"What a Strange Power There is in Clothing..."

Clothing.

It's one of the hottest and, perhaps, most widely debated topics in the historical interpretation community. There are lots of opinions regarding what is "right". There's lots of discussion regarding "authenticity" and "accuracy" (if you want to read a great approach to these terms, we highly recommend The Tudor Tailor as there is a very concise and meaningful discourse regarding the concepts and how they have come to be used in the world of living history/reenactments. That's not the only reason we'd recommend it, either. It might be from a different time period but the authors are spot on with their approach and are a very good example after which to model our own methods.)

While the topic of accuracy can be a very personal one for many, it is also a very important one when it comes to the uniformity of standards in a group. Not only do standards help us to maintain a clear and congruent aesthetic, but they help us to further our ability to provide a more immersive context to further our mission.

With this in mind, the standards below are the standards that we have chosen for the HMSA-A because we felt that they aligned with our desire to encourage and support growth while maintaining an appropriate level of accuracy to carry out our mission with integrity. We don't believe these standards are the "one right way" to do things, but we do believe it is the best way for us at this time.

We've listed the major areas of Ladies clothing below (Gents- we'll be addressing your duds in a future post; expect it to be similar to the ladies requirements below). We've mainly addressed three areas of the clothing process: patterning/fit, construction, and materials. The biggest thing to remember is that if you are unsure, ask. Avoid a misstep by asking a question and applying the feedback before you've invested time/effort/money into an item that may not meet the standards. Without further ado- I present to you the HMSA Ladies Clothing Standards.

Clothing- Good/Better/Best
Ladies
	Good	Better	Best
Shift	"Commercial" pattern; approximates the general look of the period; machine sewn on all seams; materials are fair substitutes for originals	Commercial pattern or custom pattern; style is based on one or two original sources of the period; machine stitched long seams, hand finished neckline and sleeves; materials are close substitutes for originals	Custom pattern; style is copied from an original source; hand sewn in entirety using period seaming techniques; materials are extremely close substitutes or reconstructions/replications of originals
Corded Corset	"Commercial" pattern; approximates the general look of the period; machine sewn on all seams, but provides proper support and silhouette; materials are fair substitutes for originals	Custom drafted pattern; style is based on one or two original sources of the period; combination of machine and hand sewing, provides proper support and fit; materials are close substitutes for originals	Custom drafted pattern; style is copied from an original source; hand sewn in entirety using period seaming techniques, provides proper support and fit; materials are extremely close substitutes or reconstructions/replications of originals
Petticoats	"Commercial" pattern; approximates the general look of the period; machine sewn on all seams, appropriate silhouette; materials are fair substitutes for originals	Custom drafted pattern; style is based on one or two original sources of the period; machine stitching on interior "long" seams, hand hemmed and hand finished exterior stitching; materials are close substitutes for originals	Custom drafted pattern, style is copied from an original source; hand sewn in entirety using period seaming techniques, supports appropriate silhouette; materials are extremely close substitutes or reconstructions/replications of originals
Gown/Short Gown/ Outerwear	"Commercial" pattern; approximates the general look of the period; machine stitching, but hand finished neckline; materials are fair substitutes for originals	Custom draped/patterned; style is based on one or two original sources of the period; machine stitching on interior seams, hand finishing on all other areas; materials are close substitutes for originals	Custom draped/patterned, style is copied from an original source; hand sewn in entirety using period seaming techniques; materials are extremely close substitutes or reconstructions/replications of originals
Accessories (Caps, Kerchiefs, Chemissettes, Bonnets, etc.)	No visible machine stitching; approximates the general look of the period; materials are fair substitutes for originals	Entirely hand sewn; style is based on one or two original sources of the period; materials are close substitutes for originals	Entirely hand sewn; style is copied from an original source; materials are extremely close substitutes or reconstructions/replications of originals
Shoes	Approximates the general look of the period (not obviously modern.)	Period "mass produced" shoe based on an original from the period	Custom hand made shoes modeled after an original pair or image, constructed using period methods
Stockings	NA	White stockings in cotton or silk (available from most vendors)	Hand knit or hand sewn stockings based on originals from the period

This is the exact rubric we'll be using to conduct clothing inspections, so no surprises. The actual inspection page will look like this:

The important part of the inspection process is really the last bit- the goal setting and action steps. Once we know where we are at, we're able to better determine how to get to where we're going. The auxiliary mentor and member will come up with a few goals to work towards and a reasonable date by which to achieve those goals. More significantly, they will create some action steps that they will agree to undertake together to meet those goals. 

