About Us
Our Story
The story of Travel Clothing by Half Moon started in 1984 with the meeting of two artisanal minds. One had fashioned a poncho from a wool blanket to keep warm while hitchhiking the American landscape. The other sought an alternative to working in traditional retail and “fast” fashion. Living out of tipi and then a repurposed school bus, the partners began designing and crafting garments from blankets and any other heavyweight wool they could find.
They soon joined the Renaissance Faire circuit, starting with the Colorado Renaissance Festival and then King Richard’s Faire in Massachusetts. They would eventually show up at fairs and festivals all over the country, from the Northeast to Alaska, Minnesota to New Mexico. Their signature heavy wool capes, cloaks, coats and cowl hoods steadily gained notoriety for their warmth and durability on cold festival mornings. As the years went by and the company grew, they hired other sewers, patternmakers and workshop and festival store managers, many of whom prototyped new designs and brought their own creative touches to Half Moon’s garments and festival presence.
Today, their daughter runs the operation with a small team of sewers and festival sales teams. She has brought Half Moon Travel Clothing online and to social media, as well as to the Colorado Indian Market, the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Denver Fashion Week, Small Boutique Fashion Week, and the Longest Night Masquerade Ball in addition to maintaining a presence at several Renaissance fairs. The Great Plague of 2020 shut down all festivals for a year and Half Moon survived by selling ready to wear garments on Etsy and accepting custom commissions. Currently, Half Moon has a presence at the New York Renaissance Faire and Maryland Renaissance Festival and is accepting online order requests.
Ethos
Half Moon doesn’t believe in “fast” fashion.We are in the business of well-designed, well-crafted, beautiful, one-of-a-kind outerwear that lasts. We pride ourselves on creating garments that our customers will have and wear for many years—and we often receive feedback from customers who have had their garments for decades. All of our garments are handmade by artisans in Colorado.
We are proud to be a part of the Made in America and Slow Fashion movements. As such, we are pursuing sustainable practices in our production, with the use of natural fiber fabrics including wool and linen, garments made to last a lifetime, and recycled packaging. We try to source all of our fabric, buttons and clasps, sewing supplies from other small businesses in the U.S, which cuts down on our carbon footprint.
We offer a lifetime repair guarantee (see below in FAQs). We will take back your garments when (if) they come to the end of their life and recycle or repurpose them. Read more about our garments here.
Community
If you have a used Half Moon garment that you would like to pass on (or are looking for one), we have a Sell and Swap group on Facebook. Join the community and see what treasures are out there! We’re also on Instagram and our main Facebook page, both places where we share news, one-of-a-kind pieces going to our festival shops, and custom orders, and occasionally post sales and special events. Give us a follow!
FAQs
See our FAQs below for answers to common questions our customers have. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact us.
General
Where are Half Moon garments made?
All garments are designed and manufactured in Colorado, USA.
What is the best time of the year to order custom garments, i.e. when is the wait time least?
The wait time is the least from January through May–after that we are preparing for Renaissance Faire season and working on autumn/winter orders.
I’m allergic to wool (or vegan) but love your cloaks. Do you make your garments in any other material?
We often work with fabrics such as linen, velvet, and fleece. Reach out to us if you have something in mind!
What are tagua nuts? Why do you use them on many of the garments?
Tagua nuts are a product of the Tagua tree located in parts of the Amazonian Rain Forest. We like the rustic character of the buttons, and have partnered with a fair trade company called One World Projects for many years to source this sustainable product that helps preserve the rain forests.
I want to order a garment as a gift. Will you drop ship it directly to the recipient?
Absolutely! We also offer gift cards.
Returns/Repairs
What is your return policy?
No refunds on CUSTOM garments made to specifications. If it is an error on our end, we will do our best to fix it, on a case-by-case basis.
There will be a 10% restocking charge for any items returned within 30 days. We do not cover return shipping, unless the reason for return is our fault.
NO returns after 30 days. Problems with orders MUST be addressed within 10 business days. If not addressed within 10 days, we reserve the right to refuse return.
Do you do repairs?
We pride ourselves on quality workmanship. Should your garment find itself in need of repair we are happy to help you out!
We will repair any defect in workmanship for the life of the garment. This includes normal wear/tear only (we reserve the right to determine normal wear/tear) and does not include replacement of buttons or other pieces.
We will determine the cost of repair on a case-by-case basis, and the customer shall cover shipping costs.
Over the winter, mice/moths got my Half Moon. Can it be repaired?
We need to see it (or see detailed pictures) to make that determination. We will do our very best to fix it, which may involve charges. We find that mothballs work well to avoid damage from either moths or mice.
 Garment Designs
From what time period are your designs based?
No specific time periods are considered in our designs…but our products are popular Renaissance Faires and in the LARP, SCA, DnD and Steampunk communities. Our story and designs have evolved over the years as fashion senses have changed, but we are still making some of our very first designs.
If I showed you a drawing (or picture) of a garment style or design to put on a cloak or other garment, could you make a custom design for me?
We are always happy to consider custom designs. All new designs are contingent upon a review and approval by Half Moon.
Are the garment designs more for men or women?
All of our capes, cloaks and cowls are designed to be unisex. Our Talon and Kyrie Coats have more of a feminine silhouette, while the Tracker and Ranger coats are more masculine, but all designs can be custom fitted and worn by all genders and body types.
I need a custom size. Can you tailor a garment for me?
Yes! See our measurement guidelines on this page.
Other Garment Questions
Are your garments water repellent?
Many of them are! Wool is water repellent because of its natural lanolin. You can wear our wool garments in weather that calls for a rain coat or umbrella. Wool is excellent for harsh weather conditions like snow and sleet–it retains its warmth even when soaked.
Other fabrics that we use—polyester velvet, linen, fleece, etc, are not as water resistant and should be worn with more care. Ask. us if you’re not sure!
Will the wool pill up or wear out?
Eventually all wool pills to some degree, however, we have found that the 85/15 fabric is extremely durable. Customers from 20 years ago come back with their garments and they still are in excellent condition. Of course, it depends how often you wear it and what you are doing.
What is the best way to care for/clean a Half Moon?
Most pieces can be handwashed or on a gentle machine cycle with COLD water and laid flat to dry.
We recommend dry cleaning for serious stains and soilage, for all pieces with custom applique designs and pieces that are 100% wool or velvet.
How often should I clean my Half Moon garment?
We suggest airing it out on a nice, breezy fall afternoon, and once again in the spring. No further cleaning is required other than any necessary spot washing or in case of serious soilage (see above).
Will the colors run if it gets wet or if I wash it?
Not on the standard heavy 85/15 fabric and we have yet to see any of the lightweight 100% wool colors have this problem.
Some of the very red wool blends will run, as well as the brighter colors of velvet if it gets wet. This can be mitigated by rinsing it in cold water separately until the water runs clear. Do not wash them with other garments until this has been done.