Women's Clothing Guidelines
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Women's Clothing Guidelines
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This list is intended as a guide to assembling a reasonably accurate kit for a Highland woman circa the year 1745. It is not the last word on the subject - there are probably sources for patterns or ready-made items that are not listed. Please see the Suppliers List for other sources.
We recognize that few, if any, people will ever achieve the "Most Accurate" level in all areas of their kit. This page is designed to provide a "Good, Better, Best" structure so that you will have an idea of what will get you in the door with a reasonably good outfit, as well as goals to strive for as you seek to improve your impression.
| Item | Most Accurate | Good | Minimum Acceptable | Unacceptable | Reccomended Patterns |
| Shift ("Sark") | 100% linen, handstitched, period pattern
commoners less likely to have ruffled sleeves and neckline cotton, linen or silk ribbon drawstring (if any) thread buttons or ribbon ties (if any) on sleeve cuffs |
100% linen or linen/cotton blend, machine-sewn | white cotton muslin or cotton/linen blend Townsend's chemise w/o ruffles |
unbleached cotton, colored fabrics polyester or poly/cotton 3"+ ruffles polyester laceprints draw-string-gathered "bag-sleeve" leine |
• Janice Ryan's Basic Six-Piece Wardrobe pattern • Kannik's Korner Women's Shift pattern Also see Shift instructions |
| Stays | linen with metal, cane or broom boning linen or tape lacing leather or tape binding hand-sewn may be wool-covered "Jumps" - lightly boned stays |
linen, cotton drill, or fustian with "German whalebone", 1/4" steel or basket cane boning machine-sewn |
Ren-faire bodices (tapestry or brocade fabrics, metal grommets, cut under the breast) obviously synthetic ribbons synthetic fabrics "English" and "French" bodices |
• Janice Ryan's Stays pattern • web instructions: Corset Pattern Generator • Mill Farm Jumps pattern; available from Burnley & Trowbridge or Smoke & Fire Also see Stays Instructions |
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| Stocking or cut hose | 100% wool, hand-knit to period pattern, or cut hose, solid or tartan see sock paper for construction of cut hose |
machine-knit wool or cotton stockings over the knee |
good wool blend | modern socks (below the knee) striped socks (documented only for C18th sailors) modern tights cut hose: cotton flannel, obvious synthetic blends |
• Kannik's Korner Accessories pattern • Godwin • Port Tobacco Merchants • Barkertown Sutlers |
| Pockets | linen or fustian, hand-sewn tape or cording drawstring |
cotton duck or cotton/linen blend | man's sporran - not documentable, but possible; see standards for men's sporrans leather drawstring belt pouch |
fur pouches leather over-the-shoulder purses |
• Janice Ryan's Basic Six-piece wardrobe pattern • Kannik's Korner Accessories pattern |
| Petticoat | 100% wool, linen, or linsey-woolsey, hand-sewn stripes, if any, woven into material red or blue wool (possibly with green or other color wool tape band at the hem) were common, as noted by observers |
linen, hemp, wool, linsey-woolsey, machine-sewn except visible stitching tartan petticoats may have been worn, but more documentation is needed |
cotton-linen blend good wool-poly blend (not obviously synthetic) machine-sewn heavier cotton (not quilter's broadcloth) |
obvious synthetic blends striped printed on fabric |
• Janice Ryan's Basic Six-piece Wardrobe pattern |
| Gown | solid, striped or tartan wool or linen, mid-century "robe a' l'anglaise" style with sewn-down pleats and stomacher hand-sewn |
linen, hemp, wool, linsey-woolsey machine-sewn except for visible stitching |
cotton-linen blend good wool-poly blend (not obviously synthetic) machine sewing heavier cotton |
• Mill Farm Robe a' l'Anglaise pattern | |
| Jacket / Bedgown | 100% wool, linen, or linsey-woolsey hand-sewn tartan or stripes, if any, woven into material period-documentable prints |
linen, hemp, wool, linsey-woolsey machine sewn except visible stitching prints in keeping with period patterns |
heavier cotton cotton-linen blends good wool-poly blend machine-sewn |
obvious synthetic fabrics stripes printed onto fabric |
• Janice Ryan's Basic Six-piece Wardrobe or Manteau de Lit pattern • Kannik's Korner Manteau de Lit pattern • Mill Farm bedgown pattern (available from Burnley & Trowbridge) |
| Apron | 100% linen, hemp or wool white, natural, blue or blue simple checks or stripes gathered to self fabric or to cotton or linen tape, with tape ties |
cotton/linen blend | white cotton muslin | unbleached cotton pinner apron (probably worn by French only) |
• Janice Ryan's Basic Six-piece Wardrobe pattern • Townsend |
| Arisaidh | 4 yards long, made of 2 widths of 27"-32" fabric (see standards for men's plaids) 100% wool can be plain wool or tartan |
100% wool one piece, min. 50" wide |
good wool/poly blend linen that looks like hard tartan |
cotton flannel obviously synthetic fabric |
