| Although I'm happy to be known as an historical costumer, please do not fall under the misapprehension that my clothes are costume in the sense of most modern fancy dress (not that there's anything wrong with fancy dress. The bulk of my work is bespoke, made to measure, historical or modern clothing, literally covering from prehistoric times to the present day, or "Neolithic to Now", or standard sized custom pieces. I also make flags, banners, and the like, and create embroidery (both by hand and by machine). Basically, anything made with needle and thread. I can cater for the widest time span possible, and for many periods that other costumers are unable to supply, for one reason or another, including modern bespoke clothing. My work is used by museums, for live or static display, guided tours, or for educational work; by TV and theatre companies and actors; by re-enactors and living historians; by brides, grooms and wedding guests looking for something 'different'; by collectors; and probably by people I haven't thought of yet, for reasons I haven't thought of yet. One client has worn my stuff to awards ceremonies... And yes, it is used as fancy dress, too. Reenactor Quality vs. Museum Quality vs. Film Quality I do not have more than one "quality". Whether my work is machine sewn, hand finished, or hand sewn, the quality of the final product will be the same. Whether clothing is for a museum, or a wedding, or a fancy dress party, the quality will be the same. Whether for a man, a woman, or a child, the quality will be the same. You get the point... (and yes, the differentiation of different 'qualities' for different clients is a pet hate of mine!) As to the question of 'what is the quality our clothes are made to?' - to give an idea, well used, but cared for clothing that I made 20+ years ago is still going strong and regularly in use. Sizing I do not have a size range as such - I can make clothing for you if you are tiny, or if you are on the large side, and I do not charge extra for non-standard people, or for smaller or larger people. The price I quote you will be the price you pay, (assuming you don't suddenly decide that you no longer want linen, but hand cut silk velvet, for example). Normal "made to measure" clothing, (such as one would find in a high street store), involves taking a few measurements, and adapting an existing pattern to those measurements. I do not do this. I make true 'bespoke' clothing. That means that I cut a new pattern from scratch for every customer. Therefore, you can choose exactly the garment you want - you can specify everything, right down to the buttons. Occasionally, however, I am asked to make outfits in standard sizes (usually in situations where the clothes have to fit more than one person). This is not a problem - I am perfectly happy to do so, and customers requiring this are still able to specify all the other details if they choose to. Historical Research I am fortunate to have access to an extensive library, detailing many, many original sources. Clearly I also have access to the internet. (And I'm lucky enough to have a husband who's moderately obsessed with military and uniform history.) Whichever period I am working in, I apply the same research methods, and the same thoroughness, to all projects that I undertake. I do not charge extra for historical research if you are buying clothing, although I do charge for the research alone. I have written about some of my research in the gallery pages and on my blog. I am able, availability of correct materials allowing, to produce exact replicas of extant garments in museums. However, I much prefer to base my designs on a number of sources, including extant garments and illustrations, unless I have the permission of the museum in question to make a copy. When I do make an exact replica, I put an identifying mark on the finished article, so that it cannot be confused with an original at any point in the future. Modern Clothing and Historically Inspired Clothing Having trained in fashion design, I am also able to design unique modern clothing, for weddings, evening wear, and proms, etc - often historically inspired to a greater or lesser extent. I'll be adding some more info on this to the site in due course, but in the meantime, the ordering process is the same as for historical clothing (click here to read how to order). Hats It's not that widely know that I make hats as well as clothing, and that I'm, in fact, a fully trained milliner. I am able to produce a variety of different hats and headpieces (male and female), and I make both modern hats, and historical styles. All of my work is made in Britain. Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, to be precise. |
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| "Costume n 1. a style of clothing belonging to a particular place or period or group or suitable for a particular purpose." |
| This website, and all the photographs, text and other content contained within it are copyright D Lough 1997 - 2015, unless otherwise stated. By entering this site you are acknowledging your awareness that unauthorised copying or transmitting is in breach of international copyright law. 'Deborah Lough Costumes', 'Deborah Lough' , 'DLC' , 'The Padded Armour Company', 'TPAC', 'Cherrytree Vintage', and the pictograph logo / makers mark are trademarks of Deborah Lough Costumes. |
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