It start off small, and snowballed from there……….
Starting this business was never something that I set out to do, or even thought it would become what it’s become. Initially, I set out to just research wartime Soviet civilian fashion, in an effort to better help my wife, and daughter, join me at living history events. However, the COVID lockdowns, the lack of events, and the boredom that ensued, served as a catalyst to what would eventually become my passion.
In April 2020, I had a modest collection of research into Soviet Wartime clothing, and I had reproduced a few pieces for my wife, using original patterns. A few friends encouraged me to create Facebook page to put the information I had collected out to the Soviet living history community.
For about a year, I perfected my craft, learning to draft patterns from original manuals, and resize/adjust original patterns to fit modern bodies. Ninety percent of what I made, I made for myself, my wife, and our daughter.
I was fortunate to make several good contacts in Russia, who were able to find original research items, and reproduction fabric.
The Snowball becomes a Dream
In April 2021, I decided to make the Leningrad Tailor into a formal business. At this stage of the game, I had a very vague idea of where this project was going. I began expanding from doing strictly civilian garments to making RKKA uniforms of the period.
As time went on, I began to do more, and more, research into Soviet wartime garments, both military and civilian, and realized that the USSR’s fashion of the period was like an onion. The more I dug, the more I realized that the nuances of Soviet garment manufacture, particularly with regards to uniforms, was truly fascinating.
I began a blog to make my more formal, indepth, research available, and I also began collecting original pieces to study and reproduce. It was at this point that I realized this business was quickly becoming a passion of mine, but I was limited by my own resources to do the projects I really wanted to do. So in the summer of 2021, I sold my entire Civil War collection to get the start up capital to enable those projects to come to fruition.
Towards the end of 2021, I realized that this was truly the best job I’d ever had, and it was time to come up with a vision for the Leningrad Tailor that would allow it to grow and become a staple in the reenactment community for years to come.
The Vision
The Leningrad Tailor is dedicated to providing the reenactor with the finest reproduction clothing available. We do this by making all our garments in house, or by selling only the very best brands.
In addition to this, we pride ourselves on being able to produce unique, custom, pieces that will make you stand out at any event you attend.
We want to share our love of wartime fashion with you, for years to come, and makes sure that, when you order from us, you get only the most positive experience possible.
After working with us, we want you to look great, feel great, and want to come back and see us again.
