Oh Farb it all!

[Mrs. V]

Seriously, I was so worried when I went to Hale Farm that my glasses would be held against me..nope. Think neon pink reading glasses on one "dressed" person, as well as many other modern eye-ball enhancers..and then there were the dresses..and mind you, I belong to another group that sells period items..rarely do I ever see anything that is truely gauged for skirts. Pleats, yeah, Gathers by the yard..yeah..guaged, not so much..so I showed mine to all who paused. It was really fun to talk fashion with folks, and I think it needs to happen on the reg..the people I talked to were really engaged.

So, if my bloomers are modern, and not split, or if my corset was bought off the internet (it was! And I saw it in one of the vendor tents)..I am just not gonna fress about how period it is. I've seen what is being worn in my neck of the woods. My outer garments are so much better than Suttlers Row..so, if something I am wearing isn't quite correct? Farb it!

 

[Cavalry Charger]

Farb it, indeed Just popping in to say I like the title of your thread, and the attitude that goes with it

 

[PrivateBrooke]

If farbing it for a while gets us into the hobby, I don't see what the big deal is then. That should be counted as a good thing!

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

So, if my bloomers are modern, and not split, or if my corset was bought off the internet (it was! And I saw it in one of the vendor tents)..I am just not gonna fress about how period it is. I've seen what is being worn in my neck of the woods. My outer garments are so much better than Suttlers Row..so, if something I am wearing isn't quite correct? Farb it!

@Cavalry Charger is right, your thread title is awesome!

Heck, you just know quite a few period bloomers, corsets and unmentionable garments were not period, either. I mean ' backwards '. May not have been from 150 years backwards, point is women re-used, patched, pieced and repurposed so much clothing surely it's impossible to ascertain a strict norm?

Favorite is the family and friends of a bride who contributed table linen as material for the underthings on the big day. Who knew what she wore under that re-made dress wasn't current?

 

[7thWisconsin]

Reenacting is always a work in progress. The first step is always that your outer clothes are authentic, and you have enough resources to do something during the daylight hours / public hours. Then you broaden your impression to include cooking and eating gear, sleeping gear, period unmentionables, etc.
Sometimes longtime progressive reenactors forget that you have to start somewhere, and seem to insist that everyone start fully and completely equipped. On the opposite pole, sometimes longtime f@rbs never progress past step one, and think that that's OK. It's about process.

 

[grace]

*blushes up to her ears. Guilty of gathers here. In my defense, it was a costume the first time and the very first dress the second.

Did have an authentic bonnet, boots, stockings, etc. And nothing that screamed farb. Working on it...*sigh

! ! !

 

[MaryDee]

The main problem is that the dress ain't gonna fit correctly if not worn over period garments. Especially, of course, the corset.

On the other hand, if you're not a skilled seamstress (few people are these days), those undergarments are great for learning, and nobody is going to see those crooked seams and skipped stitches underneath your dress! By the time you've sewn a chemise or two and a couple of petticoats, you'll be much more at ease when you start attacking the dress!

I've worn men's T-shirts instead of chemises for my first couple of multi-day events when I had only one chemise! Nobody knew except me, and I wasn't telling!

Unless you're really active, drawers are optional, anyway. Ladies my age (elderly) rarely wore them. Just be sure, if you wear hoops, that you've practiced enough that they don't flip up in front when you sit down. If the reenactment involves being around an open fire, you shouldn't wear hoops anyway, for safety reasons. Not much danger of that for me out here in the fire-prone west, where we are no longer allowed to have campfires.

 

[Mrs. V]

The main problem is that the dress ain't gonna fit correctly if not worn over period garments. Especially, of course, the corset.

On the other hand, if you're not a skilled seamstress (few people are these days), those undergarments are great for learning, and nobody is going to see those crooked seams and skipped stitches underneath your dress! By the time you've sewn a chemise or two and a couple of petticoats, you'll be much more at ease when you start attacking the dress!

I've worn men's T-shirts instead of chemises for my first couple of multi-day events when I had only one chemise! Nobody knew except me, and I wasn't telling!

Unless you're really active, drawers are optional, anyway. Ladies my age (elderly) rarely wore them. Just be sure, if you wear hoops, that you've practiced enough that they don't flip up in front when you sit down. If the reenactment involves being around an open fire, you shouldn't wear hoops anyway, for safety reasons. Not much danger of that for me out here in the fire-prone west, where we are no longer allowed to have campfires.

Nice to know that I don't necessarily have to have bloomers! I do think I will make a pair that are short, to the knee. When I did the August re-enactment I did not have a second set of bloomers, so made do with a pair of nylon pantilettes I have. I liked the length much better than my ankle length bloomers..cooler anyway.

 

[Belle Montgomery]

Seriously, I was so worried when I went to Hale Farm that my glasses would be held against me..nope. Think neon pink reading glasses on one "dressed" person, as well as many other modern eye-ball enhancers..and then there were the dresses..and mind you, I belong to another group that sells period items..rarely do I ever see anything that is truely gauged for skirts. Pleats, yeah, Gathers by the yard..yeah..guaged, not so much..so I showed mine to all who paused. It was really fun to talk fashion with folks, and I think it needs to happen on the reg..the people I talked to were really engaged.

