Customer Reviews

Civil War Gentlemen: 1860'S Apparel Arts & Uniforms

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This book is chuck full of engravings, illustrations, patterns and photos of the period. I have been reenacting for 6 years and have never seen a better book on men's clothing of the 1860's. The only drawings in the book that are not from the period are very detailed drawings of original clothing items housed in the smithsonian and museum of the Confederacy.If you are at all interested in men's clothing history this is a great book for you.

This book has some good Civil War uniform information and patterns contained in it. Since there are very few "real" surviving patterns these patterns are helpful. There are pictures and information about the styles and types of cloth patterns, ie stripes and paiselys. Men used shawls in this period, something you do not see in photos. Lincoln's favorite shawl was a paisely which was popular in the 1860's image that. That information came from the other book you should have with this one, The Practical Handbook of Cutting on the Center Point System 1866. Civil War Gentlemen: 1860's Apparel Arts & Uniforms, contains the cutting information on the first American original suite design. That draft was called the New York Walking Suite. Designs prior to this time were from England and French designs. America gave the world the "Business Suite" during the era of the Civil War. This era launched America into a modern war, and a modern industrial nation. This book requires advanced skills and the patterns are small for the modern figure.