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Various articles about the "Age of Enlightenment", reenacting, fashion, how to do things yourself and much more.

Getting Started - Re-enacting the 18th Century

When you start reenacting it is a good idea to research the time period that you are reenacting. There are many books on the market that can be used as references.

18th century re-enactors try to be as accurate as possible when producing and wearing reproduction clothing. Clothing can differ in style from one country to the next so be sure to investigate the style of clothing that you would like to wear.

I often enjoy sewing these clothes myself but it takes time to become a really good tailor so you often improve as you sew each costume. It is often a good idea to buy your first few costumes 2nd hand from another re-enactor in the group you want to join. 

Different groups will have different levels of re-enactment but I think all have some basic requirements for dresses such as:

- #1. It's a good idea to join a group to see what their requirements are first before going out buying and wasting money on lots of items you probably won't use.

- Garments should be as close to the period as possible. Few can be exactly period correct but its fun to do the research! 

- Undergarments is probably one of the most important items for 18th century reenactment! A corset is the most important item to have and then secondly hip panniers, pocket hoops and/or a bum roll, thirdly, a chemise.

- Skirts/petticoats should have a width of about 4 meters. There should also be a petticoat under this made of plain linen or cotton to give the skirt over it more fullness or to hide the boning in a hip pannier.

- If you sew your own garments you should try to use period correct fabrics like silk, cotton (with 18th century motifs) and linen. 

- Women in the 18th century were seldom if ever lacking of something on their heads so either a wig should be worn, a pinner cap, or a big brimmed straw hat.

- It's smart to base a dress you make on a picture of a period dress with slight variations and use your own creativity to make it unique.

- Learning how to dance in 18th century style and the many mannerisms

Recommended Reading

Pattern Books

- Costume Close-up - Clothing Construction and Patterns 1750-1790 (Published by Colonial Williamsburg Foundation ISBN 0-89676-226-2).

- Fitting and Proper by Sharon Ann Burnston, Historical Clothing from the Collection of the Chester County Historical Society ISBN 1-88065-10-1).

- The Cut of Woman's Clothes 1600-1930 by NorahWaugh

Miscellaneous Books

- 18th Century Clothing by Bobbie Kalman - offers good ideas for a beginning re-enactor.

- Eighteenth-Century Fashion in Full Color by Stella Blum - 64 plates taken from the original French fashion plate book, Galarie-Des-Modes.

Reenacting on a Budget

- Sewing your own costumes
- Buying fabric cheaply
- Buying a used costume cheaply

Sewing Your Own Costumes

To do this you will need:

- Do some research on the period clothing that you will be reenacting
A sewing machine (unless you have time to sew by hand). Hand sewing is more correct.

- I highly recommend buying a sewing form It really helps to see the clothing you have sewn on something else to get a better view.
Period correct patterns

- Creativity and samples of pictures to use as examples of the type of costume you would like to have.
- Knowing how to embroider is a plus! Silk during the 18th century was often richly embroidered! See the following 18th century French silk examples

- If you don't know how to embroider using embroidered or beaded trims is a good alternative.

Buying Fabric Cheaply

This is a REAL challenge! Fabric is extremely expensive especially if you need a lot of it! So its smart to try and find alternative sources to buy fabric from. 

I have used the following methods to buy fabric:

- Online discount sources (do a search for the specific fabric, linen, cotton, or silk at an auction site (buy pieces of costumes, accesories, or fabric)

- Second Hand Stores (fabrics etc)

- Antique stores (fans, fabric, etc)

- Local discount fabric stores (buy in bulk)

- Buying scrap fabric that many stores have on the side (Good to use for detailing purposes, hats, shoes if not the garment itself) You can find these scrap fabrics at most fabric stores(in the USA, Walmart, fabric stores) (in Sweden; Åhlens, Hemtex, Olssons Tyger).

It is also good to keep the scraps from the garments you have already sewn since you never know when you might need some extra silk for bows, lace or detailing.

Buying Used Costumes

If you can't afford to spend a lot of money on having costumes custom made by tailors then the next best thing is to learn how to buy them cheaply. Buying a second hand costume often costs half the price of what it costs to have one made.

This is the best way to start reenacting another time because these costumes were worn by other re-enactors and are usually acceptable but sometimes not (check with your specific group). Make sure that the item of clothing fits pretty well or is altered to fit. Clothing during the 18th century was often custom tailored to an individual by tailoring. American 18th century clothing was usually ordered and sewn abroad (in England or Paris) then shipped back to American then fitted to the customer. Clothing was also handed down. A lot of 18th century clothing was altered to be worn in the 19th century. This is probably why some 18th century clothing is still around today.

Buying Theatre Costumes

Often theatre costumes are a bit exaggerated and therefore not ideal to use as reenactment costumes but they can be altered to be more correct for the style you want to use it for. 

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