New Year Update and 2020 Plans
January for Elgar Shirts is a good time for us to take stock, reflect, and look ahead to 2020.
2019 Reflections
In 2019 we introduced trousers and breeches to our garment range. This was a brand new venture and we’ve been really pleased with the response. We’ve had lots of feedback from customers telling us how comfortable they are. We first launched our high waisted trousers at the Whitby Steampunk Weekend last February and they’ve been a hit ever since.
Our fall front breeches have sold well online, especially to customers in Northern Europe, the US and the UK. They’ve been popular with reenactors but also folk costumes and dancers. One of the first customers to try them bought them for historical fencing.
Other new garments from last year we’re pleased with include our frill front shirt, which can be appreciated for the work involved in its gathering, and our olive green regency waistcoat. Our double-breasted regency waistcoat in black was a big seller in 2018 so we enjoyed developing this in different cloth.
In 2019 we attended Chalke Valley History Festival near Salisbury for the first time. This was such a different event for us and one we really enjoyed. We will be returning in June 2020. We also had a change of scenery at the Asylum Steampunk Festival in Lincoln, with an indoor pitch at the heart of the event.
2020 Plans
With last year’s hard work paying off, this year will centre on development. Our trousers and breeches will continue as we tweak patterns and explore new cloth. We will be trying patterns for extended breeches to make sailor style trousers – perfect for pirates, reenactors and steampunks. We will also offer a wider choice of fabrics for the trousers and we’re considering trying patterns with a narrower leg.
We’ve seen demand recently for traditional waistcoats to fit a woman. Any of our garments suit women, but we will be making patterns for women’s waistcoats this year. If you’re making an order in the meantime get in touch. We are happy to tweak a pattern or size to suit you.
We are making a return to our favourite events this year, which you can find listed here.
Thank you for your continued support and custom. We look forward to keeping you up to date with our latest garment development and events news. You can find us on our social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.