Historic Costuming Supplies
Below is a listing of places which sell hard-to-find costuming supplies and period fabrics. Also check out the Elizabethan Merchants page for ready-made renaissance costumes and costume accessories.
Aceros De Hispania--Elizabethan Scissors
Reproduction of a pair of 17th century scissors. An accurate reproduction of the type of scissors used by Elizabethan Tailors and others.
AlterYears
626-614-9400
72437.674@compuserve.com
AlterYears (formerly known as Raiments) is the place to go for elizabethan corsetry supplies. They sell
steel boning of all sizes, a dazzling array of grommets, wooden busks,
hoop wire, millinery supplies, and anything else the re-enactor could
possibly desire. They sell patterns for a variety of elizabethan corsets
and bodices, and finished corsets as well.
Amazon
Drygoods
2218 E. 11th St.
Davenport, IA 52803-3760
(319) 322-6800
(800) 798-7979 - orders ONLY and only from the US
(319) 322-4003 - fax
Spring steel boning in 1/4 and 1/8 inch widths
Anjoorian Silks
1-(888)-221-SILK
silk fabrics dyed to order
B Sharp Fabrics
Specialising in fabrics, notions, etc. for the living history reenactor and the heirloom sewer
Big Daddy's Gypsy Caravan
Historical Period Patterns, and a variety of linen, silk and wool are now available (both retail and wholesale)
Bevilacqua Fine Fabrics
Santa Croce 1320
Venice, Italy
Phone: (39-041) 712-384
bevilacqua@luigi-bevilacqua.com
Not like any of us can afford these hand-loomed voided velvets and reproduction silk brocades, but these are some of the most beautiful renaissance fabrics in the world today.
Buny's E-Fabrics
Over 30 colors of high-quality cotton velvet & velveteen.
Burnley & Trowbridge
108 Druid Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23185
757-253-1644
fax: 757-253-9120
jasburn@aol.com
CATALOG AND SWATCHES $4.00
We have added to our inventory, linsey woolsey, several hemp
products,
many
fustians as well as the usual assortment of wools and linens. Also available
all manner of notions (including boning) patterns and books related to
costuming and textiles.
Calontir Trim Dazzling Array of hundreds of trims, metallic & non-metallic, for historical costume. Searcheable site!
CheepTrims.Com
Cheap trims, and lots of them! Hold onto your wallet--this site is a
budget-buster.
Canyon Keep
Sells reproduction glass aglets (lacing tips) for lacing and decorating your Elizabethan gown. The perfect finish to your outfit!
Corset Making
Supplies
P.O. Box 15743
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215/868-4274
supplies@corsetmaking.com
They currently provide busks (including hard-to-find spoon busks!), corset patterns and books, boning, bone casing, lacing, bone tips,
grommets, and more with new supplies constantly being added.
Denver Fabrics
Purveyors of fine linens, woolens and silks at superb prices
Designer Fabrics (aka the Orange Bag Store)
For superlative brocades, this is the place to go.
Dharma
Trading Co.
PO Box 150916
San Rafael, CA 94915
1-800-542-5227 or
(415) 456-7657
catalog@dharmatrading.com
White & natural colored silk & cotton, all weights, at the lowest
prices you'll ever find.
Fabricclub.com
An online site which sells many fabrics. The one fabric of note for historical costumers is the linen--Fabricclub.com sells very nice, medium-to-heavy weight 100% linen in a wide variety of colors and at a very good price. (A word of warning: they take an exceedingly long time to deliver, upwards of 2 months.)
English
Basketry Willows
Sells Willow withies for making real willow-boned farthingales
Enhancements Costume Supply
P.O. Box 8604
Anaheim, CA 92812-0604
(714) 638-4545 (FAX)
12 bones of any kind (steel, spiral 1/4" or 1/2") for $4.00 or .35
each. Sizes can be mixed.
