I haven't really had an opportunity to do this before, but after getting a few new pieces for my "We Can Do It!" Rosie the Riveter costume I thought I would start a series of product reviews of costuming-related items from various sellers.
So first in what I hope will be a regular series is Rosie's Daughters.
THE STORE:
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| From http://rosiesdaughters.com |
Rosie's Daughters is a website based around a book of the same title, centered around the women of wartime and post-WWII America. From their website:
"We named our book to honor both the heroic and hardworking women who
kept America going during World War II—and the women born during those
war years. This figurative mother-daughter combination resulted in a
fascinating generation of women who broke open the doors for the Baby
Boomers."
Their website has a store that carries all their products, and they also have an Etsy store at RosiesLegacy that has a few of the products with slightly different pricing and shipping costs.
I
haven't read the book yet, though I definitely plan to, so my interest
in and experience with the company so far pertains only to their
spin-off products.
THE GOODS:
They have a wide variety of Rosie-related items for sale.
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| From http://rosiesdaughters.com/store |
They also provide a lengthy description of each item and the history behind its design and manufacture. The historical and artistic accuracy and background of these products is clearly outlined, which is something I always appreciate.
MY GOODS:
I ended up ordering just the bandana and employment pin for now, as that's what I need the most for costuming purposes, though I plan to get a few more things at some point (including the blank posing poster).
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| From http://rosiesdaughters.com/store/ |
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| From http://rosiesdaughters.com/store/ |
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| From http://rosiesdaughters.com/store/ |
I also chose to order from their Etsy because there they offer a discounted price for the
bandana and pin as a combined package, and the shipping ended up being a
tad cheaper too. So I can't speak on their customer service or
the purchase process through their own website store, but I was very
happy with them on Etsy. They shipped the package within 24 hours of me placing the order, and though they didn't provide a tracking number, they responded within a few hours to my email asking about tracking. Depending on what is ordered and when (I think I read on one of their sites that shipping method and price goes up around Halloween), they tend to ship by First Class mail, which doesn't come with tracking. In their reply email, they guessed I might get my package within maybe five days, but it arrived after three.
The
bandana is about 27"x27", with the polka dots being about 3/4" in
diameter. It's made in the USA, which is a nice touch, and has a cute
little Rosie "stamp" in the corner. The fabric is probably cotton or a blend, and is nice and thick. The printed polka dots (as well as the Rosie stamp in the corner and the website info on one edge) are high quality and slightly rubberized so to speak.
I
tested it out as soon as I opened the package and it's the perfect size
for tying over one's hair a la Rosie. The fabric seemed a bit too
thick for tying that way at first, but given that all my headscarves I
use that way are very thin, it could just be I'm used to very different
material. In any case, other people might not notice it and I'm sure
I'll get used to it, and even so the thickness isn't a problem and
doesn't detract at all. If anything, the thickness adds to the sense of
quality.
The employment pin is 2 1/4" in diameter. I don't know enough about how items like this are manufactured to really comment on that aspect of it, but basically the image and text are "printed" for lack of a better term on what looks like brushed chrome. In any case, the image is very clear and sharp and the pin as a whole is high quality. As a bonus, the overall layout looks fairly identical to Rosie's pin on the poster, and the face on the pin is exactly that of Rosie from the poster.
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The pin seemed a little smaller than I expected. Initially I would have said that based on how big the pin looks in the poster, the replica could have been a little larger. But when I placed it against the collar of my shirt it looked perfect, so for wearing in real life the seemingly smaller size is actually an improvement.
THE TEST:
I wore the bandana and employment pin with my Rosie the Riveter costume to the Queen Mary's Dark Harbor and around Long Beach on Halloween. The bandana was wonderfully comfortable and stayed in place all night with no fuss, even while running around the mazes. There were no problems with the pin either. I got several compliments on the costume overall (and was even asked to pose with someone for a photo), and I feel sure that the pieces I ordered from Rosie's Daughters were key to getting the look right and making my costume that much better.
VERDICT:
Overall, I'm extremely pleased with what I bought. I'll definitely be going back to them for their other products and I'll be recommending them to anyone else looking for these kinds of items. The price is reasonable to begin, and then for the quality of what you get the price seems low. Provided the initial quality holds up over time, the bandana and pin at least are definitely worth their cost and then some. I really don't have anything bad to say about the company or what I bought from them, which is unusual for me because I tend to be picky when I'm spending money on things. Aces in my book.
*All photos are property of their respective owners.
*My use and opinion of the products listed is by personal choice and availability. I am not paid to use or endorse them.
