What’s New
New Edwardian, La Belle Epoque Summer Tea Gowns
For Summer we are concepting a collection of lovely Early 1900s lacey, La Belle Epoque, and Edwardian Era tea gowns for warm afternoons sipin...
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Home  Costume Designs
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Samurai and Geisha
( 5 Articles )
Prior to the year 794, Japanese people wore separate upper and lower garments. During the period 794 to 1192, the method of cutting long pieces of fabric and sewing them together in a long dress; a kimono, came into fashion. From the 1200 to 1570s, Japanese men and women began to wear bright colors and elaborate decoration on their kimono, while Samurai warriors wore the colors of their leaders.
Traditional clothing of the Edo period, (1600-1868), included the kimono and obi as we know them today. The obi did not, however, become a prominent part of a woman's ensemble until the mid Edo period. It was then that designers, weavers and dyers all focused their talent on creating a longer, wider and more elaborate obi. Obi measurement was then standardised to 360cm long by 30cm wide.
Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Women of the samurai class continued to wear the simpler kosode kimono, tied together with an obi made of braided cords. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaborate kimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi.
For many years, the obi bow was tied either at the front or on the side. By the mid-Edo period, the obi bow was tied in the back position. It was said that this style started in the mid-1700s when a Kabuki actor, imitating a young girl, came on stage with his obi tied in the back. Another reason that the back position became more acceptable was that the sheer bulk of the wider obi became too cumbersome to be positioned in the front of the kimono.
The Meiji era, (1868-1912) witnessed a revolution in the textile industry with the advent of electric weaving looms and chemical dying techniques from the West. During this time, a woman's kimono ceased to be worn in the free-flowing style of the earlier days. The new fashion was to tuck the kimono at the waist to adjust the length of the kimono to the woman's height. These tucks and folds were visible and became part of the art of tying the obi.
The kimono, an expensive piece of clothing, became an heirloom quality garment in the Meiji period. Kimono making is still considered a fine art in Japan.
We have created a variety of beautiful kimonos in a palette of fabrics selected for the discerning geisha or samurai. Complete Japanese costumes, Tabi socks, Geta sandals, fans and parasols are available by special order.
Fabrics out of stock may be substituted with a similar pattern or color.
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Tudor Period Costumes
( 3 Articles )
Henry Tudor was succeeded by his second son who became Henry VIII of England, the famous king who had six wives, and created the Church of England. Henry VIII was succeeded by his son, Edward VI; then Mary I and the long forty-five-year reign of Queen Elizabeth I between 1558 and 1603. This page offers the unique style and pageantry of the Tudor reign.
Fabrics out of stock may be substituted with a similar pattern or color.
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American Civil War
( 7 Articles )
In the United States 1860, the presidential victory of the Republican Party provoked the secession of the Southern states even before Lincoln took office in 1861. The secession was not accepted by the new administration, characterizing it as rebellion. Actual hostilities began on April 12, 1861 and continued until Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.
From the pages of Margret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind, to the overwhelming influence of the reigning Queen Victoria; the spirit of the southern woman and gentleman is translated into the lovely designs included here.
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Edwardian and Early 1900s
( 4 Articles )
Edwardian Period is generally extended beyond Edward’s death in 1910 to include the years up to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the start of WWI in 1914, or often to the end of the war in 1918. The early 1900s are often regarded as a romantic Golden Age of long summer afternoons, garden parties and big hats; a social transition between the great achievements of the Victorian age, which preceded it, and the great catastrophe of the war which was to come after. This chapter in history saw the invention of the automobile, sinking of the Titanic and the first flight at Kitty Hawk. Great changes that would alter the course of our everyday lives sprang from this time period.
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Vintage Clothing
( 1 Article )
Time Traveler Outfitters is proud to present our vintage clothing collections for sale. Most of our collection is bonafide vintage or antique and some of our items are later but included because of the extaordinary style of it. We disclose all imperfections beyond normal for the age of the garment along with the key features such as the designer, age if known and any provenance that may be available. These are actual vintage pieces and in most cases will not be in "brand new" or "perfect" condition. If you fall in love with one of our vintage items that is not in your size, Please feel free to contact us to order a reproduction in your size or if you have any questions on an item thru the link provided in each item detail page.
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High Middle Ages
( 3 Articles )
The middle period (the High Middle Ages) follows, a time of developed institutions of lordship and vassalage, castle-building and mounted warfare, and reviving urban and commercial life. The High Middle Ages were characterized by the urbanization of Europe, military expansion, and intellectual revival that historians identify between the 11th century and the end of the 13th century. Northern Crusades and the advance of Christian kingdoms and military orders into previously pagan regions in the Baltic and Finnic northeast brought the forced assimilation of numerous native peoples to the European entity. The Crusades probably had the greatest influence on Medieval Fashion; importing fine silks, satins, damasks, brocades, and velvets from the Far East. This fashion era was based on newly available materials and the beginings of a merchant class.
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