Comments by "Piccalilli Pit" (@piccalillipit9211) on "V. Birchwood" channel.

  1. I USED TO BE VERY ANTI-FUR until I went to Prague in the winter and the windchill was -45C and all my fancy modern winter clothes were completely useless. I realised you either wore a dead mammal or you became one. EDIT: controversy in the comments - this was 1995, Im sure modern Genuine Polar gear is now better than my expensive pseudo polar gear was 30 years ago...!!!
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  2. IT GENUINELY CAME AS A SHOCK to me to learn that people in the past didn't like being cold, wet or uncomfortable and had worked out how to be warm, dry and comfortable. And the opposite of "warm, dry and comfortable" is Jeans, modern jeans are the most uncomfortable, damp, cold garment humanity has ever been conned into wearing.
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  3. THIS IS THE TIP THAT CHANGED MY LIFE I had hand-sewn several bespoke suits, hundreds and hundreds of hours and I never wore them, I was too scared of damaging them. MAKE A PINNEFORE - a big Victorian style pinafore with lots of fabric and gathers that wraps around you and a big bib that covers you up, this way you dont spill tea on it, you dont get food down you, you dont get grease splatters. Having a pinafore I could slip on whilst cooking or doing any dirty job allowed me to wear my sits every day...
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  4. HOW INTELLIGENT PEOPLE WERE is the thing that has really been made obvious to me from wearing historical fashion, People worked out how to stay warm and dry and look good and be comfortable a LONG time ago - and if anything we have devolved. Sweat pants and a T-shirt are NOT more comfortable than a handmade bespoke suit. We look at old pics and think "OMG how stuffy" NO, with few exceptions they were astonishingly comfortable and climate appropriate...
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  5. MODERN LINEN IS "GASSED" another word is mercerized I believe - the spun fibres are run through a gas flame at high speed and this burns off all the little bits that stick out This makes it softer and less scratchy BUT critically it does not BIND to itself as historical fabric would have, this is the same for cotton BTW. The original "bra" [strophian?] would have held in place far better.
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  6. REMEMBER that feeling you get when you see another person in a historical outfit - THAT is how 99% of people feel when they see you... The 1%, well that's either jealousy that they don't have the confidence or genuine ignorance. They dint understand WHY you would wear that, it's so outside the boundaries of their world.
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  7. YES as a tailor of historical suits, I can confirm linen has ZERO stretch in it, But also - and this was my comment: MODERN LINEN IS "GASSED" another word is mercerized I believe - the spun fibres are run through a gas flame at high speed and this burns off all the little bits that stick out This makes it softer and less scratchy BUT critically it does not BIND to itself as historical fabric would have, this is the same for cotton BTW. The original "bra" [strophian?] would have held in place far better. ----- "Wools as fine as those used back then are hard to come by". what GSM / Oz are you wanting? I can get lightweight Turkish wool and new old stock wools from the former USSR. And when you sat "fine" do you mean thin or do you mean woven densely from thin fibres? EDIT - I can also get hand woven narrow loom undyed cloth made in the villages here in Bulgaria
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  8. IM ENGLISH LIVING IN BULGARIA I dress in 1900 to 1930 clothing every day and I think most people just assume this is how ALL English people dress... I hear people say "Oh look at him" and their friends will say "Yes - he's English" as if that's the explanation LOL
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  9. Someone is going to be getting a silver play button very soon...!!!
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  10.  @ragnkja  I bought this very expensive gortex coat for the trip - like £600 in 1998, I put it on and went out of the hotel, I was fine until I got to the end of the block to the T that intersected with the street at 90 deg which the wind was blowing down. ALL MY BODY HEAT disappeared down the street in less than a second, it was a literally shocking experience, I clung to my partner and we staggered across the road into a bar. I have never known cold like it in my life, it was very scary. We went bar to bar to bar until we got to the fur market and bought coats, gloves and hats and after that everything was fine. Modern coats can cope with low temperatures but as soon as the wind gets up, they fail - in my experience. [Im sure the genuine polar gear is fine]
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  11. This reminds me of the correct answer someone gave to the trans debate question "can you define a woman? What is a woman?" - Answer "A woman is whatever rich old white men decide it is" He who does the classification rules the system...!!
