LADIES CLOTHING
GUIDELINES for STRUGGLES OF SECESSION
By: Vickie Rumble
The clothing and kits for all civilians should
reflect their approved impressions, however, the overall concept for
the event is that of a rural Georgia town. Unless you have been given
specific approval to the contrary all clothing and accessories should reflect a
rural Southern working class style. This applies to both adults and
children.
DO:
Choose
a standard one piece dress consisting of bodice and attached skirt - either a
darted or gathered bodice
Choose
an appropriate sleeve
For cotton or homespun consider the
gathered cuff or coat sleeve
If using a pagoda sleeve remember this is
a late l850’s style and fabric should reflect a pre-war style
Choose
natural fabrics – l00% cotton, silk, wool, or linen
Choose
colors and patterns available during the period.
For home-spun choose a color that ranges
in the natural dyeing category
Choose
appropriate buttons – glass, metal, or wood or close the bodice with hooks and
eyes.
Choose
to hem the dress approximately l to 2 in. off the floor for a better dress, and
not more than 3 in. for a work dress
Wear
proper underpinnings for the correct silhouette, corded petticoat preferred
over a hoop.
Correct
shoes and stockings
Dress
the hair in a suitable l860’s style – parted in the middle, chignon at the base
of the head
Choose
earrings with French wires or small hoops and simple broaches
Choose
a correctly made bonnet – consider a slat or corded bonnet
Choose
a bonnet and not a hat
Use
hand-stitched button holes
Match
proper fabrics to the era the clothing was constructed – example: don’t make a homespun dress with
Pagoda sleeves – this is incorporating
prewar style with war years fabric
Correct
eyewear for the period – contacts or period style frames
AVOID:
Fingerless
mitts
Snoods
(The word snood does not show up until about the l920’s then it refers to
ancient head covering
in Scotland. If a “net” was worn during the l860’s it was
fine, and worn over fully dressed hair)
Sunglasses
/ Modern glasses
Modern
jewelry
Felt
bonnets or hats
Wristwatches
Huge
sutler hoops – consider instead a 90 to ll0 inch cage
or a better yet, a corded petticoat
Make-up
and nail polish, and excessively long nails
Synthetic
fabrics
Plastic
buttons
Machine
stitched button holes
Garibaldi/skirt
combos unless under age l8-20
Zouave jacket/skirt/blouse combos – if you want the
jacket wear it over a one piece dress
“Tea”
bodices
Bangs
or any other modern hair style, avoid sausage curls on a grown woman
Battenburg lace, and lace on dresses – especially day
wear. Avoid nylon or synthetic lace all
together.
Day
caps for l86l or later
Constructing
dresses or other garments without using a reliable historically documented
pattern with
proper fit Suggested patterns include
Homespun Patterns and Past Patterns. For
children we
recommend Elizabeth Stewart Clark’s
patterns for infants through teens, found at
http://www.elizabethstewartclark.com/PP/index.htm. Elizabeth also offers several free patterns
for ladies and children on her website at http://www.elizabethstewartclark.com/GAMC/FP/index.htm
A
BRIEF NOTE ON BUTTONS:
Small
brass, glass, china, wooden, bone, mother of pearl, etc. Black glass buttons and china buttons were
both being used by l840. By l840 glass
buttons were being produced in many colors.
Glass paperweight buttons were produced from l840-l870 and were so named
because their design was similar to glass paperweights. Ivory was being carved into buttons during
the l8th and l9th centuries and often had decorative designs carved into them. Jade has been used in the past to carve
buttons reaching its peak well before the l860’s. Jet was used for buttons during the era, but
these are extremely rare today except in museums. Black glass is often marketed as jet. True jet is carved rather than molded like
black glass. It is light weight for its
size, and can easily be cut with a knife.
In the early part of the l9th century English metal buttons were made
using pewter, brass, silver, copper, and Tombac, but
by l860 brass was the metal of choice.
