Question Regarding Woman Rondy Attire

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Johnny Too-Tall

Johnny Too-Tall

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**Posted in Clothing section as well ** My wife loves shooting the flintlock now. She wants to go to the Rondy's but REFUSES to wear a dress or anything like it. Can she get away with buckskin pants and a primitive shirt, and moccasins of time period and be ok. I have never seen a woman at an event dressed this way. Just asking for consensus and opinions of the group. Basically she wants to get involved and be comfortable in her way, but me not having to get into it with anyone defending my wife. And I am 100 percent positive juried events will be out of question due to most specifically stating what woman can wear.
 
I know of several who dress with pants. For either men or women, if using an old pair of pants for a pattern, get some that are loose fitting, and add at least four inches to the height of the waist band.

I do recall one from years ago who dressed with a breech cloth and skimpy halter top type thing. I admired the outfit, over and over.
 
Then there is this.
1709229001324.png
 
andy52 said:
Yes, she can dress in skins if she likes, recently I was at an event where a young lady was wearing full leather's big head of curly blond hair. As she walked by I wished I was 40 years younger..... 😢
Click to expand...
I still look, but don't remember why. As far as I can remember it's a lot of work!
 
At the second Southwestern Regional Rendezvous ( 1987 or 88) a buxom SYT strutted through camp a few days wearing a tiny buckskin bikini. The whole thing wasn't enough to make a decent tobacco pouch. The other wives shut it down for safety reasons. Too many guys tripping over tree roots and stepping on their tongues. Shinin' Times.
 
What is your time frame?

Have her dress with a pair of breeches, leggings, shirt, weskit etc. There are women who dress like this at Fort de Chartres, one helps shoot the canon but I cant think of her name right now.

Also, some who have Native American interest wear a breech clout and leggings with a chemise over it and down to about their knees.
 
I would suggest to research a more native or southwestern womens type outfit. Many accounts of captured white women and dress native or French, native mixes. There are options not to be dressed as a dude
 
I’ve know several women who dresses ‘manish’ in camp.
The above recommendation of cast off military type might fit
Loose ‘slops’ or petticoat breeches are known historically to have been worn on occasion by women. Such dress was not common.
I’ve not seen the documentation my self but had a friend who stated reading descriptions of Texas women on the move wearing trousers. Men’s working trousers of the time tended to be loose broadfalls and side seam pants pantaloons very similar to woman’s pants from the 1950s was known at this time
Using modern sensibility and knowing tgat cooking was often done at the house fireplace trousers make sense for a woman to wear.
But…. This is modern thinking. It was ‘sinful’ to wear the other sexes clothing.
I am hard pressed to believe women did not wear some loose practical clothing when times warranted but could not prove it.
Now in a modern camp I doubt any camp would object to a woman in man’s clothing.
And while I can appreciate a young lady in a buckskin bikini I don’t think that look is appropriate for an historic camp. But a woman in a man’s loose trousers of some sort and some sort of period top ain’t going to raise my eyebrow in camp
 
French Colonial said:
What is your time frame?

Have her dress with a pair of breeches, leggings, shirt, weskit etc. There are women who dress like this at Fort de Chartres, one helps shoot the canon but I cant think of her name right now.

Also, some who have Native American interest wear a breech clout and leggings with a chemise over it and down to about their knees.
Click to expand...
We have a few women supporting the unit's artillery. They wear the same fly front breeches, weskit, and chemise worn by the men.

I know that at the November Encampment at Fort de Chartres the clothing of the women on the teams can be buckskin breeches and other men's attire as well as period correct dresses.

So, @Johnny Too-Tall, let her wear the clothing that is comfortable and correct to the time period.
 
Johnny Too-Tall said:
**Posted in Clothing section as well ** My wife loves shooting the flintlock now. She wants to go to the Rondy's but REFUSES to wear a dress or anything like it. Can she get away with buckskin pants and a primitive shirt, and moccasins of time period and be ok. I have never seen a woman at an event dressed this way. Just asking for consensus and opinions of the group. Basically she wants to get involved and be comfortable in her way, but me not having to get into it with anyone defending my wife. And I am 100 percent positive juried events will be out of question due to most specifically stating what woman can wear.
Click to expand...
I’ve seen a number of lady’s dressed “mannish” in camp for purely practical reasons. Nobody I saw made any fuss. Juried events no. BJH
 
18th century references do include women accompanying men in the Kentucky territory, wearing leggings and a hunting shirt. Breeches underneath would not be unreasonable.
Makes sense for moving thru the woods on deer trails, nes ce pas?
There are at least two NW Co fur traders (McKenzie and Cox, I think, possibly also David Thompson) who documented a notorious Indian woman who wore male warriors attire. She reputedly had another woman with her as a "wife", and she also had a reputation as a bit of a con artist.
Lots of military service examples of women in male uniform.
Long stories shirt, yes, "mannish" attire is OK for all ML time periods... if perhaps a bit scandalous.
But that's fun, too!
 

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