JW Costume/Attire..whatsit

[jabber-moose.livejournal.com]

Mods, feel free to delete if this isn't allowed etc etc.

A group of my friends are getting together a bit of a costume party. No occasion, really. Just because we can.

The theme is: Come as your favorite literary character.

Originally, I wasn't going to be able to attend due to work constraints, but now it would seem I have about 3 days to throw together an outfit.

Naturally, Wodehouse is my target.
 

Does anyone have any..helpful links, comments, suggestions to nudge me through 1920s England, Jeevesian, or Wooster-ian attire?

Much Obliged, indeedsir 

~Me

Comments

[rathanylakan.livejournal.com]

Any vintage clothing stores down your way? I know of some in my neck of the woods, but it would be a bit of a drive for you.

My tiny area of expertise!

[woe-in-a-hoodie.livejournal.com]

For Jeeves or Bertie costumes, any place like a thrift store or Goodwill is a good starting point; there you can find men's dress shirts, trousers and jackets (sometimes matching suits!), and occasionally waistcoats. For lack of actual men's waistcoats, one can always find vests in the ladies' section--there usually seems to be an alarming number of them, and in tacky, Bertie-would-love-it patterns. Also, depending on whether your shoe size is common, you can typically find a pair of wing-tips at Goodwill. (If you have really small feet, you can wear a larger size of men's shoe over your regular shoes.) If you want suspenders/braces, one can typically find them at department stores for a reasonably low price.

Regarding head-wear: if you're going as Bertie, Target currently sells fedoras in their men's department. They often have graphic designs on them, but if you're lucky you may be able to find a simple black one, or one with pinstripes, or a black-and-white houndstooth model (though Jeeves would no doubt sharply disapprove of these latter two!). If you're going as Jeeves, unfortunately bowlers are rather more difficult to find, but you might be able to snag a cheap felt-board one at a party/costume supply store.

Spats are really easy to make! All you need, unless you want to make them really fancy, is a pair of large tube socks you don't mind destroying (in your colour of choice, of course), a pair of sharp scissors, an equal amount of buttons per spat, and some glue that works on fabric.
(Note: Hemming is optional for all of these cuts, if you have sewing skills and want a cleaner look.)
How to make spats out of socks:
1. On each sock, cut off the toe end at about where it would align with the ball of your foot.
2. Cut off the 'heel cup' of each sock, making plenty of room for the heel of the shoes you'll be wearing. Remember that actual spats only have a strap that goes under the shoe between the front bit and the heel, so don't be afraid to really chop the sock to pieces--you only need a little bit on the underside of the shoe.
3. At this point you should put on your costume shoes and try on the spats to see if there's enough room for the shoe's heel and that the length of the spats isn't covering up too much of the toe of the shoes; the spats should cover the shoelaces and up to your ankles. If the sock material comes up too high on the leg, by all means trim it down to where you like it best.
4. Once you've done the final trimming, glue your buttons (however many you fancy) in a straight, even line down the outsides of the spats, let the glue dry and then they're ready for wear!

I don't know if you're going this far with the being-in-character part of the costume, but if you need a cigarette case they sell them at places like Hot Topic and Claire's.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

Re: My tiny area of expertise!

[jabber-moose.livejournal.com]

Thanks to you both.

And...WOW! Huge help! Glad i decided to throw this out there.