Guidelines
Men's Guidelines for soldiers and civilians
Camp
Tents:
Period correct Rev War wedge with or without a bell.
Soldiers/Male Civilians
General Appearance
· Clothing does not have to look brand new, but it should
also not be in tatters.
· All soldiers should be relatively clean shaven with no
more than three days growth of facial hair. This is especially true
at larger events such as Mt Vernon.
· Cover colored hair and modern tattoos
Shirt
· Checked, striped, or white linen or cotton
Neckwear
· Neckerchief
Hats
· Black wool round hats, or cocked hats of a military or civilian style
Coats
· Osnaburg/linen, split-front hunting shirts, with short
capes and fringe; short or long coats in period colors
Waistcoats
· Waistcoats with or without sleeves in period colors
· Sleeved waistcoats are acceptable as the primary outer
garment.
Breeches and Trousers
· Trousers or breeches of linen or hemp canvas or linen
in period colors
Stockings
· Stockings in period colors- silk, wool or cotton,
(neutral colors are best) held with leather or cloth garters.
Shoes
Period correct shoes can be expensive and depending on the maker-
uncomfortable. You may wear modern shoes as long as they are
covered. Cover shoes with half-gaiters of black, brown, or drab
wool, canvas or black leather. Tall thigh length gaiters are more
French and Indian style. Simple buckles for the shoes.
Arms
· 2nd Model Brown Bess or Charleville with associated
bayonet and scabbard- Virginia or Pennsylvania long rifles, New
England style fowlers, English fowlers, either plain or modified for a
bayonet
Musket Accessories:
a pick and brush, musket tool, extra flints, rag, cleaning kit.
Cartridge Pouches
· Soft cartridge pouches black or brown leather with
approximately 19 – 24 round cartridge blocks, narrow black or buff
leather straps, or linen webbing shoulder straps
Haversacks
· Linen or canvas haversacks, market wallets are also
acceptable.
Canteens
· Wood cheese box, or staved canteens of documented
period pattern with narrow leather or linen webbing strap.
· Tin canteens of kidney or half-moon shape.
Extras:
Period wool Gloves
Females are allowed to portray soldiers and participate in battles,
etc as long as they try to hide female attributed and do not flaunt
their gender. No modern makeup, nail polish, etc.
Guidelines
women's Guidelines for camp followers
Female Camp Follower:
Shift
A shift is the foundation garment worn next to a woman’s body to
protect her more expensive clothing. Even poor women would own
several shifts as bathing was not an everyday occurrence. These
would have been worn covered.
Stays
Are a support garment worn over a shift but beneath a gown or jacket.
Regardless of construction and fabric, stays should be worn that will
create a smooth conical torso which is a proper 1770s silhouette.
Stays can be front or back lacing. Stays should never be worn
without a jacket. They should always be covered.
Upper Body Garment
Gown or jacket worn over stays which are worn over a shift.
Petticoats
· Striped, or matching a gown or jacket. Petticoats can
be made of worsted flannel, linsey-woolsey, or linen. Quilted
petticoats are also extremely common in winter. Length should be
between low-calf and ankle. (Petticoat length varies to some extent
– generally shorter petticoats are more suited to physical labor.)
Pockets
Pockets are personal garments and were not meant to be worn outside of
a gown or petticoat.
Apron
Sometimes worn with 1 side or both sides tucked into apron strings.
Neck Handkerchief
Frequently misidentified as a Fichu or Modesty Piece, neck
handkerchiefs can vary widely in fabric composition and design. What
is most important is the shape and style of wear. The most common
shape for this time period is triangular, either cut in a triangle or
a square folded into a triangle.
Hair
· In the 1770s, most women wore their hair on the top or
crown of the head not the back. The wearer’s hair should show above
the forehead below the cap with some height or volume being
acceptable.
· At a bare minimum, hair should be put up fully under a
cap with no wisps or bangs.
Cap
Women in the 18th century did not go out into public without a cap
covering their hair. It also helps to hide modern hairstyles and
colors.
Stockings
· White, blue, or natural wool yarn or worsted stockings
with back seams, ending above the knee. Stockings should be held up
with leather buckled garters or cloth tape garters tied above or below
the knee. Cotton stockings.
Shoes
Shoes can be expensive and hard to fit. You may wear plain black
modern shoes until you can find shoes that fit. Keep in mind in camp
the higher the heel the worse your feet will feet on Monday.