WELL DRESSED TIGER
THE
WELL DRESSED TIGER
Here you see two WELL DRESSED Tigers. Both are dressed according to our unit regulations.
WE do understand that other Tigers prefer the Taupe or Butternut Zouave style jacket. We understand their reasons, but we are doing an early war portrayal and we have chosen to wear the blue.
HAT: Red Fez or Plantation style straw hat. Brass letter B on front of hat (not shown).
SHIRT: Banded collar red shirt.
JACKET: Navy Blue Zouave Style jacket without Tambeau.
BELT and OTHER ACCOUTREMENTS: Black waist belt with Louisiana belt buckle. Cap Pouch and Cartridge box on belt. D Guard Bowie Knife (not shown).
CANTEEN: Navy Blue canteens. (not pictured)
PANTS: Blue and white stripped pants made of Hamilton mattress ticking.
SOCKS: Blue and white stripped socks.
GAITORS/LEGGINGS: Button up gaitors.*
SHOES: Jefferson style brogans.
Here, the Sgt is holding a Colt musket and the Pvt. is holding an Enfield. Our unit was originally issued 1841 Mississippi Rifles (.54 Cal), but we allow Enfield muskets as well. Sgt. Chris Beresovoy and Pvt. Jessica Mendanhall are stellar examples of how to properly dress for the time period of the unit we are portraying.
HOW CAN I LOOK THIS GOOD???
Below are a few different lists. Please remember that we allow each person 18 months or LONGER to acquire all of the required items.
REQUIRED ITEMS:
Straw hat $14. http://www.fcsutler.com/fchats.asp#Straw 765-482-1862
Fez: $35 Custom made to fit! Contact Rick Price at RAPSutler@aol.com
Shirts: Cost of materials only. Contact Sgt. Dawn Beresovoy. beres@roadrunner.com
Jacket: Made to order! Contact Sgt. Dawn Beresovoy. beres@roadrunner.com
Pants: $45 and up. Contact Pvt. Ken Dacey. kenbus@aol.com
Socks: $8 Timeless Stitches. http://www.tstitches.com/store/extenders.htm Stripped Stockings, blue and white.
Gaitors: $34.95 White Canvas Buckled Gaitors http://fcsutler.com/fcblankhavers.asp 360-966-5132
Brogans: $75 Jefferson Style. Blockade Runner. http://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg14a.html Item # 275.
Belt Buckle: $15.95. Louisiana Belt Buckle. http://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg19.htm Item # CW-32
Belt, cap pouch and cartridge box (M1855 or M1858) : $75 and up for all. Contact Gary at G and M Mercantile g_wear@yahoo.com 760-240-7525
Canteen: $39.95 Blockade Runner: http://www.blockaderunner.com/Catalog/catpg11a.html Item # 969 Navy Blue, TIN.
$49.95 Fall Creek Sutlery http://www.fcsutler.com/fctin.asp US Canteen, Stainless Steel. Navy Blue.
D Guard Bowie Knife: $12.95 Item # 17 (SZ203242) http://budk.com/product.asp?pn=17%20SZ203242 866-246-7164
RIFLES: You have a few options here. PLEASE look around before you buy! Many places will have them on sale at different times!
Rifle: 1841 Mississippi 2 Band .54 Cal (Euroarms) OR 1853 3 Banded Enfield (Armisport) Our unit was originally issued the Mississippi but either weapon is acceptable. These rifles are between $535-$600 depending on which rifle you choose and which company you buy from.
Check out the following places BEFORE you buy anything! And above all ask a veteran Tiger for help BEFORE you buy!
Blockade Runner: www.blockaderunner.com 931-389-6294
Dixie Gun Works: www.dixiegun.com
Q and M Mercantile: www.sqmmerc@adelphia.net 909-357-8822
Fall Creek Sutlery: http://www.fcsutler.com/ 765-482-1861
Timeless Stitches: http://www.tstitches.com/indexpg2.htm 360-966-5132
Valentine Sutlery: 760-257-3652 (ask for Paula or Cal).
G and M Mercantile 760-240-7525 ( ask for Gary). Email: g_wear@yahoo.com If he doesn't have it, he will get it for you! Gary has been very supportive of the Tigers over the years and we HIGHLY recommend him.
OTHER ITEMS:
Camp chair: $15 and up World Market /Cost plus.
Sleeping Bag: $30 and up. Wal-Mart or any Army Navy Surplus stores. We recommend a water resistant cover out outer layer.
