How do I get started in re-enacting?
How do I get started in re-enacting?
FOR EVERYONE
Clothes are your most visible items when you do reenacting, so you should take pains to make sure they are correct, both in style and material and also in terms of your character. The Westborough Militia does not require a fanatical devotion to authenticity, however. This means that it's OK for something to be done with a modern method (or sometimes material) as long as it will not show when you look at it closely. So yes, you can use your sewing machine for the seams and such. You can even use it for buttonholes if you must, especially more modern machines that make better looking buttonoles. Hand stitching is preferred in places where it will be seen, but since these are few, you needn't worry about this overmuch. Of course, if you wish to stitch by hand,by all means do so! It saves you needing to buy a sewing machine. Modern interfacing is perfectly acceptable as a substitute for buckram stiffening.
Your material should be of natural fibers. Cottons may be substituted for linen for cost reasons, but linen is preferred for things like shirts and linings if you can afford it. Off white cottons are best. Osnaburg is a good one to use. Other materials include wool and hemp. Hemp is extremely durable and is getting more available. It would be a very good breeches material or can be used for bags. Well fulled wool is very nice to work with and can have the edges left unfinished and will not ravel. This was a typical method in the 18th century, so don't worry, you are doing it right!
If you are new to sewing, don't dispair. It's really not so hard. 18th century clothes are not hard to make fit well, and no exotic techniques are needed to construct them. The sewing FAQ may be able to give you some pointers on how to approach certain things. Making your own clothing insures a much better fit than buying through a catalog and gives you options of materials not available when you buy something off the rack. We want our group to look as diverse as people did in the 18th century. Let the Continental soldiers have all the matching stuff! (although they didn't usually match, in fact)
This FAQ is broken into sections for
FOR MEN
There are certain items you will need to get for yourself as soon as
possible. I will try to make a list in the order of importance so that you
may make rational decisions about what to buy, what to make, what to beg for
on birthdays, Christmas, or whatever. Some of you won't mind spending some
cash for things, others may want to spend as little as possible. If you sew
(or are willing to learn -it's easy really) you can save a lot of money on
the clothing as well as come away with a better fit and a more unique
appearance.
What clothing items should you get first? You will need a minimum of breeches and shirt and stockings, but I recommend the following list:
Breeches
These are less important items, you can worry about them once you get your basic clothing.
I'll cover the details of a man's outfit first.
Starting from the ground up, the basic mens' outfit consists of shoes,
stockings, knee breeches, shirt, waistcoat, and coat or smock. A hat tops
off the whole affair.
Shoes you will have to buy unless you are very talented indeed! Mens' and
womens' shoes were generally of the strap/buckle variety, though for poorer
folk, tied shoes were also seen. Boots are only for riding, so go with
shoes. There are a variety of shoes available, so check the sutlers list
for something appropriate to your character. Generally, common shoes were
finished with the rough side of the leather out and then heavily waxed to
seal and give them a low luster. These shoes are nice beacuse the insides
are smooth and don't wear out your stockings as fast. Leather soles only,
please; we want to be as correct as possible for Battle Road 2000.
I can find no reference to anyone of our area wearing moccasins at Battle
Road or any of the other major battles early in the war. Not surprising, as
shoes were not a major expense item at the time and, anyone as close to town
as we of the Westborough Militia would have been, would have had ready access
to shoes.
Shoe buckles come in a wide variety of styles and materials. Plain pewter and
brass are on the lower end of the scale, while silver and even glass jewel
encrusted buckles were known. Obviously, these last would be only for
formal wear and not appropriate for our sort of work. There are also buckles
for the knee breetches, and the same comments apply. Plain brass is a good
standard choice for most clothing.
Stockings. Available in cotton from most sutlers in a variety of colors.
White is the default, but other colors are OK. If you plan on being out in
colder weather (and Battle road might be cold), then a pair of heavier
woolen stockings is good. You can wear your cotton stockings underneath to
reduce itching if that is a problem for you. Acceptable materials are cotton
(or a cotton with a small amount of nylon for stretch), linen, or wool.
Stockings must be of the over the knee variety.
You can get ambitious and
make stockings from knitted linen or wool and will end up with a very
authentic seam up the back (You make them from regular flat knitted
material, not knitted in the round. I'm looking for suitable stuff for
this. ) Stocking garters are optional and may be
made with woven tape or leather with a buckle. These are worn below the
knee. You may, alternately, tie a leather thong or a string above the knee to help
keep your stockings up. Just be sure it doesn't show.
Breeches: The term fall front breeches refers to the closure of the front of the
breeches. A "fall" or wide flap is used insead of a fly, as on modern
pants. Fly breeches were from an earlier period and are not correct for Rev
War. Fall front mens' breeches can be purchased from a number of sutlers.
