Dressing as an 1860s lady
When I am dressed as a mid-1800s lady, I get many questions:
- "Are you a re-enactor?" No, I am a historic interpreter, mainly at or for the Old Court House Civil War Museum in Winchester. No campfire living for me!
- "How do you drive, sit (you can guess the other question) in that hoop?" I push all the hoops up and to the side to drive, making certain I can see out to the side. To sit, I arrange the hoops so I am sitting between them, being careful not to have the hoops go way up in the front. No comment on the third question but more on that below.
- A very young lady recently asked, "Did you know George Washington?"
- "Are these clothes from the Civil War?" No, they are not 150 years old!
- "Aren't you hot?" Not really, the clothes are all cotton and when I swirl the hoop skirt, there is a nice breeze.
If I had on all the layers that the typical Civil War era lady wore, I might not be quite so comfortable. Which brings me to the question that I think has the most interesting answer:
"How do you get dressed in the full outfit?"
I confess that my period clothing would not pass muster with exacting re-enactors, also known as thread Nazis. My clothing is machine-made, not hand-sown, and I omit quite a few of the seven layers typically worn by the ladies. I will start at the bottom layer and also describe what layers I wear.
Starting with bare skin, a period woman would wear bloomers or pantalets, which come to the knee or ankle, depending on the weather and the the maturity of the lady. Older women typically wore the longer bloomers. Some bloomers are in two pieces, one for each leg, and typically either style was crotchless Aha! The answer to the third question. Except I usually wear regular panties not pantalets.
The next layer is the chemise, essentially a night gown that is worn under the corset to keep the corset from being soiled by being right next to the body and to have a layer of fabric under the corset.
Of course, I don't wear a corset or a chemise. I don't have the requisite maid to lace up the corset and cannot imagine my husband lacing me up. Plus too tight! According to the experts, the corset in the 1860s was not used to get a narrow waist or a big bust. It was merely to provide a smooth line from waist to bust. [And I think a way to imprison women.] The stays of the corset were made of whale bone. Women put it on by hooking the hooks and eyes in the front and then it was laced up in the back.
Keeping the corset clean must have been a major concern because the next layer was a corset cover. Not only did it provide a smooth line over the corset but also kept color from rubbing or fading onto the corset.
The next layer is the under-petticoat. This is where I start putting on layers. It also helped keep dust off the hoop and preserve modesty. If the hoop flew up in the wind, the under-petticoat helped hide those split drawers.
Layer six is the hoop skirt, but wait, you have to do other stuff before you put on the next imprisoning item--the hoop! You cannot put on stockings, with garters, or shoes while wearing a hoop. It probably is possible but takes some contortions! Usually period ladies wore boots out--no paved streets or sidewalks. They wore slipper-like shoes in the house. Fancy slippers were worn for dancing.
The hoop skirt and petticoats have draw-string waists that are tied to tighten. I have never had one come untied and drop to the floor, but it is a worry! The actual hoops were often steel covered in cloth but could be whale bone sewn into the cotton.
Not pictured is the over-petticoat which also served to keep the crinoline clean and provided a smooth line, no hoops showing, under the skirt. In colder weather more over-petticoats were worn beyond the typical two worn in warmer seasons. In the cold women would wear from four to five at a time! I don't wear the over-petticoat. If we count multiples of the same thing, the ladies of the time would be up to as many as eleven layers! And forget the smooth line from bust to waist when there are eight (pantalets, under-petticoat, hoop skirt, and five over-petticoats) tied with little bows around the waist!
Next comes the blouse or bodice, tighter fitting than the blouse, and the skirt. I do wear them!
There are, of course, more accessories. In the photo with my husband Harry (before he shaved his beard), I am wearing a hat with hatpin, drop earrings, a locket, a shawl, a cummerbund that ties in the back, gloves, and a purse. There can also be removable collars and sleeves. (Clothes were washed much less frequently so ladies changed collars and sleeves more often.)
I usually fix my hair before I start dressing. I keep my hair long enough to pull back and have a variety of hair pieces to wear under nets, bonnets, or hats. The one hair piece that get the most compliments is the circle of curls I bought at Rite Aid!
I do have one period piece that I wear when portraying a woman in mourning. Many Civil War women were in mourning since almost 700,000 died in the war. They lost fathers, sons, husbands as well as many friends. It was very common to wear jewelry made of the hair of the deceased. There are pins and earring with woven hair. I prefer the jewelry in which the hair is behind glass. You can see the woven hair in my mourning broach on the right.
I do not wear all the layers and I do not faint, either. I still get the feel of a woman in the 1860s, and am happy to live in this day and age!
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