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Clothing Guidelines for the Battle of Blue Licks 2019
Guidelines for Men
Shirts: Linen, wool, cotton material, white or natural color (preferred), checked or colored, ruffles at neck and cuffs if you are portraying a man of means.
Hunting Shirts: Mid-thigh to knee length, linen, wool or cotton, dyed or undyed, fringed or unfringed.
Footwear: Colonial buckle shoes (buckles or simple laces), moccasins (center seam), same material as above, no major decorations.
Weskits: 1750-1780 lengths (mid-thigh to just below waist). (1750-1780 styles).
Coats: Civilian or cast off military
Stockings: Wool or Cotton.
Hats: Tricorns, flat brim, Ranger “jockey hats”, scarves, (black or red preferred), NO’ coonskin with tail” hats.
Leggings/Gaiters: Heavy linen, cotton, wool, or leather. Side seam, either stitched or buttoned up. Length varies depending on style (no full leggings).
Belts, straps, and sashes should be of vegetable, brain, or oil tanned leather, with brass or iron buckles, appropriate to the period and locale. Avoid chrome tanned )Cheetos colored) commercial leather.
Guidelines for Women
Shifts: Should be white or natural. Shift should be appropriate to the specific time, sleeves ending in the vicinity of the elbow and not too full, necklines low with plain edge, moderate ruffling, or drawstring for adjusting.
Hats and Bonnets: Should be of straw or unprinted fabric.
Hoods: May be of plain or of a period correct patterned fabric. (Burnston, 1998, p. 38)
Caps: Should be white or “natural”. No elastic or drawstring “mobcaps”.
Upper body garments: Sleeved garments (such as short gowns, bed gowns, and jackets) are strongly preferred, instead of the so-called English Bodice, or French Bodice. Waistcoats for women (preferably sleeved, unless worn under a jacket) should be constructed as a man’s and have buttons. Simple working class gowns of a cut and constructions of 1750-1781 and acceptable. No Prairie dresses (19th century).
Petticoats: Mandatory for women's outfits, e.g. NO women browsing camp in just a shift. Hems should hit between the ankle and mid-calf. (Women wearing men’s’ clothing are the exception.) Pockets should be worn under the petticoats.
Prints: 18th century types of prints are acceptable when suited to the garment and the wearer’s station in life. Paisleys and cabbage rose prints are not correct. NO 19th century or modern calicos.
Ornamentation: No crocheted or tatted items or trims. No wristwatches or post 1781 jewelry other than wedding bands or sets. Remove any modern piercing adornments and cover tattoos.
Hair: Adolescent girls and women should wear their hair up and/or capped, no bangs or hair hanging from under caps. Make-up should be discreet.
Stays and Jumps: These are underwear and should be treated as such, e.g. worn under an outer garment. While correct underpinnings do provide support and a correct silhouette and are encouraged. They were not outer garments.
Fire Safety: If you will be working around a campfire, the safest material you can wear is wool. Cotton is the most flammable of the natural fibers, followed by hemp and linen. If you are wearing an apron with cotton tapes, and it is tied in the front, be aware these can easily catch fire.
Children: Babes in arms should have a shirt or shift and a cap of linen, cotton, or wool in white or natural. Frock, shoes and stockings are optional. If using plastic diapers, please find a way to cover them. Young children can wear shifts of linen, cotton, or wool in white or natural. The child’s frock or shift dress with a sash is acceptable. Leading strings are fine, but do not allow a child to be near a fire or to go to sleep in a garment with leading strings. Caps and hats are optional, but preferred for both girls and boys. Boys were usually in a frock (unbreeched) until age 7. Due to the expense of children’s shoes, any black or brown lace-up modern shoes or moccasins are acceptable. Older boys and girls dressed like their adult counterparts.
Guidelines for Native American Indians
Moccasins: Should be made of leather and have center seams with puckered toes. The flaps should be rectangular. Everyday moccasins had no frills. They can be decorated with quills, beads, ribbon, trade silver, and/or cones with hair for ceremonial dress only.
Leggings: Side seamed and made of trade wool or leather. They are to be very tight fitting and should tuck into the moccasins or be flush with the top of the moccasins. They can be decorated with the same items as the moccasins. No center seam leggings. Do not wear knee garters tied above the elbows as armbands.
Breechcloths: May be trade wool or leather. They are to be no wider than mid-thigh to mid-thigh. The length should be no longer than halfway down thigh. They also may be decorated as the moccasins. Do not make an oversized breechcloth that goes from hip to hip. If modesty is a problem, make sure your trade shirt is long enough.
Trade shirts: Should be in a time period appropriate pattern. Bring your documentation if you have a wild material pattern that may be questioned. Most trade shirts were white. Ruffled shirts are acceptable. Most shirts were linen. Even though some women (and men) wore chemises, we are trying to get most people into trade shirts. If you wear a short gown or bed jacket, chemises are acceptable.
Trade Coats: Should be wool. There are many different designs for these and you should bring your documentation to support the style you wear.
Vests or Waistcoats: Are not to be worn without a trade coat or shirt. (Men only)
Sashes: Are to be finger woven using the oblique pattern. They should be solid a color or have a trim color running the length of the sash. Appropriate colors are red, dark blue, black, light green, and medium grass green. It is preferred that women do not wear sashes.
Match coats: Are to be made of wool. In the village for ceremonies, they were fancy, decorated with beads, trade silver, and/or ribbons. On the trail they were just a piece of blanket, not fancy. They should be approximately 5-6 feet square in size.
Women’s skirts: Are to be made of wool and should be folded over and tied at the waist. They may also be decorated as match coats for ceremonies.
Bed jackets and short gowns: Worn by women. Be sure you have time period appropriate material and clothing pattern.
Earrings: Should be silver. Earbobs (a small ball or drop on a wire ring) as well as ball and cones are acceptable for men and women. Men may also wear ear wheels and triangular shaped earrings. Brass wires and triangles are acceptable.
Nose Rings: Are silver. They may be bobs, ball and cones, or triangles. No crescents or gorget shaped nose rings should be worn since they did not show up until around 1810-1830. Men wore nose rings. Women rarely wore them and we would prefer if you did not.
Arm Bands: Should be of silver and worn only by men.
Gorgets: Should be silver and may be round or crescent shaped. They are to be worn by men only.
Bracelets and rings: May be of silver or brass.
Hair plates: Are to be made of silver and worn by women.
Brooches: Are to be made of silver. The plain ring types of ½” to 1 inch. Avoid the large ones with a lot of cut outs as they are not typical of the period.
Knives: Neck knives should be based on a period design and be quill decorated. Period ones need to be just a little wider than the knife blade. Only men wore them. Belt knives should have very plain sheaths without quill work.
Beads: There were many period types that are acceptable. The most common colors were white, black and blue. The plainer and the less, the better. Have your period documentation to support what you are wearing.
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