no pattern necessary; tartans shold be of a non-graduated pattern, and should not be an easily recognized clan sett |
| Belt | brown leather C18th or period findings no period examples exist, but they were apparently sometimes decorated with silver plaques; may have been tooled or otherwise decorated |
plain black or brown leather with period buckle | plain black or brown leather belt, if hidden under flap of arisaidh | Ren-faire belts "Celtic Revival" or Victorian buckles leather in modern chrome-dyed colors like purple, green, etc |
• Townsend • Tandy Leather |
| Cap (Lowlanders or wealthy Highlanders; may have been worn under Kertch) | mid-C18th pattern, lappets or "pointed" band linen, hand-sewn silk or linen ribbons or tapes, for Lowland impressions cross-cloth (triangle of white linen with tapes at corners to tie behind head) was possibly worn under kertch |
cotton/linen blend | white cotton muslin, machine-sewn head-cloth worn turban-style |
circle-drawstring "Mob Cap" synthetic materials |
• Janice Ryan's Cap pattern • Kannik's Korner Women's Lappet Cap (not the bonnet) • Mill Farm caps pattern (available from Burnley & Trowbridge) |
| Kertch | bleached linen, hand-hemmed 30-45" square(?), pinned or tied under chin or at back of neck; probably worn pinned to some kind of cap, coif or croos-cloth underneath - see paintings Kertch is usually white, but sometimes colored; may have simple checks or stripes. Cap underneath should be white. |
cotton/linen blend | cotton or cotton-linen blend machine sewing |
synthetic materials, cotton quilt prints, floral prints, etc. bare head on married women |
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| "Snood" | In Scotland, this "snood" (breid, in Gaelic) referred to a wool or silk ribbon, about an inch wide, worn around the head like a headband, tied at the side or back of the head, by unmarried young women. Unmarried older women would probably wear a kertch. | cotton twill tape | poly-rayon ribbon ok on temporary basis (first year) | obvious synthetic ribbons knitted C19th snood - an entirely different type |
• Wooded Hamlet |
| Pampooties: See Pampooties paper and section in Men's Clothing guidelines | sheepskin, deer hide (with or without hair) bare feet also accurate if practical at the site |
cowhide, sheepskin (without hair) | yellow, obviously chrome-dyed leather sneakers, other moccasins modern shoes Ren-faire "Celtic shoes" or Smoke & Fire gillies |
• Lucas type 3 and 4
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| Shoes | hand-made, squared or semi-rounded toe, 1/2" heel straight last pewter, steel, brass buckles or tied with leather thong for more "common" impression (see Penicuik drawings) brown or black; rough side out probably more common for working-class impression |
Fugawee "Ligonier" or equivalent handmade, machine stitched, metal pegs (nails) |
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combat boots modern shoes Ren-faire boots Birkenstocks sneakers Smoke & Fire gillies Plain black shoes may be worn for first year, but pampooties are cheap and preferable. |
• Fugawee • Godwin • Townsend • Smoke & Fire • Burnley & Trowbridge • some Civil War sutlers |
| Brooch | Annular brooch, reproduction of period brooch or close facsimile steel, bone or wood bodkin |
penannular brooch (open on one side; not worn later than about C10th-11th) Victorian or modern "Celtic" pins obviously mediaeval or Iron Age Celtic pins |
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| Jewelry | for juried events- earrings: small plain hoops, if any. rings: plain silver or gold band, if any for poor women, a silk or cotton ribbon or glass bead choker for wealthier women, a locket or miniature may be appropriate.
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Iron Age "torc" or Celtic jewelry from other periods Victorian or modern jewelry |
General Construction Techniques:
| Best | Good | Acceptable | Unacceptable | |
| Sewing, cloth | all handstitched seams and buttonholes silk, wool or linen thread (linen most common) tartans in non-clan sett |
machine-sewn hidden seams hand-stitched visible seams and buttonholes | completely machine-sewn seams & buttonholes cotton thread |
metal grommets zippers velcro obvious clan tartans should be avoided whenever possible |
| Buttons | cloth-covered, horsehair-filled, wood or metal shanks thread-covered buttons |
metal-shanked buttons wood buttons horn buttons |
aluminum or chrome buttons stamped buttons plastic |
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| Sewing, leather (except shoes) | waxed linen thread | artificial sinew | nylon thread or monofilament |
***TO BE AVOIDED: "circle" drawstring mob caps (not based on any historical garment); "English" or "French" bodice (not based on any historical garment); Pegee's Patterns - hard to use, not quite accurate according to people who have used them.
Heavier cottons may be acceptable on a case-by-case basis. See comittee members for guidance.
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