Women Civil War Reenactors: There are Ladies on the Battlefield, Too

Have you ever been to a Civil War Reenactment? If you have and you thought all the reenactors were men on that battlefield, well guess what! There were women out there too.

Yes, women can also be involved in the fun of reenacting. In order for a woman to portray a man on a battlefield, they have to become a man in the way of look and act. This is sometimes very hard to do. There are other ways women can become a reenactor.

The American Civil War is by far the most popular reenacting events. But reenacting civilians is growing. People are realizing how the role of civilians played an important part in our history. Soldiers alone didn't fight the civil war. The general population was affected in ways that interpreting the lives of civilians is now very important. The activities at historical homes and sites are becoming more common.

Many woman reenact because there husbands or significant others are involved with a military organization. For others it is a personal interest, maybe they has an ancestor that played an important role in the civil war or maybe they just wanted to see what it was like to live in a different time period.

If you are a woman and you have an interest in portraying a person during this period, there are some things you should know before you jump right into reenacting an individual.

First, you have to decide if you are a "lady," farmer's wife, nurse or laundress.

Second is your name, does it fit the mid 1800's. If it a more modern name, you'll have to change it to fit the time period.

Third, Where do you live? Are you from the country, small town or a big city? This will determine how you dress, talk and interact with others.

Fourth, What is your age? You have to know what went on in your past to portray the individual the right way. This will influence your dress and whom you interact with.

Fifth, Are you married, single or widowed? This is also important for how you dress and whom you interact with.

Six, Are you educated, can you read and write? Your age and where you live will determine this.

Seventh, Your family members names are important because you have to know about the issues of the period like, Abolition, the war, President. Etc.

Eighth, Religion did play an important role on the lives of the civilians. Your choice of religion will determine your acquaintances and also your feelings on the period events.

The best way to learn information on the above eight topics is to read everything you can get your hands, this includes diaries and newspapers from the 1800's.

Everything that you learn from your research will determine what type of clothing you will be wearing. Now comes the real fun!

First thing is to look at pictures from that time period; you can find lots on the Internet. These pictures will give you an idea at what you will be wearing.

Most women had a formal and informal dress for the summer and winter season. When one wore out it would become the informal wear. Women of this time period didn't wash there dresses very often, they were just spot cleaned. The layers of undergarments that they wore were cleaned more often. The under layers, kept the perspiration away from the dress itself.

There were a number of items that were worn under the actual dress. Undergarments were called underpinnings, they were essential items and were worn in a certain order.

1. Pantalettes (drawers)
2. Chemise
3. Corset
4. Under the hoop petticoat
5. Hoop skirt or crinoline
6. Over the hoops petticoat

These undergarments were worn to keep the outer clothing away from the skin. The summer undergarments were made out of bleached muslin and the winter undergarments were made out of flannel or woolen material. Stockings were usually white but black was also popular. These were made of wool or cotton also. The stockings would come right above the knee and held in place with a garter.

Every lady always tried to emphasize the narrowness of her waist. It was said that a man should be able to fit both of his hands around a woman's waist. The corset helped achieve this look. The corset is usually the first item a re-enactor needs to purchase because this has to be fitted to your body just right.

The chemise was just a loose cotton slip that usually was held up with a drawstring around the neck and had short sleeves. Under the chemise are the drawers. These were made of muslin and were just two wide legs joined by a waistband at the top.

The hoopskirt was the famous undergarment of the time period. It has to be between 50 to 70% of the wear's height. There were two different types of hoop that were worn. The cage hoop that was made of strips of steel and the hooped petticoat that had steel bands sewn right into the cotton petticoat. The purpose of the hoop was to make the dress "stick out" and give the illusion of a smaller waist. There are three main things you have to be aware of when wearing a hoop. It is very difficult to sit, stand and to walk elegantly. So practice, practice before you head out in public.

For modesty, they wore two petticoats. Under the hoop petticoat was worn to prevent seeing the private undergarments and the over the hoop petticoat was worn to keep the lines of the hoop from showing through the dress.

There were a number of other factors involved for the over all appearance of a lady in the 1800's. Besides the appearance of a small waist, women wanted a full round face. Their hair was parted in the middle with no bangs, flat on top, at the sides and back. Hair was generally confined. The blouses or bodices were made so the seam lines and trims added width to the shoulders not the waist. The neckline of the blouse was very important. They mostly were the round neckline that fit close to the base of the nape of the neck. This was so to enhance the width of the face.

The accessories were also a very important part of the 1800's look. You have to have gloves, fans, parasols, bonnets and a hat. The gloves should be short and button at the wrist and white. If you are in morning, black gloves must be worn day or night.

Fans were both functional and ornamental. They were made out of paper, fabric, pierced wood or ivory. Parasols were used to keep the sun off the lady's face. They were long handles and small. The silk parasols would have been trimmed with lace or fringe. When a lady was outside a bonnet was worn. They were to protect the complection and to give the appearance of a round face. Hats weren't worn much, they were considered less formal than a bonnet. Women in the country wore straw or fabric hats.

Being a reenacter can be a fun hobby but it can also get very expensive. Don't go right out and buy everything I have mentioned here in this article. The reenacting group that you join can and will help you. They will have articles of clothing that you can borrow while you take your time purchasing everything you need. One very important factor in order to be a lady reenactor; you have to be able to tolerate the heat. Reenacting involves mostly the summer months of the year and the layering of clothing gets pretty warm. So if you don't like the heat at all, reenacting isn't for you. But if it is, Best of Luck to You!