" I want a shirt for re-enactment: what colour is authentic then? " Properly speaking, white was difficult to obtain, so most shirts of calico, cambric, linen, etc would have been shades of creamy off-white, running into shades of beige and dirty brown. Calico bleaches in the sun, so older shirts would have moved towards the whiter shades. On balance then, for authenticity, avoid bright white unless you are a top-raking officer with servants to do your laundry.
" I'm in LRP but I want what you call a Common Shirt - can I have one? " You are most welcome to order whatever type of shirt you want: the opinions expressed herein are purely based on many years of working with re-enactors of various societies and centuries, and the classification of the shirts on offer is purely a guideline.
" I want buttoned cuffs on a Soldier Shirt - do you do them?" As every shirt is individually made, then yes, any combination of collar/cuffs can be accommodated. Just drop us a line and ask.
" What size are they? " All the shirts have a spread around the chest of up to 52" (114" for the "Pirate" and "Poet" styles!), a neck size of 17" and sleeve lengths of around 25". If you are particularly tall/short/thin/wide/non-standard, we would be delighted to make a shirt to your exact requirements, just E-mail us with your details.
" I do Kentwell and I want a hand-made shirt: can you do it? " For a price, we can do anything! Seriously, no, it is not practical to offer fully hand-made shirts as the cost would be very high... furthermore, our shirts are more Stuart than Tudor. Having said that, if you supply a copy of the Costume Notes, we can give a quote. For your information, all internal seams are sewn using a machine, the seams are all turned and machine-stitched (ie not run through an overlocker) and virtually all visible stitching is done by hand: if you wish, the shirt can be provided "unfinished" so you can do the final hand-sewing of neck opening and hem in your own time. We think this offers the best compromise - if this is acceptable (it has been, in past years, but things change!) then contact us with details - and do give us plenty of notice!
" How much is post and packing " All prices include post and packing.
" I'm in the Sealed Knot - are your shirts authentic? " Check with your Regiment as to what is currently recommended, as the dress regulations do tend to change from year to year! You would be best going for the collarless linen option. If you are told you must have plain (ie no cuff) sleeves, no problem we can easily make you one, however you want it: just E-mail us with the details of what you require.
" How long for delivery? " Depends how many orders we have in hand at the time: it's quicker in winter: as a rough guide, no more than a couple of weeks, and we would e-mail you if there are likely to be any delays.
" Do you take credit card? " Sorry, payment by personal cheque or PO only: see order form for details.
" Can we have a discount for bulk orders? " Afraid not: each shirt is individually hand-made to order, they are not "run up" by machinists who are more interested in speed than quality.
" Where is your small print? " Here it is. We can't accept responsibility for anything whatsover, but we take the best possible care in every respect: that is to say, we aim for the best materials, the most authentic patterns, the best service possible, but sometimes we are let down by our suppliers - and that includes the postal service!
