Buying a historical uniform of the period?

[Icewolf]

I dont know if this is in the correct forum but it is about buying a Napoleonic uniform , probably a british one.. can anyone recommend any sites that make and sell uniforms? i understand they are very expensive?

[Mooncabbage]

I second this motion, it sounds like an interesting way to geek out

Everybody should post pictures of themselves playing in an officer uniform. ^^

[Abspara]

That sounds like a great idea

[seandavis]

http://www.sutlers.co.uk

they are pretty good, I have officers uniform for the gordons 92nd regiment

[Douanier]

for our french uniform lovers;
http://en.empirecostume.com/

but watch it, service is sometimes on the french way, if you know what i mean..

[Lord Tomyris]

Not a Napoleonic historical uniform, but I bought myself an Irish Guards redcoat dating back to WWI off eBay for £40!

[Lance-Corporal Jones]

Brilliant, spending good money on a suit you're never going to wear in public -- way to go!

Seriously, don't do that. Not being a proper soldier and wearing a soldier's uniform looks, well, terrible. I've seen so many awkward, clumsy, tubby re-enactors...

[Douanier]

well, terrible. I've seen so many awkward, clumsy, tubby re-enactors...

..always the negative side .. and instead of the terrible ones, you have the ones with splendid 100 procent authentic uniforms! here in the netherlands its almost a sport to be as authentic as possible within your uniform.. we did a 2 year research to get the correct uniforms. but ok, nobody says that all reenactors are on the same level of aythenticy.

(tip) and before buying something, join an association in which you can find yourself.

[Lance-Corporal Jones]

..always the negative side .. and instead of the terrible ones, you have the ones with splendid 100 procent authentic uniforms! here in the netherlands its almost a sport to be as authentic as possible within your uniform.. we did a 2 year research to get the correct uniforms. but ok, nobody says that all reenactors are on the same level of aythenticy.

(tip) and before buying something, join an association in which you can find yourself.

I have seen awkward, clumsy and tubby re-enactors with excellent, expensive and accurate uniforms. It's the man, not the suit, that makes the soldier.

Here is a group, for instance, where the soldiers actually look and perform like proper soldiers: http://www.95thrifles.com/

It's physical fitness and proper training that makes a re-enactor credible, not spending money on suits.

[Douanier]

remember this.. its a hobby, your not going to the real army.. therefore you dont get a medical research when you want to join a group, one is/or not approved after checking if you have a good body length, a good weight and no glasses and a good age.. guess what; its still a hobby.

you cant keeping rejecting people who are interested, pure one grounds recalled above, if you would do that there were not a lot of associations around, and especially sure no bigger associations, so you should be realistic, and have to do compromises.

tabee

[Sir Nicholas Altman]

My wife would kill me.

[PhilipO'Hayda]

My wife would kill me.

AHAHHA!! god now I can't stop thinking about my dad dressed up.

[Lance-Corporal Jones]

remember this.. its a hobby, your not going to the real army.. therefore you dont get a medical research when you want to join a group, one is/or not approved after checking if you have a good body length, a good weight and no glasses and a good age.. guess what; its still a hobby.

you cant keeping rejecting people who are interested, pure one grounds recalled above, if you would do that there were not a lot of associations around, and especially sure no bigger associations, so you should be realistic, and have to do compromises.

tabee

I do remember it's a hobby -- I also know it's more of a hobby for some than others. Furthermore, whereas spending a fortune on uniforms requires great expense, isn't it a shame not to go on Sundays to perform some actual drill and physical training? Or is it just strutting around in an expensive uniform that counts?

Serious re-enactors, those who can be arsed to go and do some actual training, can be brilliant; slob re-enactors are often sad to see, stumbling across the battlefield in their expensive suit with their shako bobbing atop their balding head, fumbling with their bayonet or executing orders without the slightest bit of co-ordination.

Anyhow, to the point: what I mean is that, if you want to spend the money, be prepared to spend a bit of time and effort to live up to the uniform.

[ray243]

Not to mention the sight of seeing obese people in combat gear and trying to fight is pretty disgraceful to the people who actually fought in those wars. If those soldiers are alive today, I bet they would be laughing at them.

[Douanier]

I bet that they would find it great, that in some way they are still remembered,
instead of totaly forgotten in the thick fog of history..

[Chevalier IX]

I dont know..a fine officers overcoat would be quiete suitable for most formal engagements I tend,but then again I am quiete enraptured in the Steam Punk circles so something of the Pre or Victorian era makes up my common dress on a regular basis

[G3NUINE chief]

I have a Swedish and an east German officer coat, and i where them all the time out. im going to pick up a prussian officer coat next.
since i live in Canada alway good to have a well made warm military coat. I do love the idea of getting a Napoleonic era uniform and playing napoleon TW.

[The Gallant Forty-Twa]

A little selection of pictures for you to see =)

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[Lance-Corporal Jones]

My my, must be all that stodgy army food!

As I said before -- a proper soldier in an acrylic carnival redcoat suit would look more authentic than a tubby, clumsy oaf in the most expensive and authentic uniform money could buy.

[Rt. Hon. Gentleman]

A little selection of pictures for you to see =)

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Oh dear. I'm not that much thinner than them myself!

Then again, Cornwallis was a bit of a porker, eh?