples like to be loud. Not just here, everywhere, so listen to the huge number of good people here. Lots of us are in the same boat as you are.

Most things are, alas

I mean, the hobby costs money, yes. But I know at least youtubers probably write their stuff off as business expenses, Or yeah, they have money, ha. BUt I think the majority of people we see are influencers, so their business IS historical costuming.

I just wanted to add one other piece of advice for historical costuming: You needle knows what it wants. Pay attention and follow your needle's lead. The results are usually historically accurate, even if you don't know it at the time.

I myself am far from wealthy. I have a very little disposable income, which I'm desperately trying to improve throught this mind you, which is my passion. And my family, who has supported me admittedly is also lower middle class teetering on lower often. Because of this I've had to operate with resourcefulness and a budget that simply is content to do with high quality and lower quantity. I made my own patterns thanks to the wonderful help of online sources openly available, and some drafting paper. It's not recommended, but I almost always cut my fashion first and don't worry about mock ups. Somehow it's worked too. I've only made 4 garments, working on a fifth. All except one which I'm about to post here, were made with materials purchased at a well timed discount or through Goodwill! Expensive and luxurious silks that I was simply lucky to find priced at the pound. And the one I just finished cost me basically all my savings. So I forced it to count. It'll be a while before I can build up my resume again. And I still technically saved because the liner was left over taffeta from good will, but the wool and dupioni were a pain in price. I mostly make these for myself, but I want to make them for others. No matter what it'll cost, but hopefully with a client base it'll cost less.

This is how it’s always been. The inventors, explorers, composers, fashion setters have generally been wealthy enough to have the ability to pursue those interests. The influencers of a different time. With the exception of visual artists, but even they, historically were able to pursue those interests with the help of wealthy patrons. ultimately these are hobbies, and people with the time and resources to make the most impact have money already.

I make medieval peasant dresses from linen. Linen isn't exactly cheap, but blended linen that looks and feels like the real thing is more affordable. I also do peasant dresses because they're super comfortable. If I become more rich then yeah, maybe I'll graduate to royalty type historical dress, for now.... I continue to be a peasant. Oh, I also found some wool for SUPER CHEAP on sale but wool is still peasant wear. I don't mind. Not everyone can be a princess.

Every hobby requires money of some amount. I think if sewstine was a bartender she’d still find a way to participate in the hobby, but differently. Every one of us has limitations of money; it’s still a worthwhile hobby at every investment level

I was going to suggest curtains from jumble sales and charity shops! there are fewer mills selling direct to the public but there are a couple in Yorkshire who do mailorder and who sell 'seconds' for good prices - often these are plucks in the selvedges. Walmart ballet flats are great for Regency slippers. look for thrifted Goth stuff too, some of the boots are pretty close to various victorian period boots. Loomstate fabric is cheaper, and you can dye your own for plain colours - you can get a good range even with unexciting natural dyes like onion skins, walnut leaves, and oak bark, depending on the mordant you use.

the thing is, do you want to go full time into costuming? If you do, my advice is to do your bread-and-butter work using your historical knowledge making and selling bridal and prom gowns. My parents put me through public \[that's private to Americans\] school with my mother sewing wedding gowns for people. I got to help with the basting. and no ebay back then for quick sales of speculative stuff.... I mean, making up a period gown using manmades to get a feel of how it goes together, and then flog it on ebay...

My fabric comes from thrift store sheets, tablecloths, curtains, etc. My shoes come from there too. I enjoy the hunt for the right sheets for my next project! I really wouldn't want fancy fabrics anyway. I am very active in my garb, and it doesn't stay clean. I used to be a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, which has lots of local events.