Clergy outfitters and vestment makers
Adoremus (UK)
They make contemporary church textiles including Anglican vestments, banners and altar frontals.
Adrian Hamers (USA)
A wide selection of products, with Gold and silversmithing, antiques, and vestments. [Roman
Catholic emphasis.]
Angel Work Designs (USA)
'Custom designed and embroidered vestments and paraments by Anne Louise Gillilan. My great joy as an artist is to produce works that
have spiritual significance for whom they are designed and add to the joy of worship.'
Augsburg Fortress Online (USA)
Dealers in education resources, books, worship resources, music, ecclesiastical arts, and gifts. Owned by the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America.
Big Daddy's Gypsy Caravan (USA)
Not the most obvious name for a company that makes good materials; however, if you need material for vestments, it might be worth looking
here.
C M Almy (USA)
'The people of CM Almy are dedicated to being the world’s best suppliers of decorative furnishings, apparel, worship-related products
and gifts to churches, religious institutions, their clergy and members.'
Chappell Threads (USA)
Operating from Pennsylvania, USA, Veronica Chappell is an artist and deacon in the Episcopal Church who designs and creates stoles, linens,
vestments, and banners.
Church Linens and Vestments (USA)
Based in Queensbury, New York, they specialize in 'Ecclesiastical Fabrics and Trims for Construction Of Religious Vestments and Robes
for Clergy, Servers, Organist and Choir Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox.'
Clerical Occasions (UK)
Based in Wiltshire, this is 'a new company based upon 35 years of
practical experience of making church vestments for the clergy and for church buildings'.
Cote and Cutler (Australia)
Katoomba. 'Our rapidly expanding range includes ready-made clothing from the 17th Century and earlier, as well as cutlery, buttons, belts
and fittings, hats, and craft tools.' 'while having started from the basis of making historical replica costumes, is fast becoming
a major Australian supplier of vestment fabrics, and will soon have a gallery of actual vestments we have made online'.
Croft Design (UK)
Vestment makers and clerical tailors offering 'a full range of clerical tailoring and ecclesiastical embroidery. We also offer a restoration
service for old or damaged vestments, frontals or banners'.
Davis d'Ambly (USA)
Based in the USA, he has designed and created altarpieces, woodcarvings, furnishings, vestments and hangings, and tapestries for many
well-known Episcopal churches in the States.
Desmarais and Robitaille (Canada)
'Professional liturgical design consultation, conception of fine ecclesiastical articles and furniture, design and creation of original
stained-glass art for liturgical space and a complete line of vestments, statues, sacred vessels, accessories and religious art'.
Download the catalogue (PDF) to see their line of vestments, which are oddly not mentioned on the website.
F A Dumont (UK)
This UK source offers a large selection of church supplies: from Altar bread to chalices to vestments, and much among.
Ecclesia Designs (USA)
Manassas, Virginia: Custom designed church vestments and altar linens. Online photo album of examples of work.
Fruit of the Vine (USA)
Episcopalian vestment and parament maker.
Gaspard and Sons (USA)
This well-known vestment firm located in Brookfield, Wisconsin specializes in handcrafted products and high quality materials. Complete
PDF catalogue available online.
Grace Liturgical Vestments (USA)
Custom traditional vestments. 'A new resource in the field of vestment design. Owner-designer Patrick Boylan draws from years of experience
designing in the garment industry.'
Guyllstone Vestments (UK)
Vestments exclusively designed and made to commission. The site gives information about this English artist, her working method, and
shows a selection of completed works.
Hamel-LeSage Studio (USA)
Based in Barre, Massachusetts. 'The major focus of our studio is the design and construction of church vesture using both commercial
and our own handwoven fabrics. We have two looms and never, it seems, enough time or hands.'
Hayes and Finch (World-wide)
'The World's Finest Manufacturer and Supplier of Church Furnishings, vestments, communion articles, candles and supplies. Established
in 1882 and still the market leader.' You can purchase online.
A Heavenly Stitch (USA)
Custom made church vestments. Profits support Cabrini House, a ministry and home for single women in Phoenix, Arizona.
Holy Cloaks (USA)
'Specializes in custom embroidered clergy stoles. A percentage of all sales are donated to a local city church and a comfort care facility
in memory of my cofounder.'
The Holy Rood Guild (USA)
Designers and makers of liturgical vesture and furnishings and 'an enterprise of the Cistercian monks of Saint Joseph’s Abbey located
in central Massachusetts, in concert with tailors and craftsmen from around New England.'
The House of Hansen (USA)
'Based in Chicago, The House of Hansen makes custom tailored clerical garments, complete church supplies and religious articles.'
Ichthys Designs (USA)
A States-based designer who 'has been supplying vestments and church appointments since 1989, and has been represented at seminaries
across the United States, as well as at church conventions'. Includes numerous images of custom-made vestments.
Immanu-El Banners (USA)
Based in Michigan, USA. 'specializes in custom-made vestments and liturgical banners in the iconographic style. Fine appliqué and
painted details are created by hand.' Several photographs of commissions for Anglican churches are available on the site.'
In the Cottonpatch (USA)
Based in Texas. 'Our studio specializes in custom liturgical design.'