You will need to supply some measurements to them to get a proper fit. A
proper fitting pair of breeches for the 1770s is quite snug to the thigh and
very baggy in the seat. This bagginess allows you to sit and bend and is
vital to your comfort. It looks odd to modern eyes, but is quite correct.
The waistband should fall on the natural waistline, much like a pair of
bluejeans. They sort of sit just on your hip bones. There is a tie in the
back for taking up the waist to get a good fit, so the waist measurement
only has to be somewhat close. Any period correct color is acceptable.
Buff, brown, green, grey, black, and even muted yellow. Materials can be
cotton canvas, which is what most sutlers use, or linen, linen/cotton blend,
wool, hemp, or leather. Choose a material to suit according to the weather
and the condition of your of your character. Knee closure can be with a
buckle, buttons, or even tied with a cord for a poor man's outfit.
You can wear under-breeches as well for extra warmth. These are thin cotton
or linen with drawstrings at the knees and no pockets. Keeps the wool off
your skin and are more washable than wool. You can't buy them, they will
need to be made for you. Purely optional in any case.
A word about leather breeches. For a farmer or other laborer, leather would
be very appropriate as it was a long wearing material. It is expensive in
the modern era, and certain construction changes need to be made
to a cloth construction pattern. Mostly, it has to do with conserving material and not adding too much thickness. If you have a source for top grain
leather (not suede) in a light weight (3 ounce?) certainly consider leather
breeches. With wear they will get a nice patina that will authentic as all
get-out. Cow, deer or pig skin would be correct.
Mens' shirts are very simple. Everything is made from a rectangle of cloth.
This made most efficient use of the cloth they had and simplified cutting
and sewing. If you are just learning to sew, a shirt should be your first
project. ANYONE can make a shirt! Be sure your pattern is correct for the
1770s, as the collars changed during the 1780s and would not be correct.
There are measured drawings in several books, such as Beth Gilgun's "Tidings From the 18th Century" You don't need a paper pattern, just lay out your
cloth and draw on it with a pencil and yardstick. No need for ruffled shirts
unless you are a dandy. Keep it simple. Correct materials are cotton
muslin, linen, Osnaburg, or a blend of these. Unbleached natural color is
fine for a working shirt, they will get whiter and whiter each time you wash
them. Checked shirts were also known. Try to find a woven, rather than
printed, check with a small pattern.
Mens' waistcoats were a required item of wear for anyone in public unless
engaged in heavy labor. The 1770's waistcoat comes just a short way down on
the thigh and is cut away diagonally at the front below the waist to expose
the breeches front. Waistcoats generally have pockets, which are very
convenient. I recommend them if you make your own waistcoat, they are worth
the extra bother. Correct materials and colors are the same as for mens'
breeches. Waistcoats can be sleeved or sleeveless. They can even have
detachable sleeves using eyeholes and laces!
A waistcoat isn't too difficult to make, as there are no special techniques
involved. A good second level project for beginners. The fit should
conform to the body, but the back can optionally have a tie to tighten the
waist area or the entire back can be split and have laces running from top
to bottom. The fully laced variety was meant to be worn with a coat,
however, so keep that in mind. Besides, it's more work!
The farmers smock was probably a common sight at Lexington and Concord. It
is nothing more than a man's shirt made somewhat larger and longer. It's
purpose was mainly to keep dirt off the clothes worn underneath. it also
provided some warmth, depending on the material. A non-fringed hunting
shirt would also have been common. This is much like a farmers smock, but
cut about the same length as a mans shirt, to mid thigh. Either of these
can be made from canvas, heavy linen (or a blend), or wool. A woolen smock
is very good because it will not burn and provides addtional warmth.
Unbleached, coarse linen or linen/cotton blend would make a good farmers
smock. Since it doesn't have to be beautiful, it might even be a better
first project than a shirt. Let it get grungy and sweaty, as authentic as
your wife will let you!
A frock coat corresponds to the a modern suit coat in mens' dress. Most men
owned one, with the material being varied according to his station in life.
For our group, a frock coat is not a requirement. This is especially true
for the farmer/laborer class character who would wear a farmers smock for
working.
Making a frock coat is a more difficult sewing project but is not beyond
anyone with a little experience. It mainly takes more time and care to get
the fitting just right. Making a fitting pattern out of a cheap material is
highly recommended for the breeches, waistcoat, and frock coat.
For very hot weather, the smock or coat might be foregone, especially if you
are recreating a poorer sort of fellow. Just wear your waistcoat over your
shirt.
Your hat is also essential. You will probably want a black tricorn (called
a cocked hat during the time). Poorer folk might have worn a woolen or linen
cap.
