hier ist der momentane Stand:
FRENCH
Shift
Best: handstitched
in white linen (cotton or wool, less commonly) with full sleeves gathered into
narrow cuffs at the elbows. Cuffs should close with sleeve buttons, or ties threaded through
buttonholes. Neck opening should be large; with a gown or jacket on, the shift should only
barely be visible around the neckline.
Acceptable: Machine stitched (ideally handfinished)
in white linen with elbow length sleeves.
Unacceptable: Long sleeves, obvious machine sewing, gathered neckline, major neck or sleeve
ruffles.
Stays
Best: Hand sewn, fully boned stays with worsted or linen exterior fabric, the most common
colors being dark green, blue, or white. Stay should create a proper midcentury
silhouette, which is to say a smooth conical torso with long waist. Stays in this period often have straps
and/or lace over stomachers.
Acceptable: Machine sewn stays which produce the correct silhouette. Partially boned stays.
Unacceptable: No stays (unless documented to your impression – this is strongly discouraged).
Unboned bodices.
Upper body garment
Best: Fitted jacket, handsewn,
hip or thighlength.
Jackets come in a variety of styles and
materials. They can close over a stomacher, or at center front. Often they have relatively wide
sleeves, and usually have pleated cuffs. Material can be linen, wool, or silk depending on
season and class. Stripes are common in French portraiture. The looser “Manteaudelit”
or
bedgown is also common. Middleclass French women are rarely shown in gowns. “Petenlair” style jackets are also worn.
Upperclass women commonly wore stomacherfront
closing robe a la Francaise or “sack back” gowns. These would almost certainly be silk. All fitted upper body
garments must be worn over stays. Printed materials (cottons) should be avoided unless well
documented for the 1750’s.
Acceptable: hand finished fitted jacket, or bedgown.
Unacceptable: Sleeveless bodices, gowns or jackets worn without stays, centerfront
closing gowns or caraco jackets (these are both only in style later in the century).
Petticoats
Best: Handsewn, striped or solid wool or linen petticoats. Length should be between mid calf and highankle.
Circumference should be 2.5 to 3 yards. Petticoats should be pleated to
waistbands and have pocket slits at the sides. Hems should be small. Alternately, the bottom
edge can be bound with wool tape in a matching or contrasting color. Ideally, the outer petticoat
would be supported with one or more under petticoats.
Acceptable: One or more hand finished petticoats of the proper length.
Unacceptable: Modern skirts, petticoats without sufficient fullness. Petticoats shorter than midcalf,
or so long that they obscure the feet. Petticoats with designs other than stripes (exception:
petticoat matches a gown. Other exceptions welcome with clear documentation).
Pockets
Worn underneath the petticoats and accessible through the pocket slits, most period pockets
are quite large, and are used to store all sorts of women’s personal items. Some pockets were
beautifully embroidered, but most of the time pockets will not show. Pockets should absolutely
be worn beneath another layer of clothing.
Apron
Best: Handsewn
white, blue, or black apron. Most aprons are linen, or wool for work. Some black silk aprons are known to have been worn. A large number of French portraits from this period show women in bibbed aprons, where the bib is pinned up over the jacket or gown.
Aprons should be long enough to cover a majority of the petticoat, and approximately a yard in width.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Very short or very narrow aprons. Wildly colored aprons. Aprons longer than the petticoats they are worn with.
Cap (Unless you are portraying an upperclass
women with fully styled hair, you are
expected to wear a cap. Caps should show a small amount of hair over the forehead.
They should not be pulled down over the forehead)
Best: Caps should be small, and close to the head, handsewn
out of fine white linen or cotton
organdy. Most cap styles have a gathered or pleated ruffle around the face. Some lappet cap
styles may also be appropriate, especially for French women. Caps may be trimmed with silk
ribbon. Most commonly this means a ribbon over the band of the cap, often with a bow at center
front.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Mob caps, large floppy caps. Caps worn down over the forehead. No cap.
Hair (Midcentury
hairstyles for women are very small compared to those worn at the end
of the century. Styles should be minimal, and kept close to the skull.)
Best: Dressed close to the head, either in small “buckle” curls, or pinned up under a cap.
