Overview Fashions of the Period
Clothing Dresses, Skirts & Bodices, Shoes & Boots, Unmentionables
Wraps Shawls, Coats & Capes
Hairstyles & Headwear Long & Short Hair, Bonnets & Hats
Sewing Girl's Garments Tips and Tricks to keep them in clothes
When selecting styles for your young lady, remember the social
and economic status of your reenactment characters. The dress and deportment
of the daughter of wealthy parents will be markedly different than the daughter
of working class, farm or frontier families. The closet of a wealthy girl
would contain several dresses in the latest styles, with elaborate trim.
A farmer's child would have only a plain dress or two, most likely altered from
an adult or older child's outgrown clothing.
Most have heard that young girls from the age of 8, sometimes younger, would be started in corsets. This would be true of wealthy families, but not working class families. The extremes of fashion featured in Goodeys Ladies' Book were intended only for the privileged classes. Daughters of working class families needed full freedom of movement to assist with household chores and little money could be spared for fashion undergarments a child would outgrow rapidly.
A young girl would wear short skirts until about the age of 13, when she was allowed the rights and responsibilities of a young lady. At reaching the teens, she would be allowed to wear more fashionable, long skirts & hoops, attend dances and social events, and begin beguiling prospective beaus. At that age girls would be fitted for corsets to support their developing torso. Many of our young reenactresses are in a hurry to wear long skirts. Try to discourage this, as they will likely spend the day tripping on the hems and not be able to have much fun.
Little
girls indulged in the same rough sport and play as boys, and their clothes would
need to be sturdy. Daughters of working families were expected to help
with the chores. For these reasons their clothes were relatively unadorned
with trims to make frequent washing easier.
Skirt lengths were short, and featured growth tucks. These horizontal pleats near the hem of skirts could be let out as the girls grew taller. Necklines were generally very wide, what is now termed a "boat neck". Girls wore this style of neckline until their teens. Bodices were usually gathered at the waistline (and sometimes the neckline) for a loose fit in the body. Sleeves were usually short.
Girl's dresses were one piece affairs, rather than a separate skirt and bodice. Dresses fastened up the back with buttons or hook and eyes. Aprons were worn at all times during play to protect dresses from soiling. Girls wore aprons in several styles, the most common type having a one-piece bib that covered the bodice front to back.
Dresses were universally fitted into a waistband. The shapeless "Prairie Dress" is a fashion from a later era. A looser, shift type of dress (approximating the ladies wrapper) was sometimes worn by frontier or farm girls, but it marked them as backwoods and low income.
Skirts
had plenty of fullness provided by petticoats, hoops were saved for fancy occasions.
More flexible petticoats of horsehair or piping were used for children's fashion
dresses. A chemise and drawers were worn underneath. Cotton and
wool stockings were worn with boots that laced up the front and had flat heels.
The petticoats and drawers would sometimes peek below the hem of the skirt,
and might be trimmed.
Older girls were dressed as little miniature ladies, with the look of the period for women's wear adapted to be more comfortable and allow for greater freedom of movement. These dresses had jewel necklines and long sleeves. Although still one piece dresses, these sometimes fastened up the front.
A type of two piece dress inspired by the Zouave uniform was very popular with girls and teens. This garment consisted of a skirt, a bolero type of jacket with large, bell sleeves, and a Garibaldi blouse. The blouse was usually red, sometimes white and had trim on the cuffs and blouse front. The skirt and jacket were usually crafted of matching fabric. This is a good choice for girls entering their "growth spurt" around age 9-11, as it can be adjusted to fit several sizes as the girls sprout up and out.
A shawl was most commonly worn by girls for warmth. This was usually a square piece of wool fabric folded in half diagonally into a triangle. A type of long, rectangular shawl called a "heart warmer" is sometimes seen--the ends of this shawl cross over in front of the breast and is tied in back, or the ends are tucked under the apron.
Coats, cloaks and capes were also worn--capes seem more common in photos. Capes would be more practical for your little reenactress, as they would not outgrow them as quickly. Capes could have a hood attached, and are fitted at the shoulders-never gathered into the neckline.
All girls hair, short or long, was parted in the middle, did NOT
have bangs, and was neatly contained. If your daughter has bangs, pin
them back or use styling gel to blend them into the hair.
