The very first "farbs."

[Robert Gray]

No "farbs" here, just Confederates with creases. These guys are ahead of their times as creased trousers didn't become fashionable until the 1890's. If you were to show up at a living history event looking like this, you'd probably be laughed out of camp. So reenactors, you haven't seen this post.

 

[John Winn]

But the hot iron killed lice.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

I'd have missed that detail! Not until 1890? Interesting, thank you. The pants in the bottom image, looks like the crease is sewn in? Was that a ' thing '? It would sure save all the ironing ( but saved the lives of millions of innocent lice ).

 

[Bruce Vail]

Your first photo is familiar to me, and these guys should NOT be considered typical Confederates. The photo is of two brothers from Baltimore's Howard family, which was a very rich and socially prominent family of that city. Their uniforms would have been custom made by one of Baltimore's more fashionable tailors.

 

[Mrs. V]

How interesting! I remember a discussion we had about having wool trousers dry cleaned...the warning about creases being put into trousers still is fresh in my memory!

 

[Robert Gray]

Your first photo is familiar to me, and these guys should NOT be considered typical Confederates. The photo is of two brothers from Baltimore's Howard family, which was a very rich and socially prominent family of that city. Their uniforms would have been custom made by one of Baltimore's more fashionable tailors.

James McHenry Howard of the 1st Maryland and his brother Ridgely Howard of the 2nd Maryland.

 

[LoisPauline]

This is honestly fascinating to me. From an outsider on the subject and my brain's logical perspective it would make sense to have a crease, especially for a picture such as this. You're going to press your uniform before taking a studio picture. It is difficult, at times, to not have a crease.

That being said - the pictures we see from the battlefield would logically NOT have creases. Who wants to press their trousers in the field? Also, since we are specifically talking Confederate - money is needed for an iron (or whatever else they used to press their pants during this time) and who wants to lug around a heavy iron in their pack just to keep a crease?

Then we get into the fashion of the times and while I personally think a crease on certain levels of formal wear is timeless I'm shocked to learn it wasn't even a trend until the late 1890's! You learn something new....when it's something you didn't know!