J & M Sewing Service (UK)
This firm specialises in church robes and vestments with an online catalogue. 'There's always time for courtesy.
Jacquie Binns Church Textiles (UK)
From banners and frontals to copes and chasubles. We were enamoured of her astonishingly lovely creations.
Jan Laurie, Fabric Artist (Canada)
'One style of stole in all colours of the Christian church year.'
Jeff Wunrow Designs (USA)
An 'active Episcopalian' and 'liturgical artist' in St. Louis, Missouri, designs and makes vestments, stoles, paraments and banners.
Juliet Hemingray Church Textiles (UK)
Original designs for vestments and banners, all made by hand; some are hand-painted.
Karen Brodie Designs (Canada)
'A Canadian fabric artist whose strength is colour. She carries a line of stoles, and does commissions on altar sets, hangings of all
sizes and stoles'.
LARC (Liturgical Arts of the Rivendell
Community) (USA)
'A ministry of Rivendell, an Episcopal religious community, offering individually designed, hand-made stoles and chasubles, including
special orders.'
LJ Clerical Shirts (UK)
Made-to-measure vestments and clerical shirts.
Luzar Vestments (UK)
Primarily specialty seems to be historical soft furnishings. They make 'ecclesiastical furnishings and vestments, and the fabrication
of historically correct period costume and contemporary garments."
The LV Greyes Partnership (Canada)
Canadian-based conservators, restorers and makers of fine traditional handsewn costume and furnishings.
Michael Wilson (USA)
Clerical vestment designer and tailor. Based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Moral Fibers (USA)
Based in Tennessee, Annette Noe is a liturgical designer of stoles, chasubles and banners, all
of which are made with silk. (She offers a stole workshop at Sewanee: University of the South.)
Pax-House (Mexico)
A non-profit organization in Guadalajara, Mexico that supports the poor and needy in Mexico, and missions in Central and South America.
They make and sell new items as well as used (recycled and restored) church supplies, sacred vessels, altarware, and vestments.
Sandra Briney Designs (USA)
'Artistic custom hand weaving and painting of liturgical paraments, stoles, chasubles'. A fine website.
Slabbinck (Belgium)
A Belgian vestment maker. Although Slabbinck are a firm catering primarily to Roman Catholics, our correspondent notes 'many Anglican
clergy I know, especially in Australia, wear vestments made by them. They make magnificent banners, etc as well. It's a lovely site,
telling you liturgical colour for the day as well as suggestions'.
Strands Embroidery and Design (Canada)
'Makers of hand crafted church linens, clergy vestments and church paraments. All design work is individualized and linens are made by
hand, using fine quality materials.' The studio/workroom is located 15km west of Peterborough, Ontario and is open by chance or appointment.
Vestments and Christian Art (UK)
Based in England, this small firm believes that 'every minister, priest and church needs the right tools to carry out their ministry
and that includes the symbols they use. This means we are committed to providing a free design service for each and every customer.
We don't believe that church vestments have to be expensive designer works or from a standard catalogue'.
Watts
and Company (UK)
'For more than 125 years Watts & Company have made some of the finest church vestments and furnishings. Today Watts continues
the tradition of high quality craftsmanship and individual designs. Embroidery is an important speciality relying entirely on hand techniques.'
Wippell (UK, USA)
Wippell's founded in 1789 in Exeter, England is one of the oldest and largest clerical outfitters and church furnishings companies. The
entire inventory is not online, and the online ordering is rudimentary. But the site is at least a start.
Women Spirit (USA)
A firm that 'designs and creates vestments especially for the unique needs of women clergy. Our women clergy line includes robes, chasubles,
scapulars, stoles and blouses'
Yvonne Bell, Vestment Maker and
Christian Artist (UK)
'She uses modern and traditional themes and techniques to illustrate the Christian message and provides churches, ministers, and priests
with tools to aid their ministry'.
Cleaning
Antique
Fabric Cleaning (UK)
'Antique Fabric Cleaning is a skilful process involving great care taken at each stage of the cleaning process. The conservation of old
textiles including rugs, shawls, curtains, clothing and ecclesiastical vestments is our speciality'. The web site includes some fascinating
before and after photos.
Jeeves of Belgravia (UK;
also has a small New York City branch.)
An Anglicans Online editor has entrusted church vestments to Jeeves for cleaning, and was most satisfied with the results. You might
enquire first if you are uncertain of how well antique items might stand the cleaning process.
General
Religious
costume and clothing links
A roughly-cateogrised listing, containing vestment links of gold along with some dross.
History
Through the Years with Gaiters:
An Anglicans Online special report
A comprehensive look at this most Anglican of ecclesiastical accoutrements, with anecdotes from around the communion.
Sources
for Clerical Costume
A good, concise history of clerical vestments, from the staff at Lambeth Palace Library.
Miscellaneous
The Warham Guild
A brief history, with bibliography. Originally published in 1987 by the Anglican Bibliopole.
Needlework
Needlework and Embroidery
A bookshop featuring hard-to-find and out-of-print items.
Royal Handicraft Embroidery
A first look at this site will make you wonder why it's listed at AO: it's all military with some family crests. There isn't one ecclesiastical
sample, but the embroidery is outstanding whether flags, badges, pennants or banners. Custom pennants and banners are hard to find. |
