Why We're Here and What We're About
Aythir Designs started as a way to bring affordable custom garb to the masses. We attend a lot of Renaissance faires and noticed that most costumes were incredibly expensive - and not even individually fitted! Also, our seamstress and designer, Kat, is a bit of a costume freak; she wanted to see more costumes out there that actually resembled period clothing, rather than a designer's whims.

That's right, period clothing. All our designs, except for those in the Other Costumes section, are "historically inspired". That means that we do as much research as possible to make the most authentic clothes we can. However, we're not here to reproduce historic clothing. We use modern construction techniques, fabrics, and findings and have been known to alter fit and shaping to suit modern tastes. If you're looking for a completely authentic garment, check our Gowns section for reproduction items or ask us about constructing a period replica costume for you.

One of our most important principles is that of creating real garments. We construct clothes, not costumes. Every item we sell is fit for daily wear and tear, even if you only wear it on occasion. Our garments are meant to be comfortable, durable, and easy to wear. We do everything we can to give our customers top-quality garments for their money.

FAQ

Who We Are
First things first - we are real. We're a registered business with the State of New York, which, incidentally, is why we have to charge sales tax to New York residents. Sorry, guys, but them's the rules.

Kat
Our grand high exalted dictatrix...er, leader.

Kat is our designer and seamstress. She's the one who comes up with all our patterns and actually makes the garments you've ordered. She even does the research, embellishment, etc. Yes, she is obsessive-compulsive. Yes, she is an insomniac. Yes, that is how all of this actually gets done. Email Kat

Sarah
Sarah is Kat's "Gal Friday" - or at least that's what Kat calls her. She tends to think of herself more as Kat's zookeeper (she's the only one who knows where the tranquilizer darts are kept).

Sarah helps out with the designs, suggesting new items and fabrics and such. She's also a terrific model and doesn't mind if she's only paid in clothes.