Historical Costumes

Pick the Era, Then the Character

Historical costume spans thousands of years, so the era sets the silhouette before the character does. A crested headpiece and a cape read as ancient Greece, a tricorn above a long coat reads as the eighteenth century, and a beaded evening set reads as the twentieth, so one decision narrows the whole shopping list.

Decide between a named figure and a generic period guest before you order anything. King Leonidas depends on a bronze helmet and a hoplite shield that nobody mistakes for everyday clothing, while a plain waistcoat and cravat carry a generic colonial look on their own.

Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Builds

The oldest looks here are the easiest to assemble because they are built from leather, cloth and one prop. A red cape, a crested bronze helmet and a round shield make the Spartan king, and a white hood with a red shoulder drape covers the Renaissance assassin.

For a Renaissance diplomat look, John Rolfe layers a white poet shirt under a red and gold trimmed doublet with wine red pants, a saffron sash and cuffed black boots. Keep the fabrics matte, because shiny satin photographs as modern eveningwear rather than a period outfit.

Colonial, Regency and Monarch Looks

The tailored eras are the most forgiving for a party, because the pieces are ordinary garments cut in an older shape. George Washington is a red officer tailcoat with a gold paisley waistcoat, a white ascot cravat and a tricorn, and every one of those pieces reads as the founding era on its own.

Regency looks lean on fabric and finish rather than props. Kate Sharma wears either a full Regency gown or teal riding gear with tall boots and gloves, and the whole effect comes from the high waist and the soft color palette.

Modern royal looks are the sharpest of the group. Queen Elizabeth II is a white strapless ball gown with a blue satin sash, a tiara set and a short brown curly wig, and the wig is what dates the outfit to the last century.

Wild West, Pirate and Soldier Builds

The nineteenth and twentieth century guides are the ones that overlap with other themes, so anchor them in the period before you add your own twist. Doc Holliday is a trench coat over a red vest with a satin puff tie and pinned stripe pants, a gambler rather than a ranch hand, and the tailoring is what separates the two.

Pirate and soldier looks are built on layers and one signature prop. Captain Morgan pairs a captain jacket with a long curly brown wig, a fake beard and a cutlass, while the Inglourious Basterds kit swaps the cape for an olive drab shirt, a leather vest and a tomahawk.

Hats, Wigs and Period Hair

Hair does more period work than almost any garment, so buy the headpiece before the outfit. A short brown curly wig turns a white ball gown into a mid-century monarch, and a powdered white style or a pinned updo does the same for a colonial or Regency look.

Set the silhouette from the crown and work down. A tricorn or a wide brimmed period hat fixes the century at a glance, and a long curly dark brown wig with a fake beard is what makes the pirate captain unmistakable.

Keep the finish period-appropriate. Matte wool, linen and cotton photograph as history, while a glossy synthetic fabric under party lights reads as a store-bought costume no matter how good the accessories are.