women civil war reenactors

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• (February 02, 2011, 12:47:01 AM)

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[tleve]

ok i am starting one here and in the confed. area as well , I know a few of you have been asking about women in reenacting . well we will start here and go form here . We are going to need a topic ... any ideas?

[Haruka]

Hello, everyone!  I just joined the board today and I have been reenacting actively for about a year. 

I've run into something of an issue and I'm curious about other people's take on it.  The issue is HAIR.  Now, most of the ladies I reenact with use CDVs and issues of Godey's and Peterson's to create the hairstyles for their impressions, which is great.  However, I have bangs and would rather not smothe them down and I'm catching a bit of noise from other ladies about not doing so.  Now, my question is, is it possible that bangs were maybe not common, but existed in everyday wear on grown women? 

Using CDVs and the lady's periodicals of the day is an excellent idea, but CDVs were expensive and could only be done every so often.  When taken, the subject would want to look as fashionable as possible and would most likely use plates and articles from Peterson's or Godey's to do so, just as a woman today might use Cosmo or Vanity Fair to look her best for a studio photo.  But would they really have the time to do their hair like that everyday?  And would they want to? 

Not everyone follows the whims of fashion, even today.  I never have.  I don't wear make-up, I don't really do too much with my hair on a regular basis and my clothing is always very casual.  When I have a studio portrait done, on the other hand, out comes the make-up, I spend an hour or more on my hair and find my nicest clothing.  My professional photos look nothing like the casual photos of me.  SO is it possible that ladies of the 1860's did the same thing?  Or am I alone out on this limb?