[Sca-cooks] OT Question for Costumers

RON CARNEGIE r.carnegie at verizon.net
Sat Sep 12 08:18:07 PDT 2009


	There is actually.  The British Army issued standard sized uniforms
in the Revolutionary war.  I suspect the concept predates that.  The 18th
century being a very tailored period however, the regiments had tailors who
would refit the uniform to the individual soldier.  Frankly I suspect that
tabard and soldier cassocks would also fit the category of standardized
fitting clothing. It tends to be the only way to provide clothing for
uniformed armies.  I would be very surprised if the cassocks and coats of
Cromwell's New Model Army, were being custom made.  

   Standard sizes for civilians certainly predates the American Civil War, I
would expect standard sizes for the military to predate civilians.  Ready
ware clothing is very poplular and common throughout the 18th century.  I
don't know when it starts.

   By the bye federal ACW uniforms are only made in four sizes, each
numbered 1-4 as opposed to our modern sizes by direct chest measurement.  It
is closer to small medium and large than 38, 40 42.  

	Many (though not all) civil war uniforms were still being made by
hand.  Most of the exceptions are in fact contract made and not government
made.  All the uniforms made by the original government supplier Schuykill
arsenal, were hand stitched.  There is later a western arsenal that is
making machine stitched.  I just bring that up because that idea that the
industrial revolution allowed for standard sizes is incorrect.  It does make
the materials far less expensive, but the uniforms were still stitched by
hand.  *The government didn't trust the sewing machine).

Ranald de Balinhard

-----Original Message-----
From: sca-cooks-bounces+r.carnegie=verizon.net at lists.ansteorra.org
[mailto:sca-cooks-bounces+r.carnegie=verizon.net at lists.ansteorra.org] On
Behalf Of Kingstaste
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 10:51 AM
To: 'Cooks within the SCA'; meridian-ty at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Sca-cooks] OT Question for Costumers

I have a question forwarded to me by someone that studies the 19th century
and the American Civil War.  The question involves the production of
clothing, and the use of standardized clothing sizes.  The assumption is
that the Union Army was the first mass producer of 'sized' clothing to allow
for the distribution of uniforms to new recruits.  Evidently a survey of
recruits was done, and orders for uniforms were based on averages, so a
bundle of 100 uniforms sent to a unit would have so many jackets sized for a
38 inch chest, so many for a 40, 42, etc.  With the advent of the industrial
revolution, manufacture of standardized sizes in clothing became possible. 

            So, the question is: Was there any evidence prior to the
American Civil War and the Union Army's survey of recruits for the
manufacture of standardized sized clothing?   

 

If someone is on the SCA Costumer's egroup, could you pass this question
along?  

Many thanks, 

Christianna

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