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  12. I LEARNED TO TAILOR MY OWN historical clothing and now I wear it every day - SO much more comfortable... The day I put on the first pair of bespoke trousers I had made I literally said "SH!T..! Now I have to remake everything in my wardrobe"
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  13. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST VIDEO's I have watched in a LONG time, you have touched on SO MANY things that I have thought or felt myself... 1) People in the past DID NOT LIKE being uncomfortable or wet or cold or too hot any more than we do - that revelation came as a shock to me 2) Strange "fashions" of the past usually had purpose - "plus fours" look a bit daft, until you walk your dog through long wet grass and suddenly you realise WHY people wore them 3) I have literally developed an appreciation of the season I never had from being dressed appropriately FOR the season - there is NO such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing 4) Cloaks are the single best garment in history [your Winter outfit] there is a reason people wore cloaks for over 2000 years - quick to put on, super warm, waterproof, comfortable BRILLIANT 5) Modern clothing is baggy or elasticated to make up for not fitting AT ALL. Close fitted clothing that FITS is WAY more comfortable than baggy 6) Insulation works BOTH ways - a thick wool hat will keep your head cool in 40ºC direct sunlight 7) Wool is the king of fabrics, it keeps you warm, it keeps you cool, it keeps you dry and its a joy to sew with 8) Silk is the queen of fabrics, it keeps you warm, it keeps you cool, it looks gorgeous and its horrible to sew with
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  14.  @shishunya_  I did comment "Modern coats can cope with low temperatures but as soon as the wind gets up, they fail - in my experience. [Im sure the genuine polar gear is fine]" That said I have absolutely NO idea how you are wearing synthetic insulation at -50C. I have a Canaga Goode down coat my sister bought me to keep in the car in case of getting stuck in a blizzard. I dont believe that would be any good at -50C with a wind. Whenever I see videos of people in Yakutsk etc they are always wearing fur.
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  15. MY LIFE IS BETTER when it has a lot of hand sewing in it, like you I meditate whilst I sew and I find it extremely beneficial for my mental health. I also NEVER do housework when it HAS to be done, I never nagg myself that it should be done, I do it when I feel like it - and guess what, it all gets done, we exhaust ourselves with our internal nagging, and when I do it, I try to do each thing correctly and with calm dedication, I ONLY do that ONE task that I am doing, I'm not rushing to the next, I wash the plate I hold.
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  16. ME TODAY Literally hurt my back whilst washing my hands... V.Birchwood I sew for 12 hours with no back pain.
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  17. HAHAHA I'm British, now living in Bulgaria - I HAVE NO IDEA why we British insist on wearing outdoor shoes in the house, making the house dirty and wearing out the flooring... I stopped the moment I got to Bulgaria and everyone was taking off their shoes at the door; it had just NEVER occurred to me before. ALSO - outside clothes. Bulgarians get changed to go out the door. They dont slob around the house in nice clothes crumpling them and wearing them out OR go out in slobby clothes. I FULLY recommend this from a mental health perspective...! >>> I work with victims of abuse and depression and its really GOOD to have that set of nice clean clothes that you KNOW you look nice in when you go out - even if its just to the shop or the supermarket. Its a great habit to get into, and your clothes last much longer, need much less washing.
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  18. I wear historical clothes [1900- 1930 mens]. Here is my tip - to begin with wear them after dark. Once you have worn an outfit a couple of times at night you will feel much more comfortable wearing it in the day - I promise. Adn it IS true what people say - that 99% of all the comments are very positive. It genuinely makes other peoples day to see you!
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  19. KNICKERBOCKERS or "Plus Fours" are just GREAT - I have about 5 pairs I have made myself and I LOVE them - especially for walking the dog in long wet grass they are brilliant... And they do stand out more than other 1900 - 1920's clothing items.
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  20. She does seem more happy on a deep level. There is so much joy in her.
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  21. IVE NOT SWITCHED THE HEATING ON FOR 5 YEARS Its -5c outside right now and its 13c inside and I am in my super warm 1910 winter weight wool suit... I did it as an experiment the first year and found I was fine and saving €100 a month, which might be €200 not IDK cos I don't put it on.