You can block your own tricorn from a hat blank, buy a blocked blank and
trim and cock it, or have one made for you. Get a good hat if you can,
you'll only need one. Most men would have worn a "civillian" or "English"
style cock, rather than a military style.
Womens clothing is all based around the same basic garments. The shift, stays, petticoat, bodice, and/or jacket. If you are planning on something very fancy, you will still need at least the first 3 of these items. The only major differences between a rich woman's clothes and a poor one was in the quality of the material, colors, and decoration.
Lets do as we did for the men and start from the ground up. Shoes, stockings, shift, petticoat, stays, bodice (or jacket) and hat.
Shoes: Womens shoes varied depending on the position in society and the type of activity a woman might be involved in.
Common women wore a flat shoe similar to a man's flat shoe. It could be buckled or tied, with tied being for the lowest classes. Black would have been the color of choice because black is a simple and cheap color for leather and can be kept looking good with blackball (a mixture of tallow, lampblack, and wax) The leather would have had the rough side out and smooth in, to reduce wear on the stockings. The wax compound was applied to the outside until the roughness was covered over in a thick layer . This made the shoe more water resistant and gave a dull sheen.
Fancier shoes have a higher heel (about 1.5 inches in a curved "squash" shape) and may have buckles or be tied with a silk ribbon. Some even had a bow applied. These would generally have been black leather, but other colors were known. This same design was also made in a cloth shoe. Obviosly, these cloth shoes would not have seen much use outside and were reserved primarily for indoor wear.
Stockings can be plain cotton in white or colored. Calf high is fine.
The shift or chemise was the basic garment for all women. It looks like a nightshirt and closely resembles the mens' shirt except that it has a low cut neckline and no collar and comes below the knee. Construction is very simple, with the sleeves and neckline having a drawstring. A fine linen is recommended for this garment. It will see more washing than anything else, so make it with finer stitches and use good material.
Petticoat: We would call a petticoat a skrit today. It is even simpler than the shift, being just a rectangular piece of cloth with a drawstring casing formed on the top and the bottom hemmed. There are slits for the pockets but there are no pockets actually sewn on the petticoat (more on pockets in a bit). The pettiskirt is gathered at the top with the drawstring. Length is usually ankle height or a little higher for ease of walking and stooping. It also keeps the hem from dragging on the ground.
Stays: Stays seem to give a fright to more women who are interested in reenacting!! Well, don't worry, they really aren't all that bad. They are NOT a corset, such as the Victorians wore, but are rather a more functional garment giving support to the back and shaping without restricting breathing or bending the ribs. They also add a layer of warmth. Stays can be heavily or lightly "boned", depending on your preference. Since whale baleen is not generally available, modern boning may be used. Most women wore stays, although there are accounts of women not wearing them in hot climates. Make your stays out of medium weight cotton canvas or linen.
Bodice: Something akin to the mans' waistcoat, but laced up the front. A tightly fitted sleeveless garment which covers the stays. Any of the usual fabrics would be correct, cotton, linen or wool.
Jacket: The jacket has several forms, but most are a sleeved garment, close fitted to the body with either long or short skirts. Kimono style construction is common. A wide variety of fabric patterns can be used, and again, the choice of matterial is cotton, linen, or wool.
Hats: Women had a greater variety of headgear than men. There were tricorn riding hats, similar to a man's hat but with lace trimming. Straw hats with a very flat crown were common, with both narrow and wide brims. These often had ribbon decorations. Felt hats of the same type were known as well. No matter what type of hat she was wearing, a woman always wore her cap. This would be a simple linen cap, sometimes with lace and they came in a wide variety of styles. If a lady removed her hat, her cap would stay on regardless. Being seen without a head covering in public was just not done!
Other items of womens' clothing: Pockets and aprons.
Pockets were not sewn into the garment, they were a separate garment unto themselves. In essence, a pair of bags with slits on the front were tied around the waist using a narrow tape. To get to them, slits were left in the sides of the petticoat. You can put a LOT of stuff in your pockets, they are quite large. Many pockets had embroidered surfaces, but since they are worn on the inside, they can be left plain. Linen is a good cloth for these as it is strong.
The apron was almost universal amongst women of the lower and middling classes. It protected the jacket and petticoats from soiling and could be washed. Aprons were usually pinned near the shoulders and tied around the waist with a ribbon or tape. Wool is a good fabric for aprons as it will not catch fire the way cotton or linen might. Dark colors show the dirt less, but white can be boiled to get it clean. In a fancier outfit, the apron was less function and more fashion.
Shirt
Stockings
Farmer's smock or hunter's smock (if your character wears such a thing)
Hat
6. Waistcoat
7. Frock coat (if your character wears one)
8. Shoes