Why You Can’t Be 100% Historically Accurate

2nd Vermont Co E unit in 2008

2nd Vermont Co E unit in 2008
2nd Vermont Co E unit in 2008

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in June 2012.

In many reenacting circles, there is a force that drives participants to historical accuracy. Have the right tent structures, keep plastic out of sight, wear clothing only your period character would wear, etc. This is fabulous thought and great effort should be given to be as good of a representative of the past as we can.

Sometimes, however, this verges on the insane like only eating types of food they would have access to and no machine stitched clothes before the late 1850s. (It gets bad when this viewpoint gets forced on others – for shame!)

So why can’t you be 100% historically accurate?

The Simple Answer: You weren’t there.

You Can't Be 100% Accurate | HistoricalSewing.com
Hey, look! A modern car at our 1890s Gibson Girl event. Diane, Amy, and Natalie don’t care that they can see that car whiz by.

You are living in the 21st Century with 21st Century goings-on. You have internet access. You know what a credit card is.

And what about your knowledge of history that’s happened since the time period you are re-creating?

Let’s take the “simple” act of allowing women to vote. That itself, my friends, changes your whole mindset about how you sew your costumes, and more significantly, how you wear them. Think about it.

 

Plymouth-Jacket-Romance
Plymouth 17th C. Jacket Reproduction

Did you see that amazing 17th Century jacket reproduction from 2009? Incredible work! The Plimoth Plantation museum curators in charge of bringing it to life made every possible effort to get as period correct as possible. They even had custom fabric woven specially for it! Crazy!

So in this example, yes, with oodles of time and money you can make a garment REALLY close to accurate. Just like the original. (Unfortunately, this is beyond the reach of those of us who modestly like making period clothing and dressing up in it.)

 

But what happens when an experienced reenactor puts that jacket on? How does she feel? Trained in etiquette of the period, she moves and acts as if she were someone who is visiting us from 300 years ago.

Yet… it’s still not 100% accurate. No.

You see, HER experiences and knowledge of today cannot be entirely pushed aside even for the brief time she’ll wear that jacket. Her movement will have the ever-so-slight flavoring of her 21st Century life. She will never truly hide it.

 

And what about us viewing this Lady of the Past? How do we see her? We also cannot forget our modern lives completely when participating in living history right alongside this wonderful character.

Strive as you may with specially-woven linen from Ireland and Spitalfields silk and handmade lace…. Add a wood-burning fireplace and the hauling of water from the well.

It cannot ever be a complete, period accurate picture.

(Although I will note, those in immersion museums & houses like Colonial Williamsburg, where some live day-in and day-out occupied in the past, they come pretty darn close.)

 

But why can’t it ever be 100% accurate? Because of you. Because of us.

Our minds, both reenactor and observer alike, are filled with images of cell phones, light switches and cars with air conditioning. Socially we are a part of a generation that has experienced the immense tragedy of 9/11. We know the history of the Holocaust. We know about Civil Rights and our dependence on oil.

And we cannot abandon these concepts at the door of the event. They are with us. They shape us into who we are as people living today, in the 21st Century.

We struggle to get as close as we can to sewing costumes and wearing them as clothing from the past. We can study history books and diaries and photos to bring that essence of the period to our character. But we can never leave ourselves out of the picture.

 

We study costuming and live through our unique 21st Century senses. Embrace that joy. That wonderment of what it was like to really live back then.

Remember to show YOU through your period wardrobe. Teach what it was like, but show them that the world can change….

You Can't Be 100% Accurate | HistoricalSewing.com
Regency Soiree table & guests

60 thoughts on “Why You Can’t Be 100% Historically Accurate

  1. Sierra Marie says:

    Thank you for writing this! I work at Rock Ledge Ranch and Colorado Springs and we try pretty hard to make people feel like they are stepping into the past. sadly you’re right, we can’t always be 100% correct. We still have smoke alarms on the ceilings. Many of the older interpreters keep their phones inside hollow books that’s they carry around just incase theres an emergency. Lol.