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  22. You seem so much happier in the last two videos - I hope your life is getting easier and more full of joy...!!!
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  23.  @VBirchwood  Im deeply happy for you. I was in a very abusive relationship with a narcissist for just 3 years, but it left me bankrupt and with brain damage, I know what you mean that your body retains this hyper-vigilance you are unaware of until it starts to pass...
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  24. MY FRIEND is an actress - she just finished filming "The Outlaws" with Christopher Walken - some days she was on a Welsh hillside in the rain for 14 hours AT NIGHT...!!! Making movies is about as far from glamorous as you can imagine. Its 90% standing around waiting for everything to be ready for that one take, then another 3 hours of waiting around to do it again, and again...
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  25.  @tamagothchic  - I agree. I remember when I was a teenager a pair of Levi 501's used to be essentially indestructible. Being a teenager I would wear the same pair of jeans every day for everything for like 3 or 4 years before finally riping them beyond repair and buying a new pair. The last pair I bought lasted about 8 months and were only used occasionally. That was why I stopped with jeans.
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  26.  @alessazoe  - I live in a SUPER dry climate in Bulgaria. Its that dry here that ice and snow from last week has EVAPORATED. Its not melted it turns directly from solid into gas. Im British, I totally understand mould, but no, here I can literally dry fruit on the counter. When I first moved here I had to have wet towels all around the house to get the humidity up to near British levels.
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  27. ON A SIMILAR THEME can I just try and save you from the same mistake I have made TWICE now. WOOL LINING IN A WOOL GARMENT Do NOT hem the bottom of the garment when you make it, leave the two pieces of fabric overlocked and not sewn together for the first few weeks / first few wearings. You will get differential stretching/shrinking on the two pieces and one will sag down in a most unsightly manner- I just had to unpick the hem of a cape - in a month I will actually hem it.
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  28. YOUR EYES LOOK AMAZING in that red dress and head kerchief - they look like they have fier in them...
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  29. COINCIDENCE I first used tailors tacks for a waistcoat with a lapel and collar last week... I noticed my accuracy with chalk lines was not good enough for garments with a lapel - its in the sightline and you can easily see a 3mm difference between the left and right sides.
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  30. YOU ARE LOOKING so much happier and less stressed.
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  31.  @Lovingly_Ashley  Just a couple of points about historical tailoring - fabric cut on the bias [at an angle] stretches a LOT. you can modulate the level of stretch / support by the degree of the cut - 45º being the stretchiest. The other point is - modern fabrics NEED to stretch cos mass-produced clothes dont fit, its how you get multiple different body shapes into the same clothes. Tailored clothes that fit need almost NO stretch. Im wearing a linen shirt that I tailored and fits and I have TOTAL freedom of movement in it, its as if its made of lycra. I can put my hands above my head and it does not pull at the sides at all, the side seam does not move up 1mm as I raise my arm
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  32.  @VBirchwood The first video I watched was "I Wear Historical Fashion Daily... " You had about 1,800 subscribers I think - you have done SO well. Congratulations
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  33.  @martavdz4972  Im pleased it was helpful - modern fabric is very different to fabric even 50 years ago. Fabric on a mechanical shuttle loom drapes much better than modern projectile loom fabric, its much warmer and more windproof. And hand woven is completely different, much less regular but full of charactor
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  34.  @Riley._.Pierce1  - I'm an author on psychology and the collapse of civilisations - it's called KNOWLEDGE. I'm sorry it scares you.
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  35.  @oliviapritt4458  - OH thank you. My life is in a very good place now, thank you. It was horrific at the time - but it allowed me to rebuild myself as the person I wanted to be. That is the one advantage fo being totally destroyed.
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  36. THERE IS A LIMITED NUMBER of things you can make from one period before you simply run out of options or inspiration. I love men's suits 1890 to 1920 and I wear them every day. But I am about to start on a pair of 1930's "Oxford Bags" trousers and soon I will make an 18th century Banyan. Its my hobby, not my slave master.
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  37. Just a follow-up on your post about losing a job / client. Dont let it stress you too much, every setback in life really is an opportunity and Im not just mouthing platitudes. In 2014 I was worth €6 million when I suffered brain damage in a mugging, I lost everything and became homeless. I got myself back together and wrote a book about it, I never tried to regain my wealth, I live a very tiny, very happy minimalist life, I taught myself to tailor men's bespoke historical suits and I am just working on a commission for an Am3ric4n fashion critique who you almost certainly know but I cant name. Tough times are by definition - horrible, but they give us the opportunity to go in the direction we want. When there is nothing to lose its WAY easier to take risks. GOOD LUCK
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  38. Im an author on psychology and recovery from abuse. This comment hit me "and things I've made feel best to me" I recommend people recovering from depression or abuse get a hobby that involves making things for themselves. It adds value to your life to sit at a desk you have made or wear a shirt you made from an old sheet. It is something very deep in us humans that we like to create and use what we create. It validates our existence. I also see it a lot in Gen Z, they are big into making thems for themselves.
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  39.  @gailsears2913  Well my coat was down. I was not as good at layering as I am today. But the problem was the coat was quilted and wherever the fabric was sewn together the wind just blew straight through. The one I have now, bought for me by my sister to keep in the car for emergencies, is a Canada Goose Expedition Padded Parka - that has a quilted lining and a solid outer shell, Ive never tested it below -15C. BUT the problems with this one are 1) Its SO noisy, the fabric is this scratchy nylon and it is so noise but more of a problem is 2) The hood is MASSIVE - and it stops you from seeing/hearing traffic, not an issue if you are in Antarctica but a big issue if you are walking down a snow-covered road. I need to modify the hood.
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  40. I MADE A WEE WILLY WINKY night cap and so should you - they are BRILLIANT. The flappy triangle thing - yeah you pull that down over your exposed ear and tuck it under your arm and it keeps your ear warm and blocks out lots of noise - I LOVE IT
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  41.  @alessazoe  Absolutely - if you lived in my sister's house at 15C in the north of England yo would be in hospital in a week with black lung LOL She has to have 2 dehumidifiers running 24/7 to stop the wallpaper going mouldy.
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  42.  @antoinepetrov  - Im over near Burgas, so its not as dry as your area, but to a British person this is like living in a desert LOL. I love Plovdive, but everything is at the top of a hill...!!!
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  43. I MAKE BESPOKE HISTORICAL MENSWARE 1900 - 1930 I don't have a website or Instagram, as I get absolutely swamped with requests. People are definitely becoming more aware of their clothes - more than just the fashion of them, aware of the materials, sustainability, ethics, investment et cetera. The one thing, I wish people would realise, and this was personified in your makeover, historical clothes are more comfortable than modern clothes, not the other way round.
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  44.  @VBirchwood  -Its usual coats and capes - outerwear. But over a full-length coat you can get 5cm of differential stretching in the first month... As i discovered to my horror...
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  45.  @fringelord  Yeah I don't think you will find many vegans in the polar climates.
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  46. I JUST TODAY FINISHED a 1920's double breasted suit with patch pockets and lobe lapels from a fashion plate - its dark but I am wearing it any way :-D
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  47.  @Riley._.Pierce1  You CAN educate yourself for FREE you know. Books, libraries, and online courses are all available you don't HAVE to live in ignorance
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  48.  @angela_merkeI  No I'm not daft - you worded your comment VERY badly and you won't just back down. " I studied Ancient Studies at university," Did you pass??? Cos people with degrees are usually way better at constructing arguments. " AUTHORS, I meant authors. " You DIDNT say authors you said "PEOPLE" "but this stuff didn't normally survive" THAT is what you should have said in reply No1. But instead, you doubled down and defended your badly worded incorrect comment. You made a comment that was factually incorrect and doubled down on it instead of just saying "Yes, this is true, but the very ephemeral nature of these writings means very few were preserved"
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  49. I have 3- seriously they are simply THE BEST.
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  50. I just read your comment and give you a sub. I make this book men's suits 1900 to 1930, but I'm thinking of trying a few things on the 18th century in the near future
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