Dressing hair with pomade and minimal powder is encouraged.
Acceptable: Hair pulled back or pinned up on top of the head and covered with a cap.
Unacceptable: Hair worn in a bun at the back of the head. Hair down, or left completely
undressed. Large hairstyles or 1770’s “high hair”.
Hat/head covering
Best: Flat, shallowcrowned
straw, felt, or fabric covered hat with a diameter no more than 18”
minimally trimmed with ribbon. French women are also often depicted wearing black silk hoods
which tie loosely below the chin.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Bonnets, hats with flowers, multicolored
ribbon, or large poufs as decoration.
Hats folded down over the ears. Hats with rounded modern crowns. Men’s hats.
Fichu (Neck Handkerchief)
Best: White linen or cotton cut in a triangle, or a square folded into a triangle, large enough to be
draped around the shoulders and cover the bosom. Less commonly: black silk, checked
material, or printed cotton fichus. Fichus can be worn under or over the jacket or gown, pinned
to the front of the jacket, or tucked into a bibbed apron. An image exists of a Canadienne
wearing a large black fichu wrapped across her torso, apparently tied behind her back.
Acceptable: Any sort of fichu properly worn. The vast majority of images show everyday
women wearing some sort of kerchief covering. Not wearing a fichu would be odd, unless one
was very well dressed.
Unacceptable: Fichus tucked into the sides of the gown neckline, exposing the bosom. Wildly
colored fichus.
Stockings
Best: White or grey wool yarn or worsted stockings or socks seamed with back seams ending
above the knee. Stockings should be held up with leather or cloth tape garters. Period images
generally depict garters tied above the knee, though this can be challenging to do successfully.
Acceptable: White, grey, black, brown, blue, or green stockings or socks of wool yarn, worsted,
linen or cotton.
Unacceptable: Red, yellow, or polyester stockings.
Shoes
Best: Handmade,
colorful, fabric covered, highheeled
shoes with buckles. Sabots, souliers de boeuf.
Acceptable: black leather heeled shoes with buckles. Black leather low-heeled shoes with buckles.
Unacceptable: Modern shoes, bare feet are discouraged unless documented.
Outerwear:
Cloaks, mantles, and hoods are all seen in period imagery. Short (hip length) cloaks and
mantels predominate. Mitts can be worn to keep forearms warm, as well as wool kerchiefs, and
additional layers of woolen clothing.
Jewelry
Best: Jewelry will depend largely on your impression, but generally it is good to keep it to a
minimum. Ribbons (especially black) worn tied around the neck with a cross or saint’s medal
were common among French women.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Obvious modern jewelry, including all non earlobe piercings
Personal objects and carrying devices
Best:
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Haversacks, modern baskets.
ENGLISH
Shift
Best: handstitched
in white linen (cotton or wool, less commonly) with full sleeves gathered into
narrow cuffs at the elbows. Cuffs should close with sleeve buttons, or ties threaded through
buttonholes. Neck opening should be large; with a gown or jacket on, the shift should only
barely be visible around the neckline.
Acceptable: Machine stitched (ideally handfinished)
in white linen with elbow length sleeves.
Unacceptable: Long sleeves, obvious machine sewing, gathered neckline, major neck or sleeve
ruffles.
Stays (The assumption is that your stays will not show, unless you have specific
documentation for your impression.)
Best: Hand sewn, fully boned stays with worsted or linen exterior fabric, the most common
colors being dark green, blue or white. Stay should create a proper midcentury
silhouette,
which is to say a smooth conical torso with long waist. Stays in this period often have straps
and/or lace over stomachers.
Acceptable: Machine sewn stays which produce the correct silhouette. Partially boned stays.
Unacceptable: No stays (unless documented to your impression – this is strongly discouraged).
Unboned bodices.
Upper body garment
Best: Handsewn stomacherfronted,
English style gown in worsted wool or linen. Printed
materials (cottons) should be avoided unless well documented for the 1750’s.
Acceptable: Handfinished
gown, fitted jacket, or bedgown. Gowns are absolutely in the majority
for English women, so the wearing of gowns should also be the norm among reenactors
portraying English women.
