Scrooped?

Sue, Jane & Janet, some clients/friends visited us yesterday to finalise the details of their dresses. (Victorian gorgeousness, if you want to know).

While they were deciding on various and arcane silks, Sue happened to mention that one had a lovely scroop, which stopped me dead in my tracks. Scroop? What's scroop?
"The crisp rustle of silk", explained Sue, in that everyday sort of a way she has.
I dashed for Websters' dictionary and there it was. Why didn't I know about this?
What a word! The Victorians thought the rustle of cambric and silk sensual and this word describes it wonderfully!
So don't be surprised in future, if you're asked - 'And what scroop level are you looking for'? or 'Are you bothered about scroop factors'?

Shoemakers' Children

It's not very often that we have clothes to 'play' in and like the shoemakers children going barefoot, Gini & I are always last in line. Yes, I do have various outfits for 'living history' and am frequently employed as 15th C Medieaval, Tudor, ECW,Georgian, Napoleonic and Victorian - but I look on these as work clothes (it can very useful being married to a costumier!).
Now the outfit for the wedding was a completely different kettle of fish! Mine was made from a very expensive reproduction Blue shot* brown silk , provenanced at 1770. Made up to the pattern of a suit held in the Williamsburg archives. The outfit was completed with queued wig, Tricorn, frilled shirt and stock, embroidered stockings, walking cane, fob watch and the shoes were made by one of Britains' best cordwainers - Sarah Juniper. Who, come to think of it doesn't have any children.

Williamsburg Wedding

*Sorry, I can't remember the American term for a shot fabric - somebody remind me!

Ginis' outfit as in the picture on the right. She is wearing a Robe a la Francais, made from a superb embroidered silk embellished with frills of the same material, edged and decorated with gold braid. Worn underneath and therefore not seen, is a lace edged linen chemise, silk stays, pockets and hoops. Ginis' shoes were again made by Sarah Juniper.

To complete the look, she is wearing a wig, hand made embroidered mittens of silk, fine silk tucker, decorated hat and period jewelry.

An Odd Year

It's been a strange year for us, everything from being up to our knees in water at the Berkely Castle debacle-in July (The less said about that the better)! - to outfitting and attending a 'Renewal of Vows' wedding ceremony at Colonial Willamsburg V.A. It was an honour to be invited and a privilege to attend.

What a great place Williamsburg is! We stayed at one of the Colonial Houses-The Chiswell Bucktrout house on Francis street -which was a piece of air conditioned heaven. The Wedding went off swimmingly in 18thC style and pictures are available here slides 10-18. I'll go into greater detail on the costumes on a later post. We still had the time to do plenty of research in the archives and with 'specialists' in various fields and I would like to thank them all for their hospitality, enthusiasm and help in some of the more esoteric queries we had!

It also gave us a chance to meet up with some existing and new clients and it was lovely to meet you all.
You know, working in the 'history industry' is something really special. O.K, we do grouse about ' various levels of authenticity' but, for the most part, the friendliest & most helpful people I've ever come across.
So here's to you - all of you.

Chimera costumes

My wife Gini Newton, is an Historical costume specialist and we run a business supplying Museums, Educational authorities and Re-enactors with quality costume & artefacts.
Some of our customers and friends (and a lot are both)! have suggested that we start a blog to explain some of the finer detail.
So here is our first foray into the world of blogging and I hope you (and we), have fun!