Fabric Masterpieces Seller of acetate-silk brocades in rich renaissance patterns
Farthingales
286 Monteith Ave.
Stratford, Ontario N5A-2P8, Canada
Phone: 519-275-2374
Fax: 519-273-2376
One of the few carriers of artificial whalebone and spoon busks on the continent. They carry various types of boning in both metal and plastic, as well as
corset fabrics, corset lace and hoopsteel. Catalogue & swatches are
available.
www.fabrics4u.com
Very cheap cotton velvets, linens & other fabrics.
Fabrics-store.com
My current favorite online site for cheap linen in all sorts of
colors.
Fashion Fabrics
Club
Lots of different kinds of wool, and other fabrics as well.
Fire Mountain Gems
The one-stop shopping source for cheap pearls, beads, findings,and other jewelry-making supplies.
Frivolities
A variety of Renaissance ribbons, trims and braid
Ginsco Trims
Large selection of trim, cord, piping, braid, fringes,and other
detailing accessories for costume. Shop online!
Grannd Garb
295 Main Street
South River, NJ 08882
732-390-0506
FAX 732-390-1694
info@grannd.com
Some of the items they carry in stock are corset supplies including boning,
hoop steel, steel busks, eyelets, trim, lace, buttons, clasps, patterns, jewels and accessories. One of the few purveyors of Artificial whalebone in the US.
Greenberg and Hammer
24 W. 57th St.
NY, New York
212-246-2835 or 1-800-955-5135
steel and plastic boning, super-size hooks & eyes for bodice closings,
and every theatricle costume item imaginable. Their prices are the
cheapest I've found anywhere.
Greenman Forge
Dan Brown
606 West Baca Street
Trinidad CO 81082
719-845-1905
dan@greenmanforge.com
Sells exquisite period Pinking Tools (used to make the fashionable "pinks", or small cuts and slashes, in Elizabethan garments) in a variety of sizes, at $35 each.
Hats by Leko
A wide variety of hatmaking supplies, including blocked & unblocked felts, sizing, millinary wire, and books & videos on the art of hatmaking.
Hedgehog Handworks
P.O. Box 45384
Westchester, CA 90045
1-888-670-6040
An impressive array of hard-to-find boning, buttons, metallic thread, costuming books and useful accessories for the historic costumer or re-enactor.
Hamilton Dry Goods
2510 Randolph Road
Cookeville, TN 38506
A wide variety of period fabrics suitable for re-enactment.
Horsehair Fabrics
Sateens, stripes, and a dazzling array of brocades fashioned from horsehair.
JAS Townsend & Son
P.O. Box 415
Pierceton, IN 46562
(800) 338-1665
jastown@halcyon.com
Steel boning in 1/4 inch widths ($.35/ea), as well as a vast array of accessories and supplies for re-enactors of several periods.
JMJ Designs
We
carry 1/2" and 1/4" steel boning, busks, hoop wire, farthingales, jewelry,
hats, cauls, fans, etc. We do carry some ready to wear items, other items are
by special order.
Lacis
3163 Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 843-7178 9am-6pm pst
Fax: (510) 843-5018
staff@lacis.com
Though Lacis is known more for lace, needlework and other textile
supplies, they have a good selection of boning, busks, hoopskirt-wire, and
other corset supplies.
Manny's Millinery
26 W. 38th St.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 840-2235
Though they have no web page or email address, Manny's Millinery has the best & cheapest millinary supplies I've found. Millinary wire and buckram in all weights, dozens of different hat shapes, head blocks, spray sizing, spring steel millinary wire, millinary glue, hat racks, etc., etc. $25 minimum on all orders.
Mini-Magic Fabrics
Though aimed at the doll-making industry, this site has an amazing variety of fabrics. You can find lightweight wools, linens, batistes, and a variety of trims.
Palladia Passementerie
Beautiful array of exotic trims
Patterns of Time
1028 North Union Blvd.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909-3811
Paxton Manufacturing
P. O. Box 2164
Appomattox, Va. 24522 USA
(804) 352-0231
They sell front-closing corset busks in a number of different lengths, at good prices.
Reconstructing History Patterns
A line of authentically cut and reproduced patterns, including Elizabethan, Irish and others. Polish and German renaissance patterns due out in 2005.
