Functional pouches are a life-saver in costuming. Purses, cell phones, car keys, and wallets do not time-travel well, and can only make the journey when well hidden inside a decorative bag or pouch.
For the upcoming Winter Renaissance Faire in Vermont I am planning to wear black leather armor, but I am short on black pouches to match. Fortunately the army surplus store had a great convenient solution in an affordable basic canvas two-pocket pouch with toggle clasps and a thick belt loop. The bag was perfectly plain and practical for holding my modern gadgets. But to wear an unembellished bag is an opportunity wasted when I am sitting on a hoard of discarded jewelry bits and pieces.
After a five minute sit with the hymark thread I had myself a much more exciting and better disguised belt pouch. I should have taken a before photo, but you’ll just have to use your imagination to remove the orphaned earring hoops. I like to intentionally mix metals; throwing silvers, gold, and bronze all onto the same accessory because then I don’t have to stick to all one metal in any outfit. Tarnish goes with everything.
