Clothes Make the Man -What to Wear By John Mefford ell, you have chosen a persona. You know who you are, now let¹s get you dressed. s with any hobby this can be as expensive as you want it to be. But remember, expensive is not always best. When researching your clothing and equipment, chose things that were COMMON for the time and place. Once more, chose clothing and equipment that was common. Most of us, myself included, are like ravens. We see something shiny and we have to have it. It may be a great item, but is it right for who and where we are. Something that was common in Montreal or Quebec, may not necessarily be right for the Illinois frontier. (Anyone doing British, substitute London or Boston) What are the basics? f you have chosen a military personea, you clothing and equipment are chosen for you by military regulations. If you are a civilian, there are many more choices. Basically you need the following: A hat or head covering A shirt or chemise A vest (weskit in English) Cravat or neck scarf Britches Stockings Shoes of some kind Belt ith these items you can fit in at any event. Some very useful extras: Haversack Belt knife Plate Bowl Spoon Mug Wee Wiggie am not going to cover firearms. They will be addressed in "Guns and Weapons". Now, let¹s explain the items one at a time. Head covering I don¹t care who you are are what you are doing, your head is covered by something. There are several choices. It can be as simple as a silk scarf. These are cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I often wear one under my tri-corn. A workers cap is simple to make and inexpensive to purchase. A toque (stocking cap) is perhaps the most common for the lower classes. A knitted cap, sometimes in the shape of a bag. Please, NO TASSELS on the end. and no trade silver decorations, as are often seen. For dress occasions, you would wear a tricorned hat. This is the most recognizable one of the time. It starts out as a flat brimmed hat. The military started turning up the sides so their musket wouldn¹t hit the brim of the hat. Cost - $15.00 to $150.00 Shirt or chemise This is your basic garment. Similar for men and women. It is your night shirt. It is your underwear. Usually made of linen or hemp (now days of cotton) Only two colors are noted in the 1750¹s, white and blue. White would be unbleached. Blue could mean any solid color, stripe or check. You can¹t go wrong with white or solid colors. No neon orange or green. A good way to check colors is to find a chart of natural dye colors and go with these. As to stripes and checks--I have no documentation for this, just a gut feeling. Stripes are French and checks are English. This is just my opinion and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the web master of this site. The shirt is easy to make. It is just a series of squares and rectangles. Cost - $10.00 to $50.00 Veste (weskit in English) or something to cover your chemise You might work in your field in just your chemise, but since your chemise is your underwear, if you are in public you put something over it. Either a veste or a frock. A 1750¹s veste is long, extending to a hand¹s width above the knee. A frock is basically a chemise that has been opened down the front and belted at the waist. Cost - Veste - $50.00 and up Frock - $30.00 to 50.00 Cravat or neck scarf The cravat is the forerunner of the modern tie. It is wrapped and tied around the neck in a specific manner. It usually matches the chemise and may be decorated with lace or ruffles. The neck scarf is a simpler version. A square of fabric folded in a triangle and rolled and tied around the neck. It is by far the more useful. Wet with water it will help cool you on a hot day. Wrapped around your head to keep you warm or hold your hat on during a wind storm. Cost - minimal on up Knee breeches or breechcloth We have covered you top half, now let¹s work on the bottom. A gentlemen, or anyone pretending to be, would wear breeches, knee length pants that were the fashion of the day. These come in various materials and two basic styles. The French Fly or vertical fly and The English Broadfall. These styles are interchangeable between French and English. Less civilized people (long hunters and courier du bois) and most habitants on the frontier would wear a breechcloth. A strip of material 12 to 15 inches wide and about 48 inches long. It is run between the legs and up and over a belt in the front and rear. This also is the basic native wear. Cost: $15.00 to $75.00 Stockings or leggings Here again, your personea will dictate what you will wear. A farmer or habitant just in from the field could get by not wearing any stockings. Almost anyone else would need stockings of wool or cotton. If you are portraying a long hunter or courier du bois leather or woolen leggings would be called for. Basic side seam leggings ar easy to make and can be made from scrap material. Cost: minimal for cloth to $100.00 for leather Footwear Once more you choice of personea takes control. A habitant could be bare foot or wearing sabots (wooden shoes). Wooden shoes are great for wet, dry or cold weather. Indian style center seam moccasins were also common. If your character can afford it, straight last shoes would be correct. Period correct shoes can run $85.00 to $125.00, a big investment to wear in the rain and snow. A good substitute can be made from plain round toed shoes from Good Will. Find a good shoe repair shop and straps can be added for buckles. [note about photo] Cost: $25.00 to $125.00 ( free if you go barefoot) Belt A wide leather belt with a forged iron or brass buckle is something very basic. It will keep your frock wrapped around you. It is a great place to tuck and carry things like your knife and a mug. Cost $25.00 and up Haversack This is a canvas or linen shoulder bag. A great place for your modern stuff like a wallet and car keys. Also to carry your extras, plate, bowl, spoon, etc. One note on a belt knife. NO BOWIE KNIVES. Good old Jim wasn¹t born till 1796. The French carried a good sturdy no nonsense knife, like a butcher knife. Plain simple and useful. Cost - haversack: $20.00 t0 $50.00 knife: cheap to several hundred Wee Wiggie I am sure you have been wondering what this is all through this article. It is a hair piece. The fashion at this time was long hair pulled back to a club or a que. The wealthy shaved their heads and wore wigs. The poor folks wore their own hair long, and put up with lice and such. Some people just wore a que. This kept you in style, but your hair could be shorter. Today, not everyone can have long hair at work. This is the solution. And it really finishes off a character. [see photo] These are proper 18th century wigs. They can be ordered from: Joan Spratt P.O. Box 47 Lawrence, PA 15055 Telephone: 724-941-6583 Send her a lock of hair and she will match it. Prices start at $20.00 have not covered Native clothing. A good resource is Native Tech "An internet resource for indigenous ethno-technology focusing on the arts of Eastern Woodland Indian Peoples, providing historical & contemporary background with instructional how-to's & references." hope I didn¹t ramble on too much. All of this is very personal and dictated by "who you are". These are just suggestions. You have to make the final decision. Look at what others are wearing. Talk to people. Bon chance J B Tavernier, Capt |
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