Phoenix Textiles
If you're looking for $3 a yard velveteen, $2 a yard wool and $5 a yard linen, this is the place to visit.
RenaissanceFabrics.het
Fabrics and trim specifically for re-enactors--silk, wool, linen & more.
Renaissance Fabrics
A wide variety of beautiful brocades.
Renaissance
Ribbons
Beautiful ribbons and trims like you've never
imagined! Imported from Europe. The
Jacquard Ribbons
are exceptionally dreamy.
Richard the Thread
8320 Melose Avenue #201
Los Angeles, CA
90069
(213)852-4997/(800)473-4997
Good prices,
but you must buy in bulk (12 or more bones of a particular size)
The Ribbon Club
offers some vintage
ribbons made of cotton, silk and linen by the yard. They also have unusual
French ribbons like woven jacquard, satin, taffeta, silk and more.
Rupert, Gibbon and Spider
PO Box 425
Healdsburg, CA 95448
1-800-442-0455
nature@microweb.com
They manufacture over 85 kinds of silk in black and white. Rock-bottom prices--silk taffeta for $6.50/yd.
Rutherfords Fabric and Trim
Lots of very classy brocades & trims--not cheap, but really, really gorgeous.
Shama Imports,
inc
P.O. Box 2900
Farmington Hills, MI 48333
(248)478-7740
shama@mich.com
hand-embroidered crewel fabrics straight from India, in a number of
period Elizabethan & Jacobean patterns. A real bargain!
The Silk Connection
Silk fabrics of all sorts: Shantung, dupioni, habotai, satin, and more.
The Silk Trading Company
Hundreds of silk textiles. Mostly aimed towards the drapery market, and quite pricey, but very luxurious. They have 100% silk velvet.
Silk Road Fabrics
3910 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 302-0844
Webmistress@srfabrics.com
Textile Reproductions
Box 48
West Chesterfield, MA 01084
(413) 296-4437
Though they specialize in 18th and 19th century fabrics, they do have unusual and hard to find silk and linen fabrics. They also have linen, worsted and specialty ribbons & tapes.
Thai Silks
242 State Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone: (415) 948-8611
Fax: (415) 948-3426
Toll free numbers: 1-800-722-SILK ( 1-800-221-SILK in California)
Their price list is free; for a $20 deposit you can get samles of every kind of silk they have (@400 types!) If you order within a certain time, you'll get the deposit back.The best mailorder source for rare silk fabrics, including silk-wool and silk-linen blends.
Timeless Textiles
110 Mill St. Suite #9
Middletown, PA 17057
717.930.0928
info@timelesstextiles.com
Specializes in natural fabrics and historical cloth and patterns for re-creationists. EXQUISITE brocades!!!
Tudor Jewels
Replica brooches, buttons and Tudor/Elizabethan dress accessories (like sew on jewels in gold settings), based off of famous Tudor portraits. The only place I've found accurate-looking sew-on jewels.
Vintage Textiles
5870 Soquel Drive (showroom)
P.O. Box 1504 (correspondence)
Soquel, CA 95073
831-476-9007 / 831-476-1102
Direct importers of antique fabrics from around the world; including
silk damasks, brocades and velvets from Italy, France, Belgium,
Germany. Wholesale and Retail.
Vogue Fabrics
718 Main St
Evanston, IL 60202
1-800-433-4313
High-end purveyor of all fabrics. Has hard-to-find items like wool challis, wool satin, top-end faux fur, lambswool velveteen, and more.
Wooded Hamlet Designs
4044 Coseytown Rd.
Greencastle, PA 17225
(717) 597-1782
ribbons & trim of linen, a variety of silks, metallic gold & silver, & wool. I use their silk ribbon to tie points, as it's the only silk ribbon I've found that doesn't slip. They also sell linen & silk thread, buttons, and other old-fashioned needleworking supplies. Catalog & swatches available.
If anyone has a mail-order source of linen or silk that's not listed here or in the costuming FAQ, Tell me and I'll add it to this list.