Short hair was common for little girls and young teens. The hair was blunt cut, usually at a length to about the base of the neck. The hair was neatly pinned back or a ribbon was tied in the hair like a hair band to keep it off the face.
Long hair was usually braided for play (parted in the middle and braided on each side just behind the ear), then pinned in rolls to the sides of the head. Braided hair was rarely left to hang down, this is only seen on farm/frontier children. Long hair might also be contained in a hairnet (see notes on ladies hair nets) or rolled into a bun at the nape of the neck. Long hair would only be left down for special occasions, when it would be curled into ringlets.
Bonnets would always be worn when outside. Fabric sunbonnets were most popular for girls since they could be laundered and were durable. Straw hats are an excellent choice for hot weather, and were common during the period because they were inexpensive. Hats were worn squarely on the head, not tilted back.
When you sew your young ladies' dresses, be sure to plan for growth. With the fitted styles popular during the Civil War, you will find yourself spending a lot of time letting out seams to keep up with your growing girls. To avoid having to create a new wardrobe each year, use a few of these tried & true tricks.
Growth Tucks built into skirts can make adjusting the length of garments a breeze. Period dresses did not have big hems, but were lengthened by letting out growth tucks. When letting out a tuck, cover any seam or wear lines with ribbon or trim.
Waistband Extensions are a must. Be sure the waistband is long enough to overlap by several inches to allow for growth. You may have to remove the waistband from the dress, and redistribute the gathers in bodice and skirt to make the garment fit well, but this is still better than making a whole new dress from scratch.
Big
Bodice Seams, particularly the side seams and shoulder seams, should be
big enough to let out a few inches as your daughter grows. If you use
puffy sleeves gathered into the armscye, it will be easy to redistribute the
gathers to fit a larger arm opening.
Remember that the Zouave style of skirt and jacket, as shown on the left, is an excellent choice for girls who are growing rapidly and need a style of garment that can expand with them.
For making quick, easy (and inexpensive) undergarments, see our Petticoat project instructions and our project instructions for quick & dandy drawers.
Boots Fortunately, a type of boots resembling the period style has been popular the last few years. Purchase boots in brown or black leather (or leather look) with a square or rounded toe. Look for boots with a smooth sole to approximate leather soles--avoid waffle-stompers!
I have seen this style in discount shoe stores for around $15.00 and at thrift stores for $1.00. Keep your eyes open all the time for period styles at a discount. In addition to buying boots in my daughters current size, I look for and purchase boots a size larger so she will have a pair ready. Too often we pack for a reenactment, only to discover she outgrew her boots since the last one! Instead of having to do an emergency shopping trip, I just bring out the larger boots I keep on hand and we are ready to go.
Stockings are difficult to keep up and expensive to purchase. Use knee-high cotton or wool socks in a plain weave.
Bonnets are a must have item. In addition to using sun screen, protect your girls from sunburn by providing a hat to wear at reenactments. If you need some time to make a sunbonnet, you can purchase a broad-brim straw hat at craft or sewing stores for about $2. Sew two long, wide grosgrain ribbons to the inside crown and they can tie it on with a big, lovely bow.
Buy a few lengths of grosgrain ribbon, 1 yard long each, in different pastel or primary colors. These are essential for tying around girls' hair to make it neat. Tie the ribbon like a headband (nape of neck to top of head) with the bow on top of the head. I secure the ribbon with a hairpins behind ear-this keeps the ribbon in place and the hair covers the hairpins.
Relief Clothes Our little reenactors are generally not as devoted to authenticity and historical recreation as we are, and welcome the opportunity to "get comfortable" after public hours. A full day in the hot sun in unfamiliar or uncomfortable clothing can make the gentlest soul a tad whiney.
A comfy sweatshirt and sweat pants make a nice change for them, and are cozy and warm for lounging about the tent. These are ideal pajamas for little ones camping out, and are practical for those nocturnal journeys to the outhouse. (Don't forget their slippers). For appearances before dark, girls can wear a loose cotton night gown over the sweats if desired.
Don't Forget Binky! If your daughter has a special stuffed animal, toy or blanket that they are attached to, be sure to pack it! Even if it is not a period correct item, it will be very comforting for your child to have their beloved "binky" with them when they are tucked into their sleeping bag at night.
