What is blousing your pants and is it authentic? by John Stillwagon

[paulcalloway]

The following write-up was provided for the AC FAQ project circa 2001 by John Stillwagon of the SGLHA.


What is blousing your pants and is it authentic?

by John Stillwagon

Actually, there are times to blouse your trousers and times not to. There are dozens of period references both in images, field sketches, and writings of soldiers tucking their trousers into their socks.

The current "no blousing" trend was originally a response to mainstream reenactors ALWAYS tucking trousers into their bad ragwool sock or sometimes those cool red hunting socks. (Anybody remember those?)

Because of this, many authentics started rolling up their trousers. This is equally correct.

A good rule of thumb is if you are in camp or in a garrison situation, don't roll up or blouse your trousers. If you are on campaign, especially in muddy conditions, feel free to do either.

Oftentimes, we look for "one size fits all" rules to answer our questions. More often that not, these rules prove to be oversimplifications.

John Stillwagon

PS: Personally, I roll up my trousers because I don't like stretching out my socks.

[Rob Walker]

Great submission Paul and a good conversation sarter. IMO blousing does have it's place while in the field and I do not personally like to do it althought I have while wading through tick infested areas. But IMO I feel it is one of those things that can be represented but looses it's authenticity if #1 everybody at an event has their trousers bloused and #2 trousers are bloused with incorrect socks ie red hunting socks or socks bought at wal-mart etc.

Although there is plenty of documentation via images that blousing did occur, that evidence does not dictate the every soldier in the field bloused. Which is where we come in. We as living historians need to understand that seeing one picture of a few men with bloused trousers does not mean that everyone at an event should be doing it. It's one of those things that we seem to see the documentation then go over board representing. I know that this hold s true for several things the we have determined are "reenactorisms". I think it is a matter of having the correct ratios of these types of things.

One thing I know many people do but you don't see it all that often is men in the field with missing equipment. I understand the need for comfort and all but not at the expense of the experience of being in the field. Just my rambling .02.

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Based on what is presented here it looks like blousing was done.

And it was done on an individual basis by the soldiers depending on the situation and personal preferences.

So shouldn't to 'blouse' or 'not blouse' be determined by the tactical situation and individual choice as opposed it was or wasn't done and done by thsi percentage of soldiers?

Sure whole units doing it on the parade ground is probably farby but how about a unit cutting through heavy brush. Everybody might just have done it.

Since I wear my drawers long I never do it because my underwear is already bloused.

Bob Sandusky
Co C 125th NYSVI
Esperance, NY