  2. Georgie Castilla says:

    This is absolutely wonderful, Jennifer! It made me think of a masterclass I took while in grad school, taught by Academy Award winner Gabriella Pescucci. When asked about historical accuracy in movies, she gave us this beautiful reply that “there is no such thing as historical accuracy in period movies. You can certainly try, but you will always have to fight acting blocking needs, camera filters, color rendering, opposing weather conditions, and the director’s vision, aesthetic and interpretation. No, your movie is not supposed to be a museum exhibition. It’s all about studying the silhouette, taking inspiration from historical garments and translating them into fiction; a dramatization of the real thing.
    Your mission as a Costume Designer is to tell the characters’ story through fabric. Thus never be afraid of making your own art. Have fun with it. Have your way with it. Be proud of it.”
    I know re-enactment is a different world, but I think it applies when you say we are still part of TODAY, so TODAY will always find a way to get a bit in the way 🙂

  3. Ellie May says:

    Hello Jennifer!

    I have a question/comment that is not entirely related but is something I really wish to share!

    I just read your post on sewing burnout and although I have not finished a large project recently I am experiencing a kind of burn out. I still love, love, love historical fashion but I feel devoid of inspiration and the desire to sew as if I am almost “sick of it.” I am not as interested in reading on the subject of historical fashion and history as much as I used to be but I still want to pursue it. It’s like there one side that is losing interest and another that’s super excited and I can not make both happy! Not sewing makes me feel guilty and upset, I miss the creativity and all of the joy it brought me! I have tried to go on Pinterest and Instagram to see what other people are doing to get inspiration but it’s not helping. I feel like I should take a break but I am terrified of losing interested altogether since that would be heartbreaking since I love the hobby so much! I also still want to read about it and not feel like I “can’t” or “shouldn’t” read books or blog posts of sewing and historical fashion. I believe I am thinking about this all too much! Has anything similar happened to you? How did you cope?

    Thanks so much!

    • Jennifer Rosbrugh says:

      Oh, how I get what you’re saying, Ellie May!
      I do believe our interests change as we grow and learn about our world. Doesn’t mean we still don’t love what we did before, but new things have captured our attention. Sometimes we simply need a break from it. A recent example was in the first few months after my daughter was born (she’s not quite 2). I had absolutely NO desire to research, to study, and certainly no energy or thoughts to put towards any sort of historical costume project. Now, I know a huge part of that is simply part of taking care of a newborn. But I was a bit worried if I’d ever get excited about sewing again. And I make my living teaching sewing! So now, over a year and a half later I’ve got so many ideas again but am stuck without the time to make them happen as fast as I’d like. It’s the give and take, the peaks and valleys of life.

      It is true that we all experience burnout on costuming (or whatever craft we call our passion). We need a break from it. It’s tiring to think about. It’s draining. But we hate experiencing that because we TRULY do love historical sewing. Yet it’s ok to step back, put it away and focus on other areas of our life. Each season is different. When we come back to the sewing our perspective has changed. Doesn’t mean we’ve lost our love of it… our view has simply changed. It’s part of the human experience.

      I say, let the guilt go and focus on THIS season and what’s around you. Don’t push so hard to find the joy. You won’t lose your creativity. But it will change. YOU change. And one day, you’ll find the inspiration to pick up the project again. Where purchasing a new fabric sparks joy. That day you decide to open your Pinterest costume boards again and a spark runs through your spirit and gives you a smile. It might be next month. It might not be for a few years. But remember, you haven’t lost your creativity. Focus it on other things right now. Inspiration will come back to you in time.

      Cheers! <3

  4. David says:

    Over here in the UK we portray WW1 & WW2 Aviators of the Royal Flying Corps and RAF… We try our hardest to be authentic on every aspect, but just occasionally you’ll spot someone using their cell phone which completely spoils the illusion, or someone with a tattoo on their neck… I recently had a guy pull me up about the thickness of a strap on my RAF cap.. He was wearing a modern divers type watch… I thought I wont comment and kept quite..

  5. Nancy says:

    Thank you for this commentary on being historicaly accurate to the point of being extreme. It can take the joy out of historical sewing quite quickly. Many groups can be so judgemental, it casts a dark cloud over the fun of reenacting.

  6. Ilse Gregoor says:

    This post really got me thinking about historical accuracy and I find the subject incredibly fascinating. I totally agree with your view on how our modern life affects historical accuracy. But that also got me thinking a lot about the term “historical accuracy” in general. About how sometimes we talk about it kind of like a judged contest instead of a subject we are all excited about. So I actually wrote a blog post about that, and I linked that back to this post, because it inspired me so much. I hope you don’t mind that…

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