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Thread: Women competitors

  1. #1
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    Women competitors

    Can female competitors wear a period dress when competing? I'm talking about what Civil War period poor women wore on the farm, not the kind of dress with the hoop skirt that sticks out. Just a very simple CW period a-line dress that is narrow and close fitting. Sort of like what present day Amish women wear. I think they might be referred to as a 'day dress'. Sorry but I'm not a girlie-girl so I don't know the terminology. Thanks!
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  2. #2
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    I'll be interested to know the answer to this. My wife shoots. After our first skirmish, we were walking along. She said she had a good time, but thought she "Looked like a boy". I assured her that wasn't the case. She's not a girlie girl either, but she might be interested in something like that if it's an option.

  3. #3
    Lou Lou Lou is offline
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    This came up a few years ago. Short answer is all members compete in team event in team uniform. She can wear period attire for camp life and individuals visuals.
    sorry for the negative response, let the games begin
    Lou Lou Lou Ruggiero
    Tammany Regt-42nd NYVI

  4. #4
    jonk is offline
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    The way I look at it is this. Women wore dresses during daily life. NOT in combat. If women could wear civilian period wear on the firing line, why can't men do the same?

    Some women snuck into the service. Those who did wore the same clothes as the men did.

    Besides, why would someone want to get a nice dress all covered in black powder grime and grease and sweat?

  5. #5
    Jim Brady Knap's Battery is offline
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    I may be wrong and clarification would help in this case but while not being reenactors I thought we are still supposed to represent the soldiers of the Civil War armies not the general public of the time. It seems like womens clothing belongs in the dress competition not on the firing line.
    Last edited by Jim Brady Knap's Battery; 07-06-2017 at 01:55 PM.
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  6. #6
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    Women competitors

    True that women 'snuck' into service during the CW and while it may be true that they may not have participated on the battlefield wearing women's attire, they certainly were on the battlefields wearing women's attire while tending to the wounded, etc.
    I was simply wondering what the uniform 'options' are for females. It is my understanding that a 'team' uniform is up to each individual team, hence that is why we see some teams where all members are dressed alike and some teams everyone is wearing something different. And some teams only require their members to be in 'team' uniform for Nationals.
    As for the comment about 'dirt & grime'...doesn't bother this girl at all. Makes no difference to me what clothes of mine get dirty and grimy whether I'm shooting CW period weapons or my modern weapons, belt fed 50 cal. or whatever.

  7. #7
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    Women competitors

    Quote Originally Posted by Lou Lou Lou View Post
    This came up a few years ago. Short answer is all members compete in team event in team uniform. She can wear period attire for camp life and individuals visuals.
    sorry for the negative response, let the games begin
    ...let the games begin...you're so funny. I was just asking on behalf of a potential new recruit.
    It's not true that all members compete in team events in team uniform. Some teams only require that their members wear the team uniform at Nationals and the rest of the time the members simply wear period clothing.

  8. #8
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    It's an N-SSA rule that all members of the unit be in the approved uniform which said unit supplied to the N-SSA at the time they became a unit or if the uniform was altered since that time and accepted by the N-SSA. The only exception is inclement weather and then only if the skirmish director making uniforms optional. This is the rule for all official N-SSA skirmishes. If a unit has members out of uniform they can be disqualified from winning.

    That said uniforms can vary greatly on the Confederate side as some units have opted for their uniform to be any period skirt or trousers which was the "uniform" of their unit from the time period of the war which they chose to submit with proof of said attire was actually wore by their unit during the war. So it could easily appear someone was out of uniform if 7 of them are wearing jean cloth and one someone totally different.
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  9. #9
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    Read Section 23 of the Skirmish Rules. Uniforms are required for company competitions, and the uniforms must be those approved for the specific organization. There are no exceptions for women members. This also precludes the wearing of vivandiere costumes. The late Roger Williams (may God rest his soul) spoke succinctly to this issue: N-SSA; where the men are men, and the women are, too.

    NOTE: Some regions require uniforms for all shooting events, including individuals, and uniforms are required for all shooting activities Friday through Sunday at Nationals.

    NOTE: Uniforms are required to be worn for "all National and Regional company and artillery matches." (Rule 23.2a) Uniforms cannot be dispensed with for regional company events except in accordance with Rule 2.14 (Inclement weather).

    John Robey

  10. #10
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    From a practical perspective in the Potomac region, I'd say you could get away with it at an invitational...as long as you didn't make a habit of it. Potomac regionals, maybe. Nationals...probably not, certainly not on Saturday or Sunday.
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