Despite being told that I was born in the wrong century, there are several things that I enjoy about living in the 21st century. One of these, obviously, is the Internet and having access to so much information at my fingertips. I think that I would be lost as a newcomer to historical costuming if I didn’t have some amazing bloggers to follow, learn from, or to be inspired by. I follow a lot of blogs related to this hobby and it’s not easy to narrow down my list to just ten but after a lot of thought and deliberation, here are my top ten favourite blogs.
Izabela is my number one Historical Costuming Hero. She is so incredibly talented and I love how she posts so many progress pictures, advice posts, and photos of completed outfits taken by her photographer husband Lucas. I have learned so much from Izabella through her blog and I am absolutely blown away by how she freely gives her readers so much time and information. I’m definitely looking forward to her Victorian Dressmaker book that she’s working on at the moment and will definitely be purchasing a copy to add to my library. I also love the videos she posts on her youtube channel too.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
The Most Common Mistakes in Historical Costuming and How to Avoid Them
Prior Attire Victorian Ball 2017
Jennifer’s blog was the first that I came across, back when Liane was sewing the Rose Wine dress for me and I was just being generally curious about historical costuming (back when I thought that any form of sewing was beyond me). She has written so many incredibly helpful pieces of advice, and tutorials that I have read and re-read while learning how to create my own historical garments.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
Dispelling the Myth of the Itsy Bitsy Teeny Tiny Waist
6 Traits of Accomplished Historical Costumers
Liz is definite proof that historical costuming doesn’t have to be super expensive. She expertly combines thrift store finds with her fantastic sewing skills to create beautifully executed outfits. She also posts well-researched articles relating to past fashions and how they fit within the context of everyday life.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
With and Without: How Wearing a Corset Affects You and Your Clothes
The Genteel Fashionista’s Dialogue: A Humourous Timeline of Fashion
Five Snazzy Ways to Add Pizzazz to Your Victorian Costume
I actually met Aurora in person a couple of years ago at the Oamaru Heritage Celebrations. She was spending a few months in New Zealand with her partner Andrew (who is a New Zealander) and had been working with the Victorian Wardrobe. The funny thing was, a few years earlier I used to read her blog (from a Jane Austen fan point of view) but didn’t even realise until later when we became Facebook friends and I put two and two together! Aurora is such a lovely person, and an amazing historical seamstress as well.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
My Outfits are Finally Done! This is What They Looked Like on the Catwalk!
Lauren and Abby are amazing – and not just because they have cornered the niche market of historical footwear either. The blog, started by Lauren, is filled with helpful information, gorgeous pictures, and now podcasts. Even though I have only dabbled in the Victorian era of historical costuming, Lauren is definitely one of the bloggers responsible for making me want to journey into the 18th century.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
Why Don’t I Look Right? Getting the Look Spot-On with Historical Costumes
Where to Wear – How to Throw Your Own Costume Events
6. Angela Clayton’s Costumery & Creations
I think I first heard about Angela via a post on BoredPanda about a year or so ago. Back when she was making outfits that were historically inspired. It’s quite overwhelming to come across someone so much younger who is light years ahead in sewing skills than I am but I think it is brilliant that she has found and embraced her passion so early on. I’ve enjoyed watching as Angela has progressed beyond historically inspired garments to more historically accurate ones. It’s going to be so interesting to watch as she grows even more in her skills and knowledge and to see where it leads in the future.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
Striped Cotton Dress, Early 20th Century
Based in New Zealand, Leimomi posts cute photos of her cat is a wealth of information and also includes fun features on her blog like her Rate The Dress posts. Despite the historical costuming community in New Zealand being quite small we haven’t yet crossed paths but who knows, maybe one day she’ll visit Oamaru for the Heritage Celebrations or there’ll be some other event that we both end up attending.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog:
Rate the Dress: A Red and White Striped 1880s Ensemble
The Historical Fashion and Textile Encyclopaedia
A Perfect Day for a Garden Party, The Katherine Mansfield Garden Party at Hamilton Gardens
Gina must have fun creating her different historical garments. I mean, how could she not when she has made Victorian wedding dresses, historical sporting outfits, and has brought several fashion plates to life.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
Roller Skating 1880s Bustle Dress Style
Port Townsend Victorian Festival: Saturday Day
Not only does she make beautiful dresses but she also does a lot of research, and it’s great to see such detailed making-of posts as well. It’s definitely possible to see her entire thought process and I do like seeing how historical costumers get from idea through to the finished garment (probably because it helps me to see how everything goes together because it helps me understand how to do it myself).
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
Getting an (Almost) Historical Look The Easier Way – Or: How to Cheat To Most Effect
10. Festive Attyre
Jen’s blog was another historical costuming blog that I found quite early on while still so new to the hobby. Like everyone else above, Jen makes beautiful historical garments and, it is because of her post on 1890s sleeve mockups that I felt confident enough to try and scale up some of the sleeve patterns in my books for my Antique Rose shirtwaist. She also does a brilliant job bringing fashion plates to life too.
Some of my favourite posts from this blog are:
I know that some of these blogs get mentioned a lot when other bloggers make their top ten lists and I think that that is a testament to their skills and knowledge, and their willingness to share so much with everyone else. I do hope that I may have mentioned a blog or two that you might not have heard of, or haven’t spent a lot of time reading yet so that you can find someone new to follow. I know I get excited when I come across a new blog to explore.
The Internet is quite a wonderful thing when it can connect people from different countries, and of varying ages, skill levels, etc because of a common interest. We are all part of a global historical costuming community and I think that that is such an incredible thing.
Miss Temby 
Thank you for the kind comments and lovely mention in your list. Many on your list are friends of mine as well, and I’m always learning from their own projects and blogs. Cheers!
Jennifer from HistoricalSewing.com
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Hi Jennifer, you are most welcome. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with everyone =)
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