Unacceptable: Sleeveless bodices, gowns or jackets worn without stays, centerfront
closing gowns or caraco jackets (these are both only in style later in the century).
Petticoats
Best: Handsewn,
striped or solid wool or linen anklelength
petticoats. Circumference should be
2.5 to 3 yards. Petticoats should be pleated to waistbands and have pocket slits at the sides.
Hems should be small. Alternately, the bottom edge can be bound with wool tape. Ideally, the
outer petticoat would be supported with one or more under petticoats.
Acceptable: One or more handfinished
petticoats of the proper length.
Unacceptable: Modern skirts, petticoats without sufficient fullness. Petticoats with designs other
than stripes (exception: petticoat matches a gown. Other exception welcome with clear
documentation).
Pockets
Worn underneath the petticoats and accessible through the pocket slits, most period pockets
are quite large, and are used to store all sorts of women’s person items. Some pockets were
beautifully embroidered, but most of the time pockets will not show. Pockets should absolutely
be worn beneath another layer of clothing.
Apron
Best: Handsewn,
white or checked. Most aprons are linen, or wool for work. Aprons should be
long enough to cover a majority of the petticoat, and approximately a yard in width.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Very short or very narrow aprons. Wildly colored aprons. Aprons longer than the
petticoats they are worn with.
Cap (Unless you are portraying an upperclass
women with fully styled hair, you are
expected to wear a cap. Caps should show a small amount of hair over the forehead.
They should not be pulled down over the forehead)
Best: Caps should be small, and close to the head, handsewn
out of fine white linen or cotton
organdy. Most cap styles have a gathered or pleated ruffle around the face. Caps may be
trimmed with silk ribbon. Most commonly this means a ribbon over the band of the cap, often
with a bow at center front.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Mob caps, large floppy caps. Caps worn down over the forehead. No cap.
Hair (Midcentury hairstyles for women are very small compared to those worn at the end
of the century. Styles should be minimal, and kept close to the skull.)
Best: Dressed close to the head, either in small “buckle” curls, or pinned up under a cap.
Dressing hair with pomade and minimal powder is encouraged.
Acceptable: Hair pulled back or pinned up on top of the head and covered with a cap.
Unacceptable: Hair worn in a bun at the back of the head. Hair down, or left completely
undressed. Large hairstyles or 1770’s “high hair”.
Hat/head covering
Best: Flat, shallowcrowned
straw, felt, or fabric covered hat with a diameter no more than 18”
minimally trimmed with ribbon.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Bonnets, hates with flowers, multicolored
ribbon, or large poufs as decoration.
Hats folded down over the ears. Hats with rounded modern crowns. Men’s hats.
Neck Handkerchief
Best: White linen or cotton cut in a triangle, or a square folded into a triangle, large enough to be
draped around the shoulders and cover the bosom. Less commonly: checked material, or
printed cotton fichus. Kerchiefs can be worn under or over the jacket or gown, pinned to the
front of the jacket, or tucked into a bibbed apron.
Acceptable: Any sort of kerchief properly worn. The vast majority of images show everyday
women wearing some sort of kerchief covering. Not wearing a kerchief would be odd, unless
one was very well dressed.
Unacceptable: Kerchief tucked into the sides of the gown neckline, exposing the bosom. Wildly
colored fichus.
Stockings
Best: White or grey wool yarn or worsted stockings or socks seamed with back seams.
Acceptable: White, grey, black, brown, blue, or green stockings or socks of wool yarn, worsted,
linen or cotton.
Unacceptable: Red, yellow, or polyester stockings.
Shoes
Best: Handmade,
fabric covered, high heeled shoes with buckles.
Acceptable: black leather heeled shoes with buckles. Black leather low-heeled shoes with buckles.
Unacceptable: Modern shoes, bare feet are discouraged unless documented.
Jewelry
Best: Jewelry will depend largely on your impression, but generally it is good to keep it to a
minimum.
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Obvious modern jewelry, including all non earlobe
piercings
Personal objects and carrying devices
Best:
Acceptable:
Unacceptable: Haversacks, modern baskets.
