Living History Personas
1770's Farmer
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 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 and outer coat as well. Smocks were the most commonly worn outer garment to protect the clothing a farmer owned. 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 only intended to serve as a general recommendation. If you belong to a reenacting group or work for a historic site, we strongly recommend you check with your group first before purchasing this outfit.
HAT
Pictured Left: SH-955 High Crown Straw Hat.
SHIRT
Pictured Right: 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
1770’s Waistcoat in either SW-130C Cotton Canvas, SW-130L Linen, or SW-130W Wool.
Alternative: For economy sake, consider
CW-195 Unlined Cotton-Canvas Costume Waistcoat.
NECKWEAR
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 Left: LN-123 Work Smock
BREECHES
Pictured Right: SP-128 Cotton Canvas Fall-Front Breeches.
Alternatives: Fall-Front Breeches of any fabric option. Fall-Front Trousers are also an option, often worn unhemmed at mid-shin length.
STOCKINGS
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 Left: CS-925 Men's 18th Century Buckle 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. 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
SB-929 Shoe Buckles.
Alternatives: Any of our men’s shoe buckles we offer, or the tabs on our Straight-Last Shoes can be folded back or trimmed, then punched with two holes on each side for lacing.