A Yoked Dress
It was time to make a new dress, something I seldom do. My reenacting wardrobe is more driven by necessity than stylish desire. My mother had passed away in March and I decided to wear second-stage mourning in her honor. Full mourning, involving all black clothing and a black bonnet with a long black mourning veil would take more time than I had to pull together, having only a month between my mother's death and a national event at Shiloh. We had obligations to attend the event, so remaining home wasn't an option. Since reenacting involves a healthy dose of make-believe, there is no way for others, be they reenactors or spectators, to know one is not simply showing a mourning impression (pretending to be in mourning), and women in full mourning are often met with insensitive or callous comments. For those reasons I decided to wear a lighter stage of mourning, one that involves black and white, gray, and lavender. ...