GENERAL DESCRIPTION*
The components of a man’s working attire depended heavily on his trade and the nature of his activity. A few period artworks, for instance, depict field hands wearing only shirts and breeches. If a farmer was to be seen in public, however, he generally would have worn a waistcoat as well. He would have been concerned with protecting the clothes he owned. Smocks were commonly worn as outer garments for this purpose. To cover his head and protect him from the sun, working hats made of straw were likely preferred over more expensive felt hats. If the farmer wore shoes or moccasins at all, spatterdashes might have been worn over them to keep stones and dirt out.
* This information is intended to serve only as a general recommendation. If you belong to a reenacting group or work for an historic site, we strongly recommend you check with your group first before purchasing this outfit.
HAT
Pictured: SH-955 High-crown Straw Hat.
SHIRT
Pictured: OH-124 Cotton Osnaburg Workshirt. Osnaburg is a modern natural fabric that closely emulates an 18th-century home-spun cloth called
“Linsey-Woolsey.”
Alternatives: SH-124 Cotton Workshirt.
WAISTCOAT
Pictured: SW-130 1770’s Waistcoat in either cotton canvas, linen, or wool.
Alternatives: For economy sake, consider CW-195 Unlined Cotton-Canvas Costume Waistcoat.
NECKWEAR
Pictured: CR-371 Cotton Cravat.
Alternatives: Any of the Cravats or Neck Stocks we offer will work, though we would recommend you avoid the RS-373 Ruffled Neck Stock for this persona.
OUTER GARMENT
Pictured: LN-123 Work Smock in natural linen. Also available in cotton Osnaburg.
BREECHES/TROUSERS
Pictured: SP-128 Cotton Canvas Fall-Front Breeches (pictured left).
Alternatives: Fall-Front Breeches of any fabric option. Fall-Front Trousers (pictured right) are also an option, often worn unhemmed at mid-shin length.
STOCKINGS
Pictured: SP-755 Heavy Cotton Stockings if wearing breeches, preferably off-white or neutral, but other colors are usually acceptable.
Alternatives: Any Cotton or Wool Stocking. Avoid striped stockings. Silk and Clocked Stockings may be appropriate for higher class civilians.
SHOES
Pictured: CS-925 Men’s Straight-Last Shoes.
Alternatives: Consider going barefoot, or another option is MK-976 Center-Seam Moccasins. Shoes or moccasins can be worn with or without SB-984 Spatterdashes (pictured left). Also, some events or units will allow for simple modern leather shoes as long as they are mostly covered with Spatterdashes (check with your unit).
BUCKLES
Pictured: SB-929 Shoe Buckles.
Alternatives: Any of our men’s shoe buckles, or the tabs on our Straight-Last Shoes can be folded back or trimmed, then punched with two holes on each side for lacing.