Add some antique whimsy to your life with this historical costumer society

Central Park is more than a place for nature, it’s also a place for gatherings. On any given day, there will be tourist groups and birthday parties, but there might also be more unique activities like swing dancing or medieval sword-fighting. You may be desensitized from city life and shrug while secretly wondering “who are all these people?”. But if you do look away, you might miss the magic of groups like the New York Historical Costumer Society. 

The New York Historical Costumer Society was founded in 2018 to provide a place for members to share their love of historical costuming, discuss current projects, and go to events in costume together. On Sept. 12, they will host a “Jane Austen Picnic” in Central Park, with suggested attire from 1775-1817 (think Keira Knightly in Pride & Prejudice or Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma).

Although I don’t sew, I can still appreciate the time and creativity that others put into homemade costumes. And because this is New York City, you don’t really need an excuse to dress up. You don’t need to wait for a special occasion like Halloween or Comic Con to add some historical whimsy to your life. 

That’s how I found myself wearing a toga in Central Park last weekend. Eleven of us gathered for the Society’s Classical Antiquity Picnic. Most people were wearing homemade outfits inspired by ancient Rome and Greece. We hung out on picnic blankets, peacefully unbothered by passerby or tourists. We snacked on era-appropriate food like grapes, and visited the Bethesda Terrace Arcade, which is inspired by ancient Roman architecture and paved with Roman brick. 

Members shared with The Groove their passion for history and costume-making, and the community you can find when you’re bold enough to show up in costume. There are academic programs in costume design at schools like NYU and SCAD, but many costume-makers are also self-taught.