| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | 6. For example, if you want to have a butternut jacket, |
| 1. There seems to be a lot of discussion on color and | | | | I personally feel that a gray hat or pants goes well |
| fabric. The most accurate statement on this issue that | | | | because it blends in better with the other reenactors in |
| I can make was there was a great variety of colors | | | | the line. |
| and fabrics. | | | | 7. If you look through Troiani’s prints, which are |
| 2. I personally believe that much of the renowned | | | | closely, researched most of the men were in gray with |
| butternut look was due to unstable dyes that faded | | | | some butternut items here and there. |
| quickly. | | | | 8. This is one area where original photos do not do you |
| 3. Many of the items that may have been gray quickly | | | | much good since they are in black and white. Uniforms |
| turned to shades of ranging from light tan through a | | | | in museums are your best source. Troiani’s |
| brownish green. Some reenactors love the butternut | | | | prints are reliable since he is considered to be one of |
| look and that is perfectly ok, but I wouldn’t | | | | the foremost experts in Civil War Uniforms. |
| overdo it. | | | | 9. In his paintings, the vast majority of soldiers were in |
| 4. I try to include some gray in my uniform whether it is | | | | gray. They tried to have gray uniforms as best they |
| hat, jacket or pants. I feel like the all gray look or | | | | could. The color of the Confederate army was gray |
| mostly gray look gives a better appearance than the | | | | and they tried to achieve that look whenever possible. |
| all butternut look. | | | | 10. But the shortage of dye and the instability of the |
| 5. I recommend staying with a gray jacket and kepi. | | | | dye was always a problem in keeping all uniforms |
| Add butternut pants. I feel kepis and jackets look | | | | gray. Natural dyes like sumac and walnut were relied |
| better in gray. This is just my personal preference | | | | on to some extent. Sumac for example starts out |
| from the research I have done. There is no hard and | | | | mostly gray and quickly turns to tan or brown like the |
| fast rule about this. | | | | hat shown above. |