CIVILIAN COSTUME Competition

Civilian Costume Events

The N-SSA is dedicated to preserving multiple facets of cultural history of the American Civil War, including the civilian clothing worn during the time.

Created to encourage historical research, this competition and the wearing and display of authentically reproduced garments, adds educational components for both the participants and general public alike.

The competition is open to anyone interested in civilian clothing worn during the years 1861-1865. With a 60 plus year history, the committee utilizes a scoring system aimed at awarding accuracy in research, construction, knowledge, and overall appearance.

In order to compete in competition, you need to be issued a competitor number, register according the established procedures and not have previously been barred from N-SSA activities.

151th National Costume Competition Winners

**Jackson McCuin - 1st Place Boys Best Visual**
Jackson is dressed to go fishing with Dad, one of his favorite things to do. He is wearing a cotton plaid shirt, green linen trousers and suspenders of a fabric called ticking. Accessories are a wool Newsboy cap, and a tin bucket with bait.

**Amelia Magno - 1st Place Girls Informal Regular Competition**
Amelia has dressed herself for church. She only needs help from Mother to do the hook and eyes on the bodice back. Amelia's dress is a cinnamon pink cotton check, a boat neckline, capped sleeves, fine English net undersleeves, trimmed in a brown wool braid. She is now old enough to complete her dress for church with chemise, drawers, corded stay, under-petticoat, cage hoop, and over-petticoat. Amelia's accessories are a straw bonnet with plaid ribbons, a ribbon belt and Bible.

**Judy Stoneburner - 1st Place Ladies Best Visual**
Judy's has sewn a beautiful, prize winning costume, and used sewing as therapy to recover from an illness. Judy's dress is a cotton plaid. The bodice is made with an "arundal" vest, which is a velvet half vest front sewn under a bolero style jacket. It is trimmed in decorative metal buttons and white cotton under-sleeves. Judy's accessories include a vintage mosaic brooch, cherry amber earrings, and a lovely green cotton velvet Glengarry cap trimmed in mink tails and a black feather.

**Melissa Bowen- 2nd Place Ladies Best Visual**
Having entered her baby boy in the 150th National, Melissa has graduated to entering herself. Her costume is two separate items: bodice and skirt, made in different colors, which became popular during the Civil War Era. The bodice is a gold cotton, and the skirt is a plaid cotton, with a wide fabric belt.

**Nelda Platz- 1st Place Ladies Informal Regular Competition, and The Becky Wood Award**
Nelda is wearing the first Civil War costume that she made. Her dress is a deep blue, round shaped bodice (no darts), center opening, hook and eye closure and decorative buttons. The sleeves are a "coat sleeve" shape, with a button at the wrist. Her accessories are a brooch with an ambrotype (possibly her Father) and a patriotic apron with an applique star on the bib, and thirteen stripes in the skirt.

**Elizabeth Hines - The Susan Brisban Award for an over-petticoat Special Project.**
Beth, a seasoned competitor, has meticulously made an undergarment. Her project is an over-petticoat trimmed in three groups of tucks. The first and third group of tucks, nine each, are horizontal, sandwiching the center group of nine tucks, which are diagonal. Below the tucks she has embroidered "white work", which Beth learned in Peggy Edward-Shaw's sewing workshop.

Fashion Show

The Costume Committee of the N-SSA entertained the troops with a timeline fashion show. Here are some highlights from the event.

Costume Commitee’s Schedule

Workshop/Sewing Circle Topic/Item

Spring 2025 - Collar/cuffs set

Fall 2025 - Undersleeves

Susan Brisbane/Special Project Items

Spring 2025 - Over Petticoat.

Fall 2025 - Collar/cuffs set

Spring 2026 - Undersleeves

Civilian Costume Committee Events are held in Memorial Park. In case of inclement weather, competition is held in the lower level of the Museum.

COMPETITION FEES:
Sewing Circle – no fees charged, all are welcomed to attend.
N-SSA member’s child: $3.00
N-SSA member, teen or adult family member: $5.00
Non-member adult participation: $10.00
Non-member children under 12 years of age: $5.00 (exception of Boy’s Civilian, which is under 15 years of age)

Costume Competition Forms

Getting Started in the N-SSA Costume Competition 2024

SPECIAL AWARDS

The Susan Brisbin Special Project award is presented at each nationals. The costume committee determines the single item for this competition. The item could be an underpinning, accessory, or specific article of clothing.

The item may be for a man, woman or child.
Items are judged on a point system.

Judging for the Special projects is held on Saturday of each nationals and you must register for this competition.

Click here for Registration Form

Examples of our Judging Forms

The Costume Committee has a new Facebook page: Civilian Costuming in the N-SSA. On this page you will find, informative articles, resources, photos and competition results, the link is below.

Civilian Costuming in the N-SSA | Facebook