Bring Back Civil War Facial Hair!



via

The men of 19th century America were wildly expirimental with their facial hair styles and Civil War facial hair has become a cult phenomenon. Here are some great examples and blogs who document these fine gentlemen:

Smithsonian's top 24 Vote for your favorite! It's amazing. I bet some of these guys were real lady killers.
Civil War facial hair
Mustaches of the 19th century




Maj. Gen. Alpheus Williams via

Favorite Civil War Era Movies



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As you may know, many people are quite obsessed with the Civil War. Not only are there daily reenactments, books written, memorabilia collected, and stories told, but Hollywood got in on the action too. Over the years it has developed and perpetuated our sensibilities towards the war. While these films range in age, style, and point of view they still speak to our love of adventure and nostalgia for the past today.

My top five Civil War era movies:

1. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
2. Glory
3. Gone with the Wind
4. Gettysburg
5. Cold Mountain

I must say that I have not seen Cold Mountain, however many insisted on its inclusion. So let me know what you think! Do you have a favorite Civil War era movie?

Exploring Bourbon

Although the Union ended up defeating the Confederacy there are some things about the South that we still enjoy - like bourbon.

Bourbon aka whiskey is a type of distilled alcohol made from grain mash. Yummy. All whiskey is made from a combination of rye, malted rye, barley, malted barley, wheat, and corn. Some are also made with molasses. Bourbon is different than her Scottish (scotch) and Irish (whiskey) cousins as she is made with at least 51% corn mash. Because of this bourbon is also known as corn whiskey (the names are so clever).

It tastes like corn syrup and alcohol. It is usually too sweet for my palate but many people prefer it to a strong smokey scotch. Popular brand name bourbon include: Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, and Wild Turkey - all from Kentucky. One of my favorites is Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey from Tuthilltown Spirits. Although sweet it has a slightly nutty/vanilla flavor to round it out. I, in fact, enjoy all of their whiskeys even though they are made in the North...

Whiskey is distilled then aged in oak barrels. American corn whiskey, by law, must be aged in new barrels every time. This seems wasteful but coincidentally Irish whiskey must be made in old barrels. So the American makers sell their barrels to the Irish makers and everyone's happy.

Now that you have had a nice little history lesson, here is a fun bourbon cocktail to try.

Custer's Last Stand

You'll need:
1/2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounces grenadine
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
3 dashes bitters
Ice
Shakers
Shot glass
Whiskey glass

Pour all ingredients into the shaker. Then add the ice after the ingredients so that it does not water down your beverage. Shake, pour and serve.

*Although the infamous Custer's Last Stand (formally known as the Battle of Little Bighorn) took place about ten years after the Civil War, General George A. Custer was quite active during the Civil War and participated in the Battle of Gettysburg. So this counts!

Shoe Love

Alexander Wang booties

Unfortunately I lost some of my posts for the end of the week due to the blogger outage. So while I catch up here is some shoe love!

These military inspired booties are not combat ready but will bring a contemporary masculine balance to your light and airy spring and summer wardrobes. I would pair them with skinny jeans, cropped slacks, or flowing skirts.

IWhat are you doing this weekend? I am traveling yet again, this time I won’t be in the mountains of Harper’s Ferry but on the white sandy beaches of Clearwater, Florida.

Do you have any travel plans?

Wardrobe: Civil War Inspired



In attempts to be inspired by Civil War Era fashion it is difficult not to address the elephant in the room: women's lack of rights during the 19th century. I won't get too deep into the 19th century view point on women. I'll just get fired up. Basically we have the Cult of Domesticity. The notion that a woman's place is in the home. As the delicate sex it is in her nature to be quiet and moral. She should only worry herself with organizing parties and hosting guests of her husband. Women should not be concerned with matters outside the home, especially politics. In fact it might hurt them to do so... blah blah blah.

Bag, grey pants, cream pants, shoes, blazer, top, earrings, scarf

There were some efforts by women to gain equal rights in the mid 19th century and although women were not considered in the fight of equality for all men, I think it certainly got the wheels turning.