These brass buttons were die-stamped, engraved, molded, dyed, punched,
and etched into an assortment of designs.
While solid gold buttons were rare, gold plated buttons were worn by men
from the early to mid-l9th century.
Pewter buttons of the l9th century may be various colors. To achieve this color they were died before
being engraved. Cut steel buttons were
in use by l830, and often have a “studded” appearance due to the faceted pieces
of cut steel that were riveted onto the flat steel buttons. Liverpool, England was known for producing
pottery buttons during the early to mid l9th century. These were generally of a transfer type with
magenta or black colors used to create designs.
Buttons were also carved from vegetable ivory which is the meat of the Tagua or Coroza nut from South
America.
Ladies
Basic Kit for Everyday Wear
By Victoria Rumble
UNDERPINNINGS:
Basic underpinnings
consist of drawers, chemise, corset or stays, and petticoat. For your own comfort and benefit, certainly
not anyone else’s, I recommend only 100% cotton.
For those who can sew
their own clothing I recommend Elizabeth Stewart Clarks free instructions.
http://www.elizabethstewartclark.com/GAMC/FP/index.htm She provides instructions for making drawers,
chemise, slat bonnet, and basic petticoat – all of which would be correct for
Struggles of Secession.
For those who need
purchased patterns please see Past Patterns, or Kay Gnagey
has patterns in Simplicity.
A corded petticoat is
much more sensible and appropriate for a working impression and is strongly
recommended over hoops or cage. To make
one, use heavy cotton fabric and stitch rows of stiff rope into it near the
bottom hem to support the skirt. Be
careful not to make it too large around or it will collapse onto itself. To purchase one, see http://home.comcast.net/~lynnegaither/index.html
For those who prefer
to purchase items, email Vickie Rumble at [email protected] for
chemise, petticoats, apron, and slat bonnets or corded sunbonnets, and Kay Gnagey or Sue Bonifay for dresses and underpinnings.
http://www.originals-by-kay.com/
These ladies can’t
read your mind, so please tell them what event you are preparing for, and the
nature of it (working attire in all natural fabrics), and put your order in
early enough that they can get to it before event time.
SHOES:
See Mattimore Harness http://www.civilwarboots.com/
Ask about the elastic
side ladies pull-on boot.
Robert Land http://www.robertlandhistoricshoes.com/servlet/StoreFront
Fugawee, Rose – an
elastic-sided pull-on boot http://www.fugawee.com/CW%20Women's.htm
STOCKINGS:
Kay Gnagey sells a nice cotton stocking in various colors. http://www.originals-by-kay.com/
DRESSES:
Struggles for
Secession will portray war-torn Georgia in 1863. Shortages are prevalent, and replacing worn
items has become tedious and difficult.
Dresses are patched and mended and most rural women do not have the
luxury of new clothing. This will become
even more apparent by 2012.
A one-piece dress
(bodice with attached skirt) was the most common, fabrics should be 100%
natural – cotton, wool, etc. in colors and patterns that would have been
possible during the mid-19th century. Ladies should think work attire and dress in
preparation for performing the everyday chores of home life during the
war.
By the 1860’s, the
pagoda sleeve was passing out of favor, and during the 1850’s dresses with
pagoda sleeves were most often made of upscale fabrics which did not hold up
well to household work and the necessary laundering. A coat sleeve is much more practical for
working.
Aprons will prove
helpful and appropriate for many, especially those helping with meal
preparation and washing up. Aprons
should be wool or cotton. Source: contact Vickie Rumble at [email protected]
Slat bonnets or
corded sunbonnets will be preferred over fashion bonnets for working class
attire.
SLEEPING GEAR:
Quilts should be
correct fabric and pattern, coverlets are excellent choices as are basic wool
blankets. A painted floor cloth will
keep your bedding off the ground, and can be purchased from Joe and Alicia
Blunt. A feather mattress encased in
cotton ticking is acceptable for sleeping in the village.