nav-left cat-right
cat-right

The Emperor’s New Clothes

Alright… not an emperor, but some gens libres referred to themselves as “lords.”

It has been awhile since I have done any sewing; and, although I need a few new shirts, I decided to finally make myself a new late 18th century capot and a double-breasted waistcoat.

For the capot, I decided to go with a plain natural “white” and I added red welts in the seams.  This is a neat effect that I have seen in many historic images, especially in the early 19th century.

Anyway, I built it a bit shorter, without cuffs, and I lined the hood with red wool.  This is not the best image of it, but is a partial image of me going out with my traps that was taken with a number of photos to be used in an upcoming article on trapping in the Great Lakes fur trade that will be published in the Journal of the Early Americas.

Also, I have had some red (crimson) cotton velveteen that I have had for a long time with no planned uses.  I have been wanting a double-breasted waistcoat from the 1790s for awhile and decided this would do nicely.  I made it with cloth-covered buttons, welted pockets, and a stand-up collar.   Again, this is not a great photo, but it will do.  The weird shadow down the middle is why it looks darker in the middle.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *