kass

So... Wanna buy a shirt?

You don't mean "Authenticity 101", do you Chole?

I'd tried, Striker! I really did try. But the Elves Union sent their tough guys to beat me up. I had bruised shins for a week!

Better start driving to Chicago now, Chole!

Elves are wonderful things. You go to sleep, and they do all the work! The buttons are dorset thread buttons, Chole. Shirt Elf makes lovely ones.

Don't worry. The elves have a union. I feed them chocolate chip cookies three times a day, just like it says in their contract!

What do you mean "will have to..."? The elves are down there sweating as we speak!

UPDATE! Two shirts gone. I only have six for guaranteed immediate shipment. We ship anywhere in the world! Get 'em before they're gone!

No, but you can still do our PR for us.

Ewwwww... You guys are sullying my inner eye!

Ask Callenish when he's coming over to have his inseam measured!

Hi all, In the "f'n money" thread, I mentioned my linen shirts and quite a few of you have PMed me about them. So I thought I'd post them here just in case they'd make someone a nice Christmas present. These shirts are 100% linen, hand-finished with hand-made buttons, and will fit chest sizes up to 56". All yours for $75 plus shipping. I take checks and money orders in US funds, credit cards and PayPal. Kass

It sure looks like one to me, Midnight. You saw the picture I posted of one from 1689, correct?

Oh my God, Alva! I never thought of that!!! I've often heard that given as the reason why documentaries are badly costumed -- because the film company just raids their wardrobe department for whatever "looks right" because the costumed actors are just meant to be "background" -- but it never occured to me that a company with as huge a budget as Disney has would borrow stuff from other productions. But there you have the proof of it with that buckle! That's incredible! Good show, mate!

Very true, Greg. Living history IS more addictive than crack. Besides, if you want to quit crack, your friends will probably help you quite. If you want to quit living history, your friends will do everything they can to keep you hooked!

I thought so, Pat. You like to make your own stuff. Me too. I like to say: "This is the sweat of my brow!" Jigme, unfortunately my shirts are really $75 but that's only because my "elves" are in the union. Jack, it's never done. Believe me! There's always something you need/want/can't live without... Chole, good one! I always advise people to start with their underwear -- and by that I mean shift, stays, and petticote for a woman and shirt and breeches for a man. Add a hat and both are reasonably "decent" (for a certain definition of "decent"). And then they can put on the other layers as they get them or make them. But except for the stays, shirts, shifts, petticotes and breeches tend to be relatively inexpensive.

So Pat, just for argument's sake, let me ask you a question: If someone offered you a linen shirt that was both well-researched and fit you the way you like, and it cost $55, would you buy it rather than making your cotton and linen versions?

Have a safe journey, man!

Sorry, Matusalem. I'm not buying it. Any reliable source will tell you that pirates often started their lives in the navy or on merchant ships. This is why pirate clothing doesn't differ materially from other mariners' clothing. Also, pirates took huge hauls in gold and other commodities (they didn't do it because it was a laugh, after all ). Do you mean to tell me that they couldn't afford shoes? Sorry. That doesn't make any sense. #1 - The historical records show shoes were provided to sailors. #2 - The pictorial record shows sailors wearing shoes. #3 - Living historians who have actually done the work of period sailors are telling you that their hard calloused feet didn't make a bit of difference in the rigging. You know what occurs to me? I once read an account of a whaling ship taking a whale. They said the decks were awash in blood until the whale could be properly cut up and packed away in the hold. Do you think it might be possible that whalers took off their shoes during this process? Shoes would be very slippery on a bloody deck! And perhaps your tour guide had no first hand experience aboard a ship and assumed that sailors always went barefoot? Anyway... Believe what you like. That's all I have to say on the matter.

But being barefoot because you cannot afford shoes is a whole different story than going barefoot in the rigging because "it's easier"... Hmmm... Lemme see... Funny that the Royal Navy provided specifications for shoes if no one ever wore them on their ships. And dog's feet are made out of different stuff.

Yup! I do agree with you, Matusalem. Although you'll probably take it with a grain of salt being as I am Blood-Sucking Merchant Scum[tm]. Seriously, we make clothing and can sell you your full kit -- top to toes. But we also recognize that not everyone can afford that. (Hell, I could never afford that. It's why I learned how to sew!) So we also sell patterns and fabric so you can sew your own. And if your budget won't stretch even that far, we offer advice and free articles about what was worn in the period. So you can do it all yourself. I may be a businesswoman, but my real intent is to spread good information. And if that means giving it away for free, I'll do that too! :) If I can help you in any way, with any step of your quest, dude, just PM me.

I thought it was a Sicilian necktie? Ew...

I think you're halucinating again, sweetie. I don't know the weight of GAoP canvas. And modern canvas comes in a variety of weights too. The composition of modern canvas (usually cotton) and period canvas (typically hempen) is different though, but you knew that. :) Are you sure I wasn't talking about osnabrig? Period osnabrig is totally different from the stuff you get in uphostery shops today.

Matusalem, you would do well to listen to what Foxe has to say in his post. He is someone who works on a galleon every day. I would tend to believe his experiences. Also, he knows a whole lot more about GAoP sailors than anyone we know. :) And a Nantucket Whaling museum has nothing to do with what sailors did in the GAoP, although I expect that if they didn't go barefoot in the rigging in the GAoP, they didn't in the 19th century either.