If you have visited a few events, say a local Dickens Festival or Victorian Society party, you may have an idea of what kind of clothes call to you. This is a big part of your interpretation so you must like the clothes. For your pocketbook’s sake, it is best if you can sew your own clothes, because while some “suttlers” (stores at events) make off the rack type dresses, invariably they will need to be fitted to you or altered in some way. I have never left an off the rack dress in its original situation and neither have most of my friends. If you can’t sew but you have a good friend who is willing to sew for you – and is capable of fitting – this is your second best bet. Third choice, although it can be expensive is to have a dress made for you. While you can start out with a skirt and blouse combo, most women did not wear that during the 19th century. Young girls did and it might have extended to young women, but mostly women wore dresses – one garment made of a skirt and bodice that are sewn together or hook together and are of the same fabric. It may also depend upon the geographic location you wish to interpret. Poor communities or in particular Southern states toward the end of the Civil War forced women to be clever with their dressmaking (I know you are picturing Scarlet O’Hara here in her curtain dress!). Dresses were remade and cut down for children, taken apart and altered into a different style all together, and generally used until completely unusable. I have always thought an interesting persona would be a servant wearing an obviously remade dress from her employer. But before you can do that, you need what we call underpinnings.

Dresses were made to be worn over certain undergarments which shaped a woman’s body into the silhouette that was popular at the time. I could spend an entire post just on the body shapes, but to spare you the lecture let me just say that you should understand the shape your body will be in once you have on your corset. Yes, your corset. This is an investment, just as a good modern brassier is. It should be the most comfortable garment you own and not an uncomfortable mess that you constantly wiggle and pull at to find “just the right fit” during your day. Having started off with a modern “corset” which was made of thin poly taffeta and plastic boning I can tell you it just won’t work. You also unfortunately cannot borrow a corset from someone because they mould to your body over time and since we are all shaped differently, no two corsets are the same after a few wearings. Again, if you can sew, make your own. Though intimidating, they aren’t all that difficult. If you can’t sew, be measured for one and have it made for you. Online corset purchases are tricky and I don’t personally recommend it. The corset will help support your body during the day and will help carry the weight of your skirts. If you tried to wear an 1860s dress without a corset you would notice how incredibly heavy the skirts are; but a corset will help redistribute the load over your torso making the skirts less tiring to wear.

Next, if you can’t sew and/or don’t want to spend a million dollars getting your clothing started, you can invest in some inexpensive starter garments. Dressing was done in layers, so closest to the body was a chemise, which looks suspiciously like a long white cotton short sleeved nightgown, wink wink. Be careful of fabrics with embroidery and eyelet because this will be under your corset and pressed against your skin all day. You don’t want any weird rubbing or bumps. Next would have been your drawers (as an aside, they were not called bloomers. Bloomer suits were an outer garment like a short dress and long pants). If you look at drawers closely, they look a lot like white cotton pajama bottoms, and if you are in a cold weather climate, white flannel pajama bottoms would be really cozy.

Next, put on your white knee high socks (from Target) and your boots. I have to admit, you will want good quality boots because you will probably be standing or walking for a good portion of the day. Also, many events are held in parks, so there is no guarantee that the ground will be nice and smooth/sturdy. You are as likely to step in a gopher hole as get a sunburn. You can probably find a fair priced boot at Target, Payless or the like, but I recommend a western wear store, such as Boot Barn. Believe me, men’s boots cost a lot less than women’s. Find your comparable size in men’s boots and try some on; you might find they fit nicely with your thick white sock in there. You want a lace up style boot, nothing fancy to get started.

Now you would put on your corset, mentioned earlier. Lace it comfortably but not so tight you can’t sit down without having difficulty breathing. (You may think I’m joking here but I’m not.) Make any adjustments to your bosom, then make adjustments to the laces that are needed. Over all this you may want to wear a corset cover, which is very similar to a camisole. The corset cover is important if your corset has any color on it that can be seen through your blouse. It will also disguise the ridge of the busk and the top of your corset. Remember, Victorian women were conservative and it would have been unseemly for any portion of the undergarments to be visible or discernible.

The final undergarments are petticoats. You will need at least two to start. If you are going the Civil War route, you will need a hoop skirt and one more petticoat to wear over it. You do not want to have your skirt flapping in the wind when the breeze catches up under the hoop and a second petticoat will help weigh it down. You also don’t want the bones of the hoop to be visible through your skirt. The more higher class your character, the more petticoats and you could wear a second petticoat on top of your hoop. Make sure the petticoats are correct for the type of skirt, e.g. a bustle dress will have different petticoats than a Gay 90s dress. Part of your learning will come from talking to other reenactors, so don’t worry if you don’t know it all when you start out.

