Home Depot and historical recreation

The Elizabethan Costumer's Guide To Home Depot is a fascinating look at the confluence of big-box retail and historical recreation:

My two most effective substitutions do date are for boning and hoops. Acting on a tip from my pal Melissa, I tried plastic cable ties instead of metal boning. Now, don't let the word plastic scare you... This isn't the flimsy plastic boning you find at the fabric store. These are heavy duty cable ties, the sort used for quick & dirty handcuffs and securing large bundles of wood/cable/whatever. They come in several lengths, but I opt for the 24" and 36" ties. In testing their resiliency, I would have to say that they have basically the same strength when used in corsets as 1/4" metal boning for far less money. A package of 24" cable ties (10 ties per pack) will set you back about $5.00 US. One-and-a-half packs is usually all it takes for me to bone a single corset. I use the cable ties whenever I need to place boning in a garment, such as at lacing edges, front stiffening, etc.

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