The Singing Costumer

  My next big historical project is a 1890s Mary Poppins.We know that Mary Poppins returns every so often. And we know that the original Mary Poppins film is set in 1910. We can assume 17 Cherry Lane has been in the Banks’ family for a time. Maybe she visited the Banks’ neighbor children in 1890 when George Banks was in his early 20s? Let’s say she met George at that time and knew that she needed to keep her eye on him and his family. The Belle Epoch is not a period I’ve studied a lot, but I love it. It’s a perfect blend of the Bustle styles that came before and the Edwardian style that followed. My Constance Hatchaway is loosely inspired by this period. For the skirt, I used Butterick 5970. I bought some beautiful Gray Herringbone Striped Wool from Burnley and Trowbridge. Sadly, it’s sold out now.  I hope it comes back in stock so I can make a matching jacket at some point. Probably the Eton jacket from Truly Victorian. A good portion of the fashion plates from this period that I foun

  I wasn’t originally planning to blog about this costume. I didn’t sew a single thing shown here. But I decided I would take this opportunity to write about a topic near and dear to my heart; thrift store cosplays. Thrift stores can be a treasure trove of specific and interesting items, found nowhere else. The wide variety of random stuff that one can find there is astonishing. And of course, the prices are usually reasonable. (Although I’ve heard of stores in some bigger cities that are raising prices.) And also, thrift stores are sometimes affiliated with charities that are supported with the proceeds. Not to mention that it is much more sustainable and environmentally conscious to buy used. Overall, thrifting is my favorite way to shop, for cosplay or for daily wear clothes. The one downside I’ve found to thrift store cosplays is the time investment required. Often, it’s a matter of stalking different thrift stores over a period of time to find a specific item needed. Each trip, I