Next put on your dress, dress your hair as appropriate for your era, don your bonnet and gloves and you are ready to stroll about the event. The entire dressing process can take 30-45 minutes if you are alone. If you have short hair, you can work up to artificial hair and/or hair pieces slowly and inexpensively. That’s a whole other blog post though, so if you are just starting out, please do your best but don’t feel like you can’t attend an event if your hair isn’t exact.

But attending an event isn’t just about the clothing (although it sure feels like it when we are all together oohing and ahing at each others dresses!). You need to know if you are going to be a First Person reenactor or a Third Person reenactor. A First Person reenactor generally interprets a known character of the era, such as President Abraham Lincoln, Florence Nightengale, or the like. This is the hardest type of interpretation in my opinion because you can never break character, even in your own encampment or while sitting down to eat lunch. Did President Lincoln drive a car? No, so he wouldn’t drive up in his Honda and then hop out in full view of the spectators. If you want to be a First Person reenactor you shouldn’t either.

My group tends toward Third Person, in which we have character information, a household and business, but we tend to tell the spectator about the period rather than acting as if we were in the period. We try to uphold the conventions of women from the later Victorian era, we eat off Victorian style dishes and we drink from Victorian looking glasses. There are not coke cans and plastic boxes in our venue.We do this because it makes it more fun for us and the spectator. Renaissance Faire guilds are very good at removing all modern items from their camps and banning them completely while spectators are present. I have even seen RF reenactors transfer foods and drinks from modern containers at the local food vendor into a more appropriate container for their character. No paper plates or plastic wrappers there. Personally I think some Victorian events do not stress this enough and soldiers are seen drinking from bright red coke cans or smoking modern cigarettes. If possible to not do that for an entire day, it makes it more fun for everyone. Women should never be seen smoking unless your character is of a certain station that smoked, such as an old Southern granny smoking a corn cob pipe. If you do smoke, try to find an out of the way place or a “back stage” type area. The worst offense I have seen was by a woman who claimed to be completely accurate, smoking a Kool and having left out the package on her table inside her encampment. Oops.

Even if you are going to your first event in dress, you should have some idea of “who you are” as a Third Person reenactor. Have an idea of where you are from and why you are at the event. Is it a Civil War battle reenactment? Are you there as a spectator wanting to see the Yankies trounce the Rebels? Are you a refugee fleeing the Southern troops? Are you a profiteer selling necessary items at inflated prices? Even if no one asks you even one question, you will feel better knowing “who you are.”

You may also want some basic accessories for the day. Some type of carpet bag or a tapestry purse can hide purchases that come in plastic bags, carry your modern necessities such as cell phones and sun glasses, and lend credence to your carpet bagger persona. It can hold your handiwork for when you sit down to sew or knit. It can hold the small photo album of your loved ones. Etc, etc, etc. A parasol might be fun and depending on the “class” of your persona it could be a requirement. I have a small child, so holding a child’s hand, a parasol and a carpet bag is just not something I have figured out yet, so I have set aside my parasols for now. I wear a bonnet whenever we go out walking. Some women wear a chatelaine, which is somewhat like a key chain, worn at your belt, to hold keys, sewing scissors, eye glasses, watch, or any other type of thing. Some women wear a pocket. Pockets were not generally sewn into dresses in the Victorian era, so pockets were worn around the waist or tucked through a belt on the outside of the dress. They could be decorative or simple, but they held the same type of things we put into our pockets now.

If you aren’t part of a group, you might want to consider joining one. Civilians need all the help we can get as our population is small when compared with soldiers. It’s difficult for some to accept that civilians continued to exist during the Civil War for some reason, and for that matter very little consideration is given to civilian groups and their set ups, although that seems to be changing as the years progress. So don’t feel like the only way to become involved is by joining the Army. If you see a civilian group that interests you, take a moment to try to meet them and find out about their group, their needs and their recruitment. Most of these groups are small units of friends and family who just want to have a good time. It is a lot of work to put together a camp or venue, and we just want people to notice us and appreciate what we do for them. Behind the scenes, there is a day to set up and a few hours to tear down for every weekend long event. The stuff has to be carted away in various vehicles and stored in garages until the next event. If you are ready to jump in, find out if the group that interests you is looking for members. You might be surprised! (Mrs. Brewer’s Parlour is currently recruiting for male and female civilian members, children welcome, inquire within…)

This is a lot of information for one blog post, so I hope I haven’t scared anyone off of becoming a reenactor. It is a very fullfilling hobby that has kept me interested for over 10 years. The way the hobby is growing, with more Victorian societies and costumed organizations, I imagine it will continue to grow and hold people’s interest for many years to come. Start out small and work your way up. Looking back at my first Victorian dress I can see all the things that were wrong, but no one at the time knew and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Most importantly, have fun. You don’t need to have every little aspect of your costume the first time you step into an event, just enough to play the part and have a good time. As you grow in the hobby, you will acquire bits and pieces here and there. Reenactor swap meets are one of the best ways to pick up good quality second hand stuff, and every reenactor knows someone or a shop or seamstress who makes “just the thing” you are looking for for your outfit.

