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ducks4you
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IT IS FUN!! DH and I retired after 26 years of it in 2011. We still own a subSTANTIAL amount of gear, uniforms, clothing, tents and horse tack. 
If I can get my act together I intend to try to sell at least ONE saddle at this event.
In the hayday of CW Reenacting, many reenactors, military or civilian took authenticity VERY SERIOUSLY!
There was this woman who came in a GORGEOUS ball gown, and she told us that the 12 inch lace was original from 1850, and she bought it and had it shipped from London specifically for this gown.
Many soldiers had family owned original flintlocks or revolvers or rifles and they wanted to fire them at least ONCE, then use a reproduction after that.
It is/was like any hobby--the more you put in, the more you get out of it.
Once member of the Cumberland Guard was hired part time to review books on the period, and he recommended one that had after action reports on every battle in the war.
Something to help you with your insomnia OR VERY NERDY!!
A lot of detail in women's dress of the period goes unseen, like small pillows sewn into the skirt where it gathered that help hold it out.
Many woman wore wigs to events bc they didn't want everyday very long hair, but wanted to look "period."
My DD's have really studied this and other fashion periods, and we MOCK Hollywood movies that don't pay attention to this.
One of our favorite costume dramas in the 1995 British version of "Pride and Prejudice", YOU know, the one with Collin Firth.
The Costuming is outSTANDING, and the performances are, as well.
Julia Sawalha was 30yo when she played the 15yo "Lydia", a part that would be beyond a 15yo actress--VERY well cast.
Clothing goes through and ebb and flow. What starts off as small often becomes more pronounced and extreme and then is completely dropped.
The "Empire Waist" dress of Jane Austin's day was considered to be a scandelous chemise, and that evolved 50 years later to be a skirt supported by a cage of whalebone or steel bc it was too heavy to add more petticoats, then the hoop was dropped, the outer skirt pulled back a little, then more and more THEN...it was a bustle...then dropped...then straight.
Our college costumer spent the last day in class quickly going through slides, and it looked like you were in a time machine watching the years fly by, and you could REALLY SEE how fashion changed.
I think, right NOW the color block, unneccessary but tasteful (I like them), darting on the bodice, a little bit of return to the tulip short sleeve, offset decolletage and experimentation of what we used to believe was futuristic clothing has become fashionable.
All I know is, if you see it on a model and the model looks really skinny, you might want to wear it!

If I can get my act together I intend to try to sell at least ONE saddle at this event.
In the hayday of CW Reenacting, many reenactors, military or civilian took authenticity VERY SERIOUSLY!
There was this woman who came in a GORGEOUS ball gown, and she told us that the 12 inch lace was original from 1850, and she bought it and had it shipped from London specifically for this gown.
Many soldiers had family owned original flintlocks or revolvers or rifles and they wanted to fire them at least ONCE, then use a reproduction after that.
It is/was like any hobby--the more you put in, the more you get out of it.
Once member of the Cumberland Guard was hired part time to review books on the period, and he recommended one that had after action reports on every battle in the war.
Something to help you with your insomnia OR VERY NERDY!!
A lot of detail in women's dress of the period goes unseen, like small pillows sewn into the skirt where it gathered that help hold it out.
Many woman wore wigs to events bc they didn't want everyday very long hair, but wanted to look "period."
My DD's have really studied this and other fashion periods, and we MOCK Hollywood movies that don't pay attention to this.
One of our favorite costume dramas in the 1995 British version of "Pride and Prejudice", YOU know, the one with Collin Firth.

Julia Sawalha was 30yo when she played the 15yo "Lydia", a part that would be beyond a 15yo actress--VERY well cast.
Clothing goes through and ebb and flow. What starts off as small often becomes more pronounced and extreme and then is completely dropped.
The "Empire Waist" dress of Jane Austin's day was considered to be a scandelous chemise, and that evolved 50 years later to be a skirt supported by a cage of whalebone or steel bc it was too heavy to add more petticoats, then the hoop was dropped, the outer skirt pulled back a little, then more and more THEN...it was a bustle...then dropped...then straight.
Our college costumer spent the last day in class quickly going through slides, and it looked like you were in a time machine watching the years fly by, and you could REALLY SEE how fashion changed.
I think, right NOW the color block, unneccessary but tasteful (I like them), darting on the bodice, a little bit of return to the tulip short sleeve, offset decolletage and experimentation of what we used to believe was futuristic clothing has become fashionable.
All I know is, if you see it on a model and the model looks really skinny, you might want to wear it!