18cNewEnglandLife
Clothing & Accoutrements

Research Wanted

We plan to research these topics in our Copious Free Time. If we ever get some. In the mean time, if you have free time, we'd love you to look into any of these topics and report your results to us. Or if you already have, please tell us what you found out, and please consider allowing us to post your research here (or link to it if you have already posted it on the Web). Contact us at mrkmcc@attbroadband.com

Library of patterns

We would like to create a library of types of garments and accoutrements. For each type, we would like primary documentation (artifacts, depictions in art, textual references) with provenances. From this primary documentation, we would like to glean a name or names, and the relative use of this garment, and its name(s), in different regions, ethnic groups, social classes, occupations, age groups, etc. We would like this not just for garments in general (breeches, gown) but for particular styles of garment (fly-front breeches, sacque back gown, lappet cap, farmer's gaiters).

 

Wallets

At one time there was a lengthy discussion concerning wallets on the Rev War List. Much of the information being sited was from the Pennsylvania Gazette. It was noted that only men were described in the ads as having wallets. Any time women are mentioned with a carrying item it is listed as a "bag". Unfortunately, they give no description of these bags. Were wallets typically carried only by men, or also by women? Also, were they only called "wallets"? Some reenactors call them "market wallets" or "market bags". Where did those terms come from?

 

That Which Is Caped And Fringed

A man's garment, based on a typical shirt or smock pattern, but open down the front, with a cape attached at the collar, and with fringe along the edge of the cape and the front and bottom of the shirt, and around the arm. Variously known as the hunting shirt, hunting frock, rifle shirt, rifle frock, rifle coat, and possibly other names (but note that these names may also be used to refer to other styles of shirt, frock, or coat).

What we want to know is: was this garment worn in New England prior to George Washington taking command of the troops in the summer of 1775 and ordering that the militia be issued this garment? Our research so far says no. There are some descriptions of this garment as something very unusual, indicating that it was not known. 

 

The "sleeveless bodice"

Can anyone document a sleeveless bodice as outerwear in New England? We think not. Stays and jumps are sleeveless (usually) but they are underwear. One can strip down to one's underwear when engaged in heavy labor, or in the privacy of one's boudoir. Fanciful sleeveless garments patterned on jumps and stays could be worn as a masquerade costume (e.g., [Eng] portrait of Frances Macartney c. 1745, by George Knapton (1698-1778), in the private collection of Mrs Pamela Howell, Great Brampton House, reproduced in plate 125 ( p. 146) of Manners & Morals; Hogarth and British Painting 1700-1760).

Many people have performed extensive research on this topic and to the best of our knowledge, no one has ever found an example of an 18th century sleeveless bodice as normal outerwear in England or New England. But on the off chance we're wrong, we solicit research. Still, we'd rather people spend their time on something more interesting and productive.

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