That being said, women's fashion of that time wasn't necessary my taste either. However what happened to fashion as an industry is very influential to how we think about clothing today.

An interesting little fact we learned on our tour of Harper's Ferry (important sight for the Abolisionists' and famous for John Brown's ill fated attempt at a slave rebellion), is that standardized sizing of ready-made clothing came about through the Civil War. Previous to that the wealthy had their clothes taylored to their exact measurements and the less well off made their own or bought used items. This includes shoes, hats, gloves, and other accessories. Some ready-made clothing was produced but was so ill fitting that they were known as "slops". Data was collected from the troops and used to create standardized sizes so that clothing, shoes, and hats could be mass produced.

This profoundly influenced the way we interact with clothing now. Ready-made items are cheaper to produce and the main source for dressing most if not all Americans. Plus shopping as a past-time would arguably not exist.

So here is my Civil War inspired ensemble for today's publicly and politically participating female.

*Custom made clothing still exists today and is known as Couture but that is a story for another posting.

Day trip: Gettysburg, PA

"Four Score and Seven Years Ago..."

 

It can be said that the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1 - 3, 1863, was a turning point in the Civil War as General Meade, leading the Union Army, defeated General Robert E Lee's advancement on the North. It was also one of the bloodiest battles of the war with casualties in the range of 50,000.

The battle ground was quickly dedicated as a national cemetery and President Lincoln gave one of the most iconic and memorable speeches in American history  at the dedication ceremony - The Gettysburg Address. Though the exact words of the speech are not know, as there are several copies with different wording, Lincoln honored those who gave their lives to nobly serve their country and linked the Union's efforts in the Civil War to the Declaration of Independence, reminding listeners that all men are created equal and that they are fighting to keep the Nation unified to fulfill these rights.

Today, tourists can visit the historical cemetery and battle grounds easily "The American Way", by driving through them. I recommend the drive though especially if you are only visiting for one day, you can cover a lot of ground. Check out the National Park Services website for details on the park, hours, driving routes, and events for the 150th Anniversary. They also provide great historical information and a timeline.

The town of Gettysburg has antique shopping and lovely historic architecture. I recommend stopping by to fill up on food and libations. We went to the Pub & Restaurant. The decor (and wait staff) were a bit goofy and the food was dependable pub food.

One thing I am getting used to, being back in the South and around country towns (as Gettysburg is decidedly not Southern), is that people are terribly friendly here. It catches me off guard! Be ready for random people to say hello to you and ask you about yourself or more often than not they will start telling you about themselves. While it is off putting, there are advantages to friendly locals - they tell you the best places to eat, drink, and be merry. So don't hesitate to mingle when visiting.

UPDATE:
As recommended by my uncle, a Civil War enthusiast who has participated in re-enactments, a great place to eat and stay in Gettysburg is a B&B, Farnsworth House. It has ghosts from the Civil War (!) and was named after Elon Farnsworth who was a Brigadier General in the Battle of Gettysburg and died in battle July 3 leading his troops to fight in the East Calvary Field.

Civil War Era America

via Library of Congress

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Over the next few years national historic landmarks, museums, and cities will be celebrating the great victories and ideals of the 1850's and 60's.



via Library of Congress

The Civil War is not only being celebrated this year but it is part of our daily cultural dialogue. The war is still part of many American's daily lives and it continues to shape how we view each other and our history. On a regular basis one can see Civil War battle reinactments at Fort Sumner, in Gettysburg, and other important sights. The North and the South (especially) still struggle with stereotypes and their identities. Most importantly, the nation is still recovering from slavery, emancipation, and the messy polictical aftermath. It wasn't until 100 years after the war, during the Civil Rights Movement, that minorities were starting to get recognized as equal citizens.

So, in honor of the 150th Anniversary, this week we are traveling through time to visit some key moments of this time and see how they are still influencing us today. Stay tuned!