favorite things

renaissance and costume related websites

A Festive Attyre: Renaissance and Elizabethan Costuming
Jennifer Thompson's lovely site is full of wonderful things including Featured Attyre which, sadly, is now no longer updated due to do Jen's responsibilities of being a mom. But, she has maintained the photos to this showcase of talented costumers, so it continues to be inspiring. Jennifer's site can also boast about it's research, no slacking here. The sections on use of lower grade silks and on hemp boning are especially informative. Includes diaries and photos of Jennifer's costumes.

Billy and Charlie's Finest Quality Pewter Goods
Most things one could think of needing. Brooches, belt buckles, folding spoons? Yep, they have it.

Costumes by Lynn McMasters
Wow! Can this lady sew! Stunning photos of more stunning costumes. Also the home of Fabric Covered Buckram Period Hat Patterns by Lynn McMasters. This site is worth a peek or two or three!

Dodger Costumes
A fantastic theatrical costume workshop and rental outfit. The flash on the website alone makes me drool! Costume plots for shows and a ton more, amazing!

The Elizabethan Costuming Page
Undoubtedly one of the best research websites for the Renaissance and Elizabethan eras. If you can't find it here, chances are you'll have a tough time finding it online. Drea Leed has done a beautiful job pulling together tons of stuff that's really helpful. The site is just so full of info it'd be pointless to list it all, you really must visit.

Fettered Cock Pewters
Another location for finding those shiny bits to add to your creations and a few items that are not pewter.

In Prayse of the Needle
Some of the most amazing "Historically Inspired Needlework" on the web. Simply breathtaking!

La Crasia Gloves
This New York glove company not only boasts a long list of celebrity clients they make the most beautiful gloves! They are featured in movies, B'way shows, magazines and at debutante balls each year, isn't about time they were worn for Renaissance costumes as well?

Life in Elizabethan England: A Compendium of Common Knowledge
A great collection of bits of information that almost everyone living in Elizabethan England would know. Everything from What to name the baby to how to celebrate Christmas to how to choose appropriate food for lunch. It's pretty amazing, a word of warning you could find yourself reading it for hours.

Mode Historique
Sarah Goodman has thrown her costuming talents and a bit of randomness into this great site. She's got a little bit of everything and has the photos to prove it. Research, diaries, and info on her creations.

Margo Anderson's Historic Costume Patterns
Patterns developed by California costumer Margo Anderson. She's helped make Elizabethan costumes "easy". With patterns for men and women, a binder's worth of info w/ each one and a Yahoo! group to cheer sewers on, these are some of the most user friendly patterns on the market.

Reconstructing History Patterns
Kass McGann's patterns from many historic time periods. Men's and Women's patterns including some hard to find things like English Jackets and Petticoats and Polish Men's Zupan and Kontusz. This is the pattern I used for Joe's Zupan.

Realm of Venus
Bella's beautiful site that is an inspiration to Italian renaissance lovers everywhere! Some of the portraits she has collected are drool worthy.

The Renaissance Tailor
The site I turn to time and again when I need to figure how far apart my pleats should be and when I need to be amazed.

Sock Dreams
An impressive array of socks, tights, and other things for the feet and legs. 

www.sempstress.org
The wonderful site of the lovely and talented Melissa Heischberg, aka The Semptress. Overflowing with info and helpful instructions for draping patterns and home of Ye Olde Dial-a-Dress a fun "tool" for playing w/ gown design ideas in an easy and paper free manner. Missa's own costumes are covered in photo and diary form.

Steve Millingham Pewter Replicas
Amazing pewter replicas of things like spoons and buttons, chains of office and other jewelry. Hey, if the Tower of London and Shakespeare's Globe use his stuff shouldn't we all? I'm not sure but I suspect that they were also used in "Pirates of the Caribbean", they look very similar.