Widow Peters discussed Victorian Mourning

Sergeant Pavitch speaking on weapons and military life

Mrs Marvel discusses infant clothing

Mrs Marshall spoke on Victorian etiquette

Mrs Brewer coordinated the program

All in all it was a fabulous program with many many questions and quite a large number of people who lingered afterwards to view artifacts and talk to the speakers. For me, the best part of the event was hearing that my four-year-old daughter had been speaking to one of the guests who was handling an antique photo album and said “we aren’t allowed to touch but we can look.” I must be doing something right!

Be sure to view our photo stream on Flickr by clicking here or on the thumbnails over on the right. We can put together an educational program for you too…just let us know!

Dear sister,

I enclose for your perusal a copy of the latest tailoring guide from the Dobbs Brothers entitled the United States Tailor System. You would use this along with your French curve to draft patterns much more accurately. Not to say that you have any difficulty with clothing but I feel it is always good to read of new techniques and methods do you not also? This particular guide is updated from the ’95 version and includes enhancements for drafting clothing for children and adult women. I hope that you find this useful.

Give my best to all.

Your loving sister,

Mattie

Click to view the full book

Dearest Mother,

I write to let you know that we are safe. The fighting came close to town as the Union boys are quite infused with the fervor to trounce the Confederates quickly and send them back home. We were saddened to see many of our good friends forced from their homes and living in small tents and lean tos to keep themselves away from the danger of stray bullets and cannon fire. We had set up our bookshop and unloaded our parlour furniture by the side of a small country lane in the town of Prado, where we camped overnight with the Bowlins, the Coffins, and several others as neighbors.

The tide of civilians wandering toward the action was good for our business as those not yet shocked by the explosions of cannon fire and the destruction of muskets were still in a festive air. Soon they returned past our small camp, sombered by the great loss of life and the threat to our Union, yet willing to acquire a book of poetry or patriotic songs to gird their spirits.

And yet through this deep sadness and fear we found the camaraderie of good friends and family. The children played on the old living room rug thrown down on the ground with blocks and dolls, while Sister and Mrs. Marshall and I entertained one another as best we could by reading aloud and singing songs. Widow Peters and her niece found their way to our humble shelter and assured us that even though the armies are involved in death while on the field, they quickly find their way to her mercantile and others to spend their wages on trinkets for loved ones at home and the necessities for daily living. This I take as a good sign that this engagement will be one of few and the war quickly settled.

Once the armies passed on from our location we were able to return to our home, to find it had but one broken window and a few extra holes for ventilation that cannot be found on the original plans. A traveling photographer passed through as well and I am just received of the enclosed photographs which were delivered with to days letters.

Stay well, Mother, for I send you our love. Should the battles wander close to home perhaps you could retire to Aunt Elizabeth’s home in Pennsylvania.

Your loving daughter,

Mattie

Mrs Marshal and Mr Hendon

Your granddaughter outshines me

Miss Rachel Bingham and Logan Bingham

Melody sits quietly with a snack

I so enjoyed visiting with you Saturday last and playing with your precious new baby boy Maximiliano! He will certainly be a delight to you and Mr. Castillo, and a great friend to his older brother Alejandro. The baby days flee so quickly, do they not?

As promised, I have enclosed the pattern to make the baby shoes. They are quite versatile and I made a pair for Melody once she began toddling around. You will find these shoes very easy to assemble and comfortable for the baby as well. While the shoes can be made for a baby who is not walking, you could also make them with a leather sole, as I did.

First, trace this pattern here to the size of Maximiliano’s foot and then cut it out of wool or any other soft and fleecy material. You should stitch around the inside curved section of the shoe top so that it does not stretch out of shape. Next, take the right sides together and sew up the single straight edge of the shoe top with a narrow seam. That piece goes at the heel. If you will be making a slipper to wear indoors, you can sew the sole on wrong side to wrong side. If you will be making a shoe to wear outdoors, place them right sides together. Stitch all the way round with a narrow seam and then cut the curves, then turn the shoe right side out. Next you will sew a snap into place on the strap. I have enclosed a few photographs to assist you.