Plate: (tin is preferred) $5 and up. Most sutlers, but check Salvation Army as well.
Silverware: $.25 I bought mine at Salvation Army.....CHEAP!
Cup: (tin is preferred) Most sutlers have these. The price can vary drastically so check around.
Wool Blanket: $15 and up. Army Surplus Stores.
Quilt: $15 and up. Big Lots, Wal-Mart, K-Mart etc.
OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE NICE TO HAVE:
Lantern: (candle type is better) $25 and up. Various sutlers.
Tent: $200 and up. Generally you will need a 6 to 9 foot A frame. Fall Creek Sutlery has the best prices around and the fastest shipping.
Stove: $150 for a medium and up for larger size. Valentine Sutlery. Call 760-257-3652 (ask for Paula or Cal).
Pots and Pans: $35 and up. BEWARE! Salvation Army chargers more then you can buy them NEW at Wal-Mart.
*Just as a side note: You will see in the picture above that the gaitors/leggings are with buttons but the ones on the websites to order are with leather buckled straps. Do not worry! The two Tigers pictured above removed the leather straps and replaced them with buttons. You are not required to do that. You can leave the leather straps if you prefer. Having buttons instead of the leather strap is more correct, but we accept the buckled gaitors as well.
For Women that dress as soldiers: Known as Distaff Soldiers
For all of us 'gals' that prefer to go out on the field dresses as men, this section is for you! I need to be frank about a few things so don't be embarrassed please. First and foremost, females need to dress and act like MEN. Unfortunately women have a few things that men simply do not have: breasts. As women, we need to hide them as best we can. I wear a Fruit of the Loom sports bra. They are cheap! I buy mine at Wal-Mart for $4.95 for three. When buying a sports bra, do not buy the type that have cups. Remember we need to flatten our chests as much as possible here. Another way to take the emphasis off the chest is to not wear a cartridge box strap. Remove the strap and place the cartridge box on your belt. When you have all of your accoutrements on there is an X right down the middle of the chest, this acts as emphasis, which women do not need when portraying a man. By removing the cartridge box strap you are removing one half of the X. Next item is hair. A lot of women have long hair, which is lovely, but well, not period correct for a man. If you have long hair you will need to keep it covered under you hat. I put mine in a ponytail and the wrap it up under the hat. During prayer, or honor ceremonies, or during recall, women should not remove their hats. In fact, women and men need to wear their hats at all times in and out of camp. Facial hair: I simply can not grow a five o'clock shadow! I have tried the costume mustaches and beards but they do not stay on when you sweat a lot. Feel free to TRY one if you like, but I have yet to find a quality glue that will keep a fake mustache in place. Makeup: Sorry ladies, none is allowed. Women need to be clean faced, no eye shadow, mascara, lip-gloss, etc. Men did not use make-up and neither should we. Jewelry is another important issue. Sorry gals only a very basic wedding ring can be worn. Please, no earrings or other piercing jewelry. Another very important thing about being a female soldier is how you act. You may not have noticed, but men do not swing their arms as much as women. So as females trying to look like a mind be mindful of your arm swing. Men do not cross their legs when they sit either, so guess what? We shouldn't either. In our unit there is what we call the 'Five Foot Rule'. That means that someone standing five feet away from you should not be able to tell if you are female. I know that some girls are simply more feminine and prettier then other girls, but we need to strive to be MANLY. Think of it as acting. If you are acting a part and that part happens to be a male part, how would you act? There is not need to try to change your voice here, but be mindful of things you say. For example: Men do not refer to their undergarments as panties, they would say underwear or more correctly: unmentionables. Another example would be blouse. Nope, men call them shirts. Be mindful of what you say is all. THINK LIKE A MAN and ACT like a man.
1) Guard duty,
Picket duty, Drill, Camp chores, Parades: NEVER REFUSE to do your duty or
detail as a soldier without very good reason AND permission from your commanding
officer. Being a female DOES NOT excuse you from any of the tasks performed by
your fellow soldiers. By performing the same work, duty, and drills as your
male counterparts, you gain their respect. Failure to do your part can result
in being pointed out as a poor example of a female soldier and can make it
harder for the next woman who wants to portray a soldier.
Remember! You are setting the standard. Poor examples are
more easily discovered than good ones!
If you have questions, feel free to ask Dawn Beresovoy at beres@roadrunner.com and don't be embarrassed about asking, she had to ask someone too!
This page was made in honor of Amanda Zankich
Please consider donating to the American Cancer Society in Amanda's honor.