Jeanne Burton wrote:
> I recently met a guy who does war of 1812 reenactment, and we were
> discussing doing an event or two together. I know NOTHING about this
> era...I do 1500's Spain, and by then I've been dead for a couple
> hundred years. <G> I also know nothing about how European fabrics and
> styles migrated to the Ohio Valley - should I be looking at 1808-1809
> and figuring that it took 4 or 5 years to get styles that far into the
> "wilderness", or were people more in touch with Europe than that?
> I also really have no idea on how picky reenactors of this era are - I
> belong to the SCA, where a "reasonable attempt" is good enough for
> many...though not for me. I'm a bit of a snob for myself when it comes
> to costuming - anything worth doing is worth doing well, and as
> correctly as possible, isn't it?
>
> There's been no mention of class at this point..I think that's up to
> me. He very kindly gave me 4 yards of a beautiful lightweight
> jacquarded silk and a regency pattern by Sense and Sensibility...so I
> have that to start out with, though if there's something better,
> please let me know!
> (Silk and patterns are MUCH better gifts than flowers, IMO, as well!)
>
> Thanks in advance -
>
> Jeanne
Oh, he sounds fun! :)
Yes, a few years lag would be fine. Fa****on didn't move as quickly as
now, and an inch or two up or down in the waistline was often ignored
outside the Haute Monde of London/Paris/Vienna. In Europe at the time
there was a great vogue for all things military, and ladies jackets and
riding clothes were often made in mock uniform styles. Sense and
Sensibility patterns will do fine: just make sure you use something
round about 1810-12 and you'll be OK. After all, some cousin in England
could easily have sent you a picture of a new sleeve or ruffle, war
between us notwithstanding.
As for the jacquard silk... be careful! Silks were often a plain
weave, but stripes were very fa****onable, and Paisley shawls were just
coming in. Most people did NOT wear diaphanous floaty thing a la
Caroline Lamb, nor did they dampen their petticoats to make them cling
and show their figures!
For a real flavour of the period, and some good fa****on drawings, dig
out a copy of Mrs Hurst Dancing - a lovely collection of drawings and
notes by a young lady in England at the time. For another, look at the
BBC Pride and Prejudice TV series with Jenifer Ehle and Colin Firth:
very well done, and the costumes are fantastic. Another good period
piece is Georgette Hayer's The Spanish Bride: she took lots of it from
Harry Smith's diary, John Kincaid's, and those of other real people who
appear in the novel, including from notes and dispatches from Wellington
himself. Read Harry Smith himself for details of the disastrous
American expedition.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
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