Circular Fashion Shop logo shows the circle from New and Sustainable to Closet Vintage to Vamped Vintage to Up for the Cut to Hack and Patch and back again to New and Sustainable

Sustainable Costume Company

The Sustainable Costume Company loves costumes – especially when they are part of a circular economy and costumiers take every care to source costumes and fabrics where both garment workers and the environment are cared for throughout the process.

There are many ethical issues in the fashion industry, and some of these are particularly problematic in the costume industry. A key issue is lack of budget. This can mean productions end up sourcing cheap, low quality costumes. The fabric in these costumes tend to be fossil fuel based. And the manufacturers tend to be those using slave labour in their supply chain and dumping dyes and chemicals into water supplies.

Fortunately there are many options to sustainably sourcing costumes. A low budget production can hire costumes, which means they last longer. Or they can source clothes from charity shops, giving old clothes a new life. Costumiers can also adapt unwanted clothes or old costumes into new designs. Costume makers also frequently make costumes from scratch using offcuts, remnants or old textiles. And if you know you can re-use, resell or hire out that special outfit, you are more likely to invest in a bespoke creation using quality fabrics, where you know both the garment workers and the environment are cared for throughout the process.

  • Reenactment Events

    Reenactment Events

    Reenactment events in the UK include Tudor craft workshops and medieval battles! Check our list of events to see living history in action!

  • Regency Costume Events

    Regency Costume Events

    Regency costume events in the UK are very much inspired by the wonderful books by Jane Austen. These events are popular, so book early!

  • Historical Costume Events

    Historical Costume Events

    Historical costume events in the UK include costumed balls and parades, 1940s and renaissance festivals, and cyclists in tweed!

  • Cosplay events

    Cosplay events

    We love cosplay! Here you can find all the main cosplay events and comic-con dates in the UK for you to enjoy.

  • World Environment Day

    World Environment Day

    World Environment Day – our top tips for conscientious consumers and anyone wanting to make their fashion business more sustainable

  • Violet Evergarden costume

    Violet Evergarden costume

    We chose the Violet Evergarden costume design from the movies when Violet was about three years older than she was in the series.

  • XR Murder of Crows

    XR Murder of Crows

    XR Falmouth asked me to help them create a crow hood for their XR murder of crows demo. Here are some photos from the demo in February 2020.

  • Little Women costumes

    Little Women costumes

    Little Women costumes sourced and created by costumier Tracey Dockree for the 2018 touring production of Little Women the musical in Cornwall

  • Assassins Creed – Edward Kenway

    Assassins Creed – Edward Kenway

    Assassins Creed costume – unpicking old jeans and a leather jacket then sewing them all back together to create the iconic Edward Kenway look

  • Cradle of the Gods

    Cradle of the Gods

    Cradle of the Gods book promotion – creating a druid cloak for the book launch and having fun with face paints to create the skull tattoo

  • Cabaret

    Cabaret

    Cabaret costumes – seedy underworld Berlin – the teddies I designed and created for the Kit Kat girls were based on 1930s lingerie.

Follow Sustainable Costume Company on social media