I need some help/guidance on this issue.  I have been doing military aspect of reenacting since I got into the hobby.  I have a son who is 3-4 yo.  One of the events our unit does is a local living history at a local furnace, and typically is an early war setting so that there are roles for the civilians to be around.

I am working on getting a civilian kit put together, but back to the original point, my son.  I want to bring him to an event and to do so, I feel I would need to be a civilian for the event so as not to "hand him off" to a sitter, but so that he and I could do things during the day.

I have no experience in what types of clothes my son should be wearing or what types of activities he might do.  The setting for our living histories are usually a weekend time frame.  

Sorry if this doesn't make sense, but I guess I am wanting to know more about what he would wear or what I could do with him that would be proper at an event.

Edit: I am looking over Mrs Clarks message about 19th Mid century children and also her website.  Which has some great photos in the forum and some good information.  

--Last edited by lhsnj on 2008-01-31 11:33:29 --

Greg,

At that age he most likely would still be wearing infant attire; i.e. a type of dress. The problem is if he is like many his age here is no way you will be able to get him to wear such a thing.

Rob

You might be right, I did see on the forums on Mrs Clark's page about age appropriate clothes.  Although there is some information on there that since he is potty trained he could wear pants.  

But I did see an amusing post where they were saying don't call it a dress for the little boys, call it a frock or a tunic and it might help them get past the "dress factor"..

3-4 years old, and toilet trained, means the young fellow goes into trousers.  He's right at the historic age of "breeching"--the point at which a boy is taken out of petticoats and put into trousers, which coincides with successful toilet training.  (It's easier to deal with training if they're still in frocks with petticoats.)

It's the parent's call whether those trousers are worn with shirts/suspenders/sack-style coat, or with tunics/frocks.  

The more working class the family, the more likely he is to be dressed as Daddy's Mini-Me.  Long or just-below-the-knee trousers would each be appropriate, and the main factor there is mostly weather related; again, the more working class, the more likely the boy is to be in long trousers year-round.

Dont know anyone that sews or sells children clothing either  

Quote :

lhsnj wrote : Rob You might be right, I did see on the forums on Mrs Clark's page about age appropriate clothes.  Although there is some information on there that since he is potty trained he could wear pants.

Greg,

An outfit that works great for boys is a little suit where the trousers and the shirt button together. Keeps everything nice and neat.

Check with the 4th. Texas ladies at the next event. They've done a good bit of research on children's clothing.

Quote :

Bill wrote :   Greg, An outfit that works great for boys is a little suit where the trousers and the shirt button together. Keeps everything nice and neat. Check with the 4th. Texas ladies at the next event. They've done a good bit of research on children's clothing.

Bill

Thanks, I have a message into both Terri from our group and Russ & Aldona of your group.  I know their youngest is about the same age as Riley.

Quote :

ElizabethStewartClark wrote : 3-4 years old, and toilet trained, means the young fellow goes into trousers.  He's right at the historic age of "breeching"--the point at which a boy is taken out of petticoats and put into trousers, which coincides with successful toilet training.  (It's easier to deal with training if they're still in frocks with petticoats.) It's the parent's call whether those trousers are worn with shirts/suspenders/sack-style coat, or with tunics/frocks.   The more working class the family, the more likely he is to be dressed as Daddy's Mini-Me.  Long or just-below-the-knee trousers would each be appropriate, and the main factor there is mostly weather related; again, the more working class, the more likely the boy is to be in long trousers year-round.

Ms Clark, thanks for the response.
In your research, have you ever seen any images of young children with belt instead of suspenders?  

With trousers/shirts, I've seen suspenders exclusively if a supportive accessory is used.  Tunics and overshirts are sometimes belted, but it's not a supportive aspect--it's a style thing.

Bill, the only downside to the button-suits (where trousers button onto the waistband of a bodice) is that a little fellow sometimes can't get the buttons undone in time.  One period remedy for this is to make a "convenience slit" in the front crutch seam of full-cut trousers.  It works about as well as trying to teach a three-year-old to use the little overlapped bit on Y-front undies... you end up with damp little boys.

Little boy trousers may be center-front fly, or may be opened with slits over the hips--these aren't true broad-fall trousers, but rather, just hip-opening trousers where the placket overlaps back over front or front over back.

Quote :

ElizabethStewartClark wrote : With trousers/shirts, I've seen suspenders exclusively if a supportive accessory is used.  Tunics and overshirts are sometimes belted, but it's not a supportive aspect--it's a style thing. Bill, the only downside to the button-suits (where trousers button onto the waistband of a bodice) is that a little fellow sometimes can't get the buttons undone in time.  One period remedy for this is to make a "convenience slit" in the front crutch seam of full-cut trousers.  It works about as well as trying to teach a three-year-old to use the little overlapped bit on Y-front undies... you end up with damp little boys. Little boy trousers may be center-front fly, or may be opened with slits over the hips--these aren't true broad-fall trousers, but rather, just hip-opening trousers where the placket overlaps back over front or front over back.

Thanks again for the response.  My son is still at the pants around the ankle stage when going pee.  He hasn't mastered the use of the fly on his pants yet.

Most likely the suspenders will work for him because he could then slip that off his shoulders and drop his pants if need be.

Thanks