A Civil War Uniform Makes a Great Costume!
Soldier’s uniforms, as costumes, are always popular and are a good choice for any occasion and is one that is not going to go out of style any time soon. There are many different types of these uniform costumes, and the idea is to choose which branch of the military, as well as the time period, you are most interested in. Dressing up for Halloween is not only a time of excitement and fun; it can also be a neat way to get a child interested in history. It goes without saying that this would be true for adults of all ages as well.
In the costume world Civil War soldiers costumes are very hot items right now. The only question that needs to be answered is “Should I be a Union soldier or a Confederate soldier?” This will certainly be up to the person who is wearing the costume, or if a child, then the child’s parent would have to help with the decision. Do you want to make a statement? Are you a son of the south or a dedicated northerner? Are you worried about political correctness or could you care less? Is there even a political aspect to the American Civil War in this day and time? The answer to these questions is simple. We’re talking about a party and having fun, so throw political correctness out the window and pick the Civil War uniform that feels right for you!
Now that you’ve decided to wear a Civil War soldiers costume there are a couple more decisions to be made. There are several different types of Confederate and Union uniforms that can be found in online stores. Do you feel like being an enlisted soldier or an army officer? How about choosing between being in the infantry or the cavalry? These choices are available in both child and adult sizes. Lower priced, packaged Civil War officer’s costumes usually only come with a jacket, pants and sash so you’ll have to buy your uniform hat and sword separately. The more expensive costumes usually come with a double breasted jacket with contrasting collar and cuffs and sleeve emblems, sash with fringed ends and elastic waisted trousers with contrasting braid in the seams. Keep in mind that even with these deluxe costumes the uniform hat is not normally included but can be purchased separately. To round out your costume you’ll want to check out the replica Civil War swords as well. A plastic sword would probably be good enough for the small ones.
There are a few costume stores that also offer a line of authentic replica uniforms for the Civil War reenactment enthusiast or hobbyist. These uniforms are usually more detail specific than regular costumes and are preferred by some reenactors. This is where you can find authentically reproduced Civil War weapons such as pistols and rifles, holsters, swords and other edged weapons, belts and buckles, insignia, brogans and even buttons. The many different types of Civil War hats that are reproduced abd can be picked up at these specialty stores as well.