Reticules and Purses
A purse or reticule is not a necessity; however, if you wish to have something in which to carry a few small items, they can be useful. Most purses were small, no more than four inches long, could be beaded, crocheted, of fabric or of leather.

A miser purse has a long, narrow, tubular shape with a slit left open in the middle. The purse was pulled through two metal rings, called sliders. Both rings are slid to one side, coins are inserted through the opening into the other end of the tube, then one of the rings is slid tight against the end to secure the coins inside. Coins would be inserted into both ends in this way. The rings ensure that coins cannot escape through the central slit. Many women’s magazines of the period offered patterns for making purses and reticules

Another common type of reticules was the shape of a small bag with drawstring or clasp closures; these were often beaded. There were also leather handbags, smaller versions of what we might find today.

An article in Volume XVI, No. 2 May 2009 edition of the Citizen's Companion offers a few additional period photos of women with purses.

Again, ensure your choice of reticule matches your impression; a working class impression would probably not carry an ornately beaded purse.

Do not use a basket as a purse. A basket was used to carry work or purchases. If you must carry items that are too big to fit in a reticule, you might want to consider a waist pocket under your hoops that is accessed through a slit in your skirt. While not completely correct for the 1860s, it has a better appearance than a basket.

Gloves and Mitts
Gloves for women were a fashion item as well as being utilitarian. Like with everything else, your impression will dictate your use of gloves. All impressions can make use of gloves for warmth, which did not differ much from today. However, fashion gloves of kid were generally worn by the middle and upper classes. Gloves at this time were short, usually about wrist length, even for evening (long opera gloves were not in fashion at this time). Gloves were worn when going out, such as visiting and running errands, and for formal occasions. Often you can find acceptable leather gloves at antique stores.

Mitts were still worn by some during the 1860s. It appears through photographs that mitts were more likely to be worn inside rather than as gloves outside. Do keep in mind that the heavy half-fingered mitts sold by most sutlers are not correct. Period mitts were light-weight and most often of lace rather than yarn.

Parasols
First and most important: avoid the Battenberg parasols you see at sutlers. These are not correct for the Civil War period. Generally a parasol for the 1860s will be of silk, possible fringed, scalloped or some other decorative element along the edge. The silk may be solid, printed, have contrasting bands or be covered with lace. The shade is around 25 inches in diameter. The stick is short usually less than 30 inches from tip to handle. The long stick parasols that could be used as walking sticks come in fashion later.

Fans
A fan can be a very useful item to have in Texas. Palm and sandalwood fans are good utilitarian fans that any impression might use. Fans used at formal occasions are fancier of silk or lace and may have blades of ivory, bone or mother of pearl. Fans should not be strung from your waist. Also avoid Battenberg lace and large ostrich feather fans.