I hope to visit with you again soon and watch little Max grow up into a fine young man!

Your friend,

Mattie Marvel

Shoe Upper showing stitching

Shoe stitched and notched before turning

Turned shoe showing leather sole

Infant shoes, wool felt with sueded leather soles

My dear friend Maggie,

I thought you might like this photograph of us that was made in August while we picnicked in the park. I thought it such a lovely image of the four of us, I had one made for each you, Caroline and me. I hope we will meet again soon, the miles between us are too great, but our letters keep us close to heart.

Yours truly,

Mattie

You will be delighted to learn that I have come across a distant relation recently. We had the great pleasure of visiting with Senator Jefferson Davis and his wife, Varina Davis, over the past week end. Politics aside, they are lovey people, the most gracious of hosts. As she and I were speaking about our families, she happened to mention that she was a Howell.

Mother, you cannot imagine my shock and delight to reply that you are a Howell as well! Although we have not yet identified where our families diverged, I know we will enjoy each others company all the more knowing we share blood. I hope we shall see Mrs. Davis again soon. She and Senator Davis are traveling throughout the area, visiting with their troops, so it is possible we shall see them in Huntington Beach, which is the next expected location for the armies to clash.

We persuaded a local photographer to make this likeness of Melody and Mrs. Davis and although Melody looked to the side, I think it still a lovely image of the two.

All my love,

Mattie

I spent the weekend with Cousin Selden and heard about the history time line at Old Fort MacArthur. I truly wish I was able to accompany you. The newspaper ran drawings of some of the action, which was quite impressive, I must admit! I received a letter from Mother who said that Father was with you most of the time and that they have a new high sprung Ford wagon. I am so happy to hear that Father will be traveling in more comfort these days.

The newspapers have stories of pirate raids at the Old Fort while you were there, and that a troop of cowboys were well armed and able to run them off in fairly short order. I hope everyone in your household weathered the raids and there was no loss of property or life. I understand that Mrs. Marshall had her nephew with her and I dearly hope he was not conscripted. He is such a quiet and polite boy. Although you likely would have let us know if something as wretched as that had occurred.

I have seen in the newspapers that the war will be settling close to your home soon. The predictions are at the end of July and early August in El Dorado Park in Long Beach, California. I do hope everyone will come through without a scratch to body, home and hearth. It comforts me to know that you have pooled resources and live in your home together with Mattie and Mrs. Marshall. I worry for you while your men folk are away with the war.

I have a new recipe for Upside Down Prune Cake from Mother.  It is quite delicious and has become a favorite here.  I hope you will enjoy it.  Keep safe and away from the war as best you can.

You devoted sister,

Elizabeth

I must tell you about the most fabulous event that is quickly approaching! The event is called the Old Fort MacArthur Days. It is a history timeline with representatives from historical times up through the modern and into the future! It sounds quite similar to the event I wrote you about last year. We are so excited to attend, as there will be Roman Guards, Vikings, English Civil War persona, Colonial American, Californios, Mexicans, Dragoons, and much much more! Of course, we will be there representing the ladies of good moral character tending the home and hearth, and we fervently hope that we will not be forced to be in the proximity of those other ladies who do not share our fortitude. I’m quite sure you can hear me huff just at the thought of it!

Selden, I do so wish you could attend. If by chance you find yourself with a moment of time, please read this page to learn more about it. The event fast approaches on July 10th and 11th, just to the north of us in San Pedro. There is a fort there, you know. You will find us in the Frontier Area, I suppose. Funny to think that this is still considered the frontier, when really we are quite civilized these days. Just last month, the First Antioch Baptist Church was founded to the delight of our friends and neighbors. Furthermore, we have even got a newspaper. Surely that is civilized?

Ever your devoted cousin,

Mattie

P.S. Just look at these photographs I have enclosed. While the Roman guard is impressive, and the Redcoats are virtually laughable in their bright red uniforms, the futuristic vehicle is perfectly hideous and terrifying!

We are heartily looking forward to visiting with you this upcoming 14th and 15th of May! My sweet Melody has already asked if she will be able to procure the delectable  grapes you frequently have on your table and we hope to spend tea time together if at all possible. It will be such a busy week-end, what with the troops in bivouac so closely near by in Costa Mesa and we refugees simply attempting to stay out of their way. Such is the life for we women who undertake to bring some civility and refinement to these Western outposts and wilds of California.

We expect our visit to be an enjoyable one, and with deep fondness anticipate a joyous reunion.

Ever your friend,

Mattie Marvel