So, if my bloomers are modern, and not split, or if my corset was bought off the internet (it was! And I saw it in one of the vendor tents)..I am just not gonna fress about how period it is. I've seen what is being worn in my neck of the woods. My outer garments are so much better than Suttlers Row..so, if something I am wearing isn't quite correct? Farb it!

Both of your dresses were amazing!!! You looked spectacular...One lady who's been doing it for years who also looked great even admitted to me some of hers (shawl and a few others) were polyester! I couldn't really tell, assumed they were a silk type...however with all the fabric and layers of petticoats I was donning my habit is the cotton drill type...and quite heavy at that so having all cotton under it is a must or I'd swelter to death! I guess I can be quite the die hard type, especially if I don't want my train to tear.

 

[MaryDee]

Another area of compromise: I had to get rayon ribbons for my new straw bonnet, because silk ribbons these days are not nearly wide enough. I got the German moire ribbons from Timely Tresses (available in 3" and 4" width) and they are lovely.

 

[Mrs. V]

Another area of compromise: I had to get rayon ribbons for my new straw bonnet, because silk ribbons these days are not nearly wide enough. I got the German moire ribbons from Timely Tresses (available in 3" and 4" width) and they are lovely.

Good to know a resource for ribbons.

 

[Mrs. V]

Both of your dresses were amazing!!! You looked spectacular...One lady who's been doing it for years who also looked great even admitted to me some of hers (shawl and a few others) were polyester! I couldn't really tell, assumed they were a silk type...however with all the fabric and layers of petticoats I was donning my habit is the cotton drill type...and quite heavy at that so having all cotton under it is a must or I'd swelter to death! I guess I can be quite the die hard type, especially if I don't want my train to tear.

You looked quite good yourself. And yes, all cotton unders are a must! I've got my bloomers pulled aside so that I can fix my closure issues. I think I will either take them down a smidge at the waist, and do a new casement, with buttons maybe..I have quite a few shell buttons I could use. The elastic I have in there now is shot.

And yes, I was losing my knickers on the dance floor!

 

[Belle Montgomery]

You looked quite good yourself. And yes, all cotton unders are a must! I've got my bloomers pulled aside so that I can fix my closure issues. I think I will either take them down a smidge at the waist, and do a new casement, with buttons maybe..I have quite a few shell buttons I could use. The elastic I have in there now is shot.

And yes, I was losing my knickers on the dance floor!

 

[Mrs. V]

I kept wondering what I was stepping on/tripping over..turns out it was the bottom hem of my bloomers...and it's not like you can stop, throw you skirt over your head and fix your underpinnings!

 

[MaryDee]

Per Elizabeth Stuart Clark's Dressmaker's Guide:
Drawers "...fall between the knee and the mid calf..." If you're tripping over them, they are far too long!

Bloomers, BTW, are quite different from drawers. They were a dress-reform type of clothing (developed by one Amelia Bloomer about 1850) that were supposed to be a more healthful substitute for the heavy skirts of the era. Bloomers died out but then had a resurrection in the late 19th century when bicycling for women became popular. It wasn't until the 20th century that the term became used for any loose, baggy undergarments. If you are using a "bloomer" pattern, it may have been designed to imitate Amelia's reform clothing, or the bicycle-friendly garments of the 1890s.

The big reasons for using 100% cotton, other than being period-correct (no polyester in the 19th century) is (1) cotton is far cooler than polyester, which traps moisture (modern athletic and outdoor clothing use knit polyester which does breathe and wick moisture away from your body because of the weave and modern chemical treatment) and (2) if your clothing catches fire, synthetic fabrics melt and cling to your skin, making them a safety hazard.

 

[Mrs. V]

Per Elizabeth Stuart Clark's Dressmaker's Guide:
Drawers "...fall between the knee and the mid calf..." If you're tripping over them, they are far too long!

Bloomers, BTW, are quite different from drawers. They were a dress-reform type of clothing (developed by one Amelia Bloomer about 1850) that were supposed to be a more healthful substitute for the heavy skirts of the era. Bloomers died out but then had a resurrection in the late 19th century when bicycling for women became popular. It wasn't until the 20th century that the term became used for any loose, baggy undergarments. If you are using a "bloomer" pattern, it may have been designed to imitate Amelia's reform clothing, or the bicycle-friendly garments of the 1890s.

The big reasons for using 100% cotton, other than being period-correct (no polyester in the 19th century) is (1) cotton is far cooler than polyester, which traps moisture (modern athletic and outdoor clothing use knit polyester which does breathe and wick moisture away from your body because of the weave and modern chemical treatment) and (2) if your clothing catches fire, synthetic fabrics melt and cling to your skin, making them a safety hazard.

Yeah, no, I am talking about drawers. And they were loosie goosie because I had used some thin elastic at the waistline, and it was not up to a rousing country dance!

 

[grace]

*squeaks in suppressed glee over the story. Duly noted as I plan to make mine soon!

 

[Mrs. V]

*squeaks in suppressed glee over the story. Duly noted as I plan to make mine soon!

It really is funny! I could not figure out what in the world was going on under that hoop, all I knew is that I kept stepping on "something"..I won't tell you how low those britches were riding by the time I came home!