The Challenge – Clothing Guidelines

If you already meet the Battle Road clothing standards, pat yourself on the back, since you meet some of the highest authenticity standards in the hobby. However, as with everything, there is room for improvement and the Challenge is the opportunity to raise the bar.

The big differences will be in the details, starting with the hand finishing of your clothing. Though we strongly urge you to wear completely hand-sewn garments, hidden machine seams will be accepted. In other words, if you can see it, it needs to be hand sewn. Which would mean things like hems of aprons, handkerchiefs, cuff and sleeve ruffles, etc., need to be hand done. Plus some additional thought needs to be put into those details; that not only should the garments made correctly, but they should also be worn correctly. For example, for women, shift sleeves should fall no lower than just below the elbow, and hats not worn "tunnel style". And very important and often overlooked, does my clothing fit me in an 18th century way?

The event will be 1773, so we want to make sure that we hone in on what people were actually wearing at that time. We'd like to make sure that people's clothing choices meet this criteria and participants are not wearing styles that have not yet been invented or adopted and that their choices also reflect those of New Englanders. We'll look at things like—is my cap correct for this date, are the cuffs/sleeve ruffles, etc. on my gown appropriate for my station, is my cap swallowing my head or is it worn the way I see caps in portraits of the time?

Certain other things that are okay at Battle Road will not be okay at our Challenge event. For example, modern shoes disguised by gaiters won't be accepted. We do not expect everyone to have hand-sewn reproduction shoes, but a basic off-the-rack repro pair is a minimum requirement.

One of the other major differences between Battle Road expectations and that of the Challenge is that you will be asked to document your kit as well as go through an inspection process. Currently only the Battle Road Guides are subject to a complete inspection and even though each regiment does undergo a review, not all members are required to attend and distaff is exempt. The British and their distaff are not inspected at all. So for some of you the inspection process will not be new. As we've mentioned in earlier posts, the jurying process will be going on throughout the Challenge. All of the participants will be fully vetted before the event, so on that day you can just arrive and enjoy the fact that you have achieved your goals and look great!

A couple thoughts about exceptions—yes, we live in a time when we can't get the same things they had, the fabrics are different, we are different—we can't be completely accurate. In addition, some things make it harder, especially when if comes to things beyond our control. Tweens and teens have braces on their teeth, nothing we can do about that. People use canes, wheelchairs, wear glasses that can't be adapted to period frames and/or can't wear contacts. This event was not designed to be exclusive—if it was, we would have just held an invite-only event and not put it out it out there for everyone to join in. We're asking people to do their best within the guidelines (which will be specifically mapped out for you on this website). But we are also asking you to be creative and adopt a period solution to overcome challenges when you can. Consider covering the tattoo on your arm with stage makeup, don't wear your glasses when you are just sitting around, and appreciate how the person in the 18th century had to deal with bad eyesight. Can't wear period shoes? Consider an impression that doesn't require shoes at all. The fun part about working with a group on this kind of project is that you are not alone. There are other people to bounce ideas off of and get advice when needed.

As we've said before, this is a challenge, it's supposed to push you, and ultimately, it will be a rewarding and stimulating endeavor!