Why does costuming have feel like...costuming?
| Early on in my costuming business, a customer of mine paid me a compliment that hit very close to the
center of my costuming philosophy. We were in the parking lot of a small
renaissance faire getting ready for the day, and I tossed him a new shirt.
As he put it on and began lacing the sleeves, he said to me, "Wow...it feels
like a real shirt!"
He couldn't have said a nicer thing. I didn't always make my own costumes. When I first got involved with renaissance festivals in 1988, I borrowed costume pieces to make patterns from, but I wore them in the meantime to get an idea of how they needed to be altered to fit me. Now, none of these pieces was "homemade": each was purchased from someone, somewhere, but almost all of them were ill-fitting (under the arms was a big culprit), sloppily made (top stitiching that wandered all over), or frayed almost beyond repair (edge finishing was almost never used). That's why Seamlyne clothing is different from any other period garb you may have worn. Each piece features a level of shaping and tailoring that you may not find anywhere else: fully interfaced collars and cuffs, single needle tailoring, no raw fabric edges ever, and attention to details makes Seamlyne clothing not only an outstanding value, but clothing you'll be proud to wear.
SeamLyne (re)Productions is based in Independence, Missouri, and has been around since 1988. In early 1999, became a sole proprietorship in the state of Missouri, and in August of that same year went online officially for the first time. Before that time, sponsored a "Costume Designer's Page", featuring tips and tricks that most beginning sewing books miss, and information specific to historic costuming. SeamLyne is owned by William Morris, who started sewing at the age of nine and got his Bachelor's Degree in Technical Theatre some years later. It started with the realization that one can't simply go to the Sears Christmas Wishbooktm and buy an Inverness (the coat worn by Sherlock Holmes). From that unfulfilled wish came the desire to learn to make one, and he hasn't stopped learning since. In 1988, William joined a troupe of actors working at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, where he applied his skills to making his own costumes... Which grew into making costumes for other people... Which grew into designing his own line of clothing specifically for the purpose... Which grew into the web site you see here. |
