Wm. Booth, Draper: Store Review

Last weekend I got tired of spinning my wheels on the coat pattern, and took a break to think about the rest of Chris's ensemble. Trolling around, I think I've figured out that (at the least) he'll need a shirt, waistcoat (vest), breeches or trousers, a cravat (giant neckcloth) and some sort of shoes & socks/stockings.

For the shirt, waistcoat, and trousers, I settled on patterns produced by Kannik's Korner (full reviews of patterns to come). I almost bought the patterns directly from the company but then rooted a little more on the internet and came across Wm. Booth, Draper.

What a lovely store! They carry a wide variety of products for historical reenactors, primarily for 17th-19th centuries. What sold me was the listing of of all the materials you need to make up the patterns (which you can conveniently purchase from them. ;) I bought all the items listed for a gentleman's shirt of high-quality linen - fabric, thread, metal sleeve buttons, thread buttons. It wasn't cheap (the total bill for everything including 3 patterns & shipping was $154) but saving the effort of trying to source the materials for less, not to mention figuring out everything I need, was completely worth the money for me. Now when I'm out fabric shopping I'll be able to note where to find things for the future, but I hate buying things and then deciding later it's not correct. Plus with a project this huge, I need all my spare time for sewing, not shopping!

The package was shipped the next business day, and it was sent Priority so it arrived in just a couple days. And they refunded a couple dollars on the shipping price! I didn't require any communication with them, but I'm confident they would respond quickly and completely to any inquiries.

Full marks for Wm. Booth, Draper!