Oh, I would love to have some costumer friends on here! My brother was married this October and it was a masquerade wedding, and I made my dad a Union Officer's formal dress. The choices were that or a reenactment-grade Revolutionary War outfit. He looked at me and dead-panned "I'm not wearing knickers" and pointed to the Civil War pattern.

I have recently been on a Victorian era kick and ordered a few dress and skirt patterns. Do you use Folkwear patterns at all? They're pricey but a wonder repository of historical patterns.