Say the member scored "Good" in shoes, but is now in year two with the unit. This year the member sets a goal to achieve "Better" status in shoes. The mentor and member then come up with steps that will help the member be successful, such as "member and mentor will each find one source for mass produced shoes in the next two weeks" or "member will try on at least three pairs of shoes at the next event to figure out correct sizing for Old Timey Shoe Company. Mentor will bring one of those pairs." 

Then, when both the member and the mentor feel good about the goals and action steps, they will sign the document. The mentor will keep the original and send a digital copy to the member so that they can both reference the form in future goal discussions. In this way, the member and the mentor have made a commitment to each other to invest in the growth and support of the member. 

You might be thinking to yourself "Man, that's a lot of work for the mentor." Yea- it kind of is. But you know what? Our members are worth it, and if they're willing to put in all of that work then so are we.

"...Every Thing Has Its Time"

As promised, we'd like to share with you the chart which has laid out the various areas of material culture which will be inspected regularly for all HMSA-Aux members. The expectation is that by the end of the year listed members will have attained the corresponding standard listed.

Standards and Expectations- Good/Better/Best
	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5
Clothing	Good		Better
Furniture*	Loan/Share	Good		Better
Dinnerware*	Loan/Share	Good		Better
Food *	Loan/Share	Good		Better
Tentage*	Loan/Share	Good			Better
Cookware*	Loan/Share	Loan/Share	Good		Better

*Not all members of the Auxiliary may have a need to be responsible for all items. We may not all need a full set of cookware, however, those that determine they enjoy working in that area will use this portion of the chart as a guideline. However, all members will use these guidelines should they have a need to bring cookware to an event. Don't forget, we'll have detailed posts outlining what the Auxiliary considers Good/Better/Best in each of these areas. 

"...Let Every New Year Find You a Better Man"

As we mentioned in our last post, we'll be using a Good/Better/Best model to address the standards and expectations of HMSA Auxiliary members. Before we get into the specifics of what this means in regards to each individual area of interpretation (material culture, speech/mannerisms, foodways, etc.) we'd like to take a moment to introduce you to the idea of G/B/B as a standalone concept first. We'll go into more details pertaining to how it applies to your kit/gear in future posts, we promise.

The culture that we'd like to encourage in the HMSA-A is one of continuous improvement. We know that we don't hit the ground running with perfect kits and perfect interpretations right out of the gate. That's not the expectation we have for our members, because let's be honest- not only would it be cost prohibitive, but time prohibitive, potentially skill prohibitive and definitely member prohibitive. While we don't expect perfection, we do expect (and support) growth over time.

Unless your name is Hornblower. Then we expect perfection
at all times. 

One of the prominent reasons we chose Good/Better/Best rather than just stating one desired standard is that we recognize that everyone has different demands on their resources and we aim to be understanding and supportive of this, while also upholding the mission and vision of the unit. Growth is built in to the G/B/B model, as members are expected to attain certain benchmarks as they increase their tenure with the unit. For example, the Good standard for clothing should be achieved by members by the end of their first year with the unit. This is the minimal expectation for members who are just starting and will allow them some breathing room to get the ball rolling. However, by the end of their third year with the unit, members will have progressed from Good clothing standards to Better. Once members meet the required benchmarks, additional growth is encouraged but not required. (Remember-Best is a place we visit sometimes.)

Kind of like this all inclusive resort. None of us can really
afford to live there year round, but can probably swing a 3 day/
2 night stay if we try to save a bit. 

Another thing we liked about the Good/Better/Best concept was the idea that even if you're just starting and you're at Good- it's still Good; And there is no shame in Good. We want new members to feel at ease and not judged. That's hard when we do inspections where, well, stuff is pretty much being judged, right? But the purpose of the inspection experience is not to tell members how awful they are, but rather to support their growth and celebrate their successes.

Because, really, who else knows the joy that comes from
finishing a hand-sewn shift and will celebrate with you?
No, not Oprah, silly. Us.

The G/B/B specifics will be clearly laid out for each area of interpretation, beginning with clothing and continuing on through other material culture and interpretative tools as we go. A running log of these posts will be kept on the Standards and Expectations page so that members can easily find them for reference. We'll post tips, tricks, and how- to's throughout the year, as well as the expected timetable for each area. Most importantly, we'll be here to support you through the whole process.

While we try to keep things mostly positive here in the Auxiliary, there are some non-negotiable items to be avoided (to save everyone time, money, and effort) and we'll cover those, too, in each respective post.

As ever, if you have questions or comments, please feel free to leave them here or send them to Christina through whichever means you prefer, and keep a lookout for our next post on clothing guidelines and expectations.