"Fit" Question

[msmjr]

Friends, to begin with, might I get the formalities out in front:

1. Search completed
2. References of many sorts consulted, to no avail
3. Please be gentle, no bayonets requested

With respect to another thread dealing with fitting and "do/make do/do without" (which I think is a great, concise way to explain it) I have a question on my Confederate (Eastern) Enlisted appearance.

I have a RDII from Ms. Nall, as well as a set of RD pants from her - they are swell. I got my pants large because it's good to have a "not so tapered/tight on the rear" appearance and well, I ordered them and later, lost weight. Jacket fits fine. What's the deal then?

RDII jackets are shorter than modern jackets (duh) and the pants come up to the naval just fine. Problem is....a 31 waist in 34 waisted trousers creates for some excess that "leaks" out when the jacket is buttoned. Add a tightened belt with cap pouch and you can imagine that my trousers' waist pokes out in places, generally at the front button.

Has anyone come across any photos of CS soldiers standing, which reveals the same issue? All the photos I've seen seem to show CS enlisted soldiers w/o this problem - though, it seems most of the guys are sitting.

I make do just fine, but I am simply curious as to whether or not the "boys" had similar issues documented in photos or writing?

Respectfully, I yield to the learned-
-Mike Montgomery

[Michael Semann]

Re: "Fit" Question

If you are at all handy with needle and thread, it wouldn't be that big of a deal to open the outside seams of the trousers and bring them in a bit. You would of course need to alter the pants waist band as well. This isn't too major an operation(made all the more possible with the RD trouser's mule ear pockets, rather than the side seam variety), and certainly Ms. Nall's garments are worth the effort.
I think that we have all seen period photos of soldiers with trousers AT LEAST a couple of sized too big, and read accounts of soldiers "cutting their way out" of their issue uniforms,if it comes to that, anyway. Good luck.

[BrianHicks]

Re: "Fit" Question

Wear a belt to hold you trousers up, vice suspenders.

It's common for the period, and it works.

[GBaylor]

Re: "Fit" Question

Here's another solution:

Detach the waistband, cut and sew back together to fit. Next put darts at top of each rear panel, then re-attach waistband to trowsers. I believe Mr. Daley had a pair of C.S. Artillery trowsers he photographed from Gettysburg posted on the forums recently that had similar alterations/construction.

John Sweeney

[Enfilade]

Re: "Fit" Question

It's very authentic for clothes not to fit just perfect. They were issued and you took what was given. Maybe traded around with your mates in camp until you got something closer to your actual fit. When all avenues were exhausted, there you were. What to do? Well, take the buttons off the fly and move them in.(or out, whatever the case may be) I'd do that before I started cutting and made a sow's ear out of a silk purse.

I hope that helps.


Mark Berrier
North State Rifles
combinations@northstate.net

[SCSecesh]

Re: "Fit" Question

Mark,
Where'd you find another "tall drink of water" to trade coverings with?? :D

[Enfilade]

Re: "Fit" Question

David, Sergeant Peter Jones, Company I, 45th NC Troops, was only 6'5" tall.

See him here:

http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/sections/hp/nc_rostr/jones.htm

...and, he survived the war.

Where do you think all the terms like "long shanks" came from?

Lincoln- 6'4".
Heros Von Borcke- 6'4"

There is also a whole company from North Carolina known to be over 6 feet tall.

Also a famous drawing of two Union soldiers, brothers I believe, that were about 6'8" tall.

Not only that, but there are several historic men that were tall.

Peter The Great was 6'7".

BTW, do you still have that mullett?

Mark Berrier :)

[Michael Semann]

Re: "Fit" Question

Moving the button location works up to a point. If the trousers are 2 or 3 sizes too large or greater, you will have to start taking in some seams (or your button fly might well end up in your pocket! :tounge_sm )


By the way Enfilade, if you want to see a real biggun, take a look at this:
Pvt. Martin Van Buren Bates
5th KY Inf. C.S.A.
Almost 8 ft. tall.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: "Fit" Question

Hallo Kameraden!

Indeed, Captain Bates lived down the road from me, although his oversized house was torn down a few years ago.

Accounts vary on his height- from 7' 8" or 7' 9". (His wife is credited at 7' 11", but it may have been her added hair height they measured...) ;-)

http://www.stevequayle.com/Giants/N.Am/Giants.N.Am1.html#Anchor-Bates-35882

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[SCSecesh]

Re: "Fit" Question

Heck Mark,
I have a whole basket full of mullet! Last shell that hit that infernal ironclad skipped into the works threw a whole school into the bombproof!!
DC
Mullet? Me? :tounge_sm

[Michael Semann]

Re: "Fit" Question

Hallo Kameraden!

Indeed, Captain Bates lived down the road from me, although his oversized house was torn down a few years ago.

Accounts vary on his height- from 7' 8" or 7' 9". (His wife is credited at 7' 11", but it may have been her added hair height they measured...) ;-)

http://www.stevequayle.com/Giants/N.Am/Giants.N.Am1.html#Anchor-Bates-35882

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

Right you are Curt: Here is another copy of that photo of Bates and his wife taken well after the war. This is taken from the book OFFBEAT KENTUCKIANS by Kevin McQueen. They were listed as 7' 2" and 7' 5" respectfully in his book.
Thank God he wasn't mortally hit on the field of battle; I would truly pity those who had to drag his "robust" frame off of the battlefield! And no quartermaster issue for this reb.