Building up a wardrobe for your impression and realizing that wearing real vintage or sewing your own will not work? Then that leaves you shopping with reproduction clothing companies to get the look. I get it, trying to find real vintage that fits you and will not break the bank is HARD! When you can't find real vintage, then you could sew your own but that requires time and skill. That too is HARD! Because you need to find the time to sew which can mean taking the time to learn how to sew too.
When I help ladies build a wardrobe or help guys get their girls ready for their first event, getting the right clothes "off the rack" can often be the only option. Since I would not send you to a business that I myself would not trust, I took the opportunity to do some shopping around. That is how I found out about the UK based reproduction clothing business Revival Vintage. This small business caught my eye because they have a whole collection of clothes based off of originals in their collection. Not only that but they offered a side-by-side comparison of the original item and their interpretation. This really got me interested because many clothing companies that offer 1940s clothes really are not that great. . . The clothes are either too sexy, don't have the right fit or are more 40s inspired than anything. This one looked different, and I had to give them a try. I made a rather large order of a suit, a coat, and some knit wear. Was it a gamble ordering so much? Oh yeah. . .But I really wanted to get a variety of items to test them out. That and I really needed the retail therapy, ok?
The first item I ordered was the 1940s Style CC41 Homestyle Skirt Suit in the red plaid. Then the 1940s style Promenade Coat in camel brown wool. Both of these items were a part of their Socialite collection. According to their website, their Socialite collection is a collection of clothes carefully based off of originals and offered in multiple sizes. You can read more about them here. Before I placed my order, I read the sizing and fit notes very, very carefully.
So how did my order go? Did the clothes fit? Were they worth the money? Well, I'll tell you. The order was a success. The suit and coat fit as well as expected. I did order one size up because I plan on wearing these pieces in cooler months, so I want to wear them with lots of layers to stay period correct and warm. I was overall impressed, and I would say these pieces, although expensive, are worth the money. I know getting period correct clothes off the rack can be a pain in the rear, but I think the selection that this company offers is pretty good. It's an option for those who cannot sew and cannot find real vintage that will work.
When you are shopping for clothes off the rack, there are a lot of reproduction 1940s clothing companies out there so do shop around, ask questions, and do as much homework as you can before ordering. Some companies do a better job as making faithful reproductions of authentic 40s fashion than others on many different levels. Keep your impression in mind as well. I think this should go without saying but I probably have to say it anyways. The clothes for a German civilian impression may not always work for an American or French or British civilian impression so it is important to be able to identify what will or will not work. Although this company in particular is reproducing vintage British pieces, some of what they are reproducing will work for German (yay!) but some will not (boo!) but that is up to you in the end to figure out as you build your own impression that is authentic and yet true to you.
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