The author's approach is primarily anecdotal. For example, she states that "a few female followers ... may have turned to prostitution when desperate" (p. 112) but offers no firm evidence to prove this assertion. Dealing with prostitution was an ongoing problem for the army, and Mayer does present a smattering of reports regarding the incidence of venereal disease among male soldiers, a serious matter for a military force too often far below quota in numbers of fighting troops. She also states that "commanders tried to prevent the spread of social diseases and ... social and military disorder by banning prostitutes from their camps." (p. 111) No doubt those women who sought "follower" status in the army avoided acts of prostitution to preserve their place in the Continental community, since they full well knew they would be drummed out of the service if caught.
This book is thus more descriptive and assertive in content than fully analytical. Still, the author has brought to life a broadened base of persons who were a part of the Continental army community, and, despite fuzzy definitions, has shown the absurdity of the camp follower-prostitute stereotype. Scholars interested in the subject of military institutions in relation to the societies of which they were a part will find much useful information in this volume. From that perspective, Mayer should be commended for her efforts.
"Tidings from the 18th Century" - by Beth Gilgun 1993
You can also find excellent instructions for making shifts, stays, petticoats, and many other items in Tidings from the 18th Century by Beth Gilgun, a book I'd recommend to any beginning reenactor.
The Shift:
The basic undergarment for women in the 18th century is the shift, also known as the chemise (if you were French) or sark (if you were Lowland Scots).
Shift styles changed over the course of the 18th century, with very full elbow-length sleeves until the middle of the century.
The shift should be somewhere between knee and calf-length, so that it doesn't peek out from beneath one's petticoats.
Don't wear your shift too high around your neck. It should be low enough to show your cleavage; this is how it's worn in period pictures (about an inch above the top of the stays, more or less). For modesty during the day, women in the 18th century wore a neckerchief, which is a piece of cloth about 33" square, pinned or knotted in front. For evening wear, one's cleavage could show, or one could wear a tucker (as above) for a little additional coverage. The instructions below should make a shift that does not require a drawstring. Shifts either with and without drawstrings were worn in the 18th century; many reenactors find that a neckline that is cut too generously will cause the shift to slide off one's shoulders.
Note: A nursing mother asked me whether the instructions below will give a neckline large enough to permit her to breastfeed her son. I suspect the neckline as drafted below might be a little too tight for this. To adjust the neckline, one could either cut the front just a little larger and use a drawstring to make it fit, or make a 3" slit in the center front of the neckline, rolling the edge and finishing it like the front slit in an 18th c. man's shirt.
Measurement worksheet:
__ A: Length from shoulder to mid-calf
__ B: Half of A
__ C: Back of neck (at center) to shoulder
__ D: Desired shoulder width, about 2" to 3"
__ E: Shoulder to 1" above top of stays
__ F: Shoulder to back neckline -- about 1" to 2"
__ G: Shoulder to underarm (measure to about the top of bra
band)
__ H: Shoulder to elbow, plus 1" to 2"
__ I: Sleeve width -- widest circumference of arm plus 3" to 6"
-- wider from the beginning of the 18th century to about 1760,
then narrower toward the end of the century
__ J: Underarm gusset, usually about 6" square
__ K: Cuff -- circumference of forearm plus 2"