In the Thirteen Colonies
(More specifically, rich people’s clothing)
By Sasha Grand 7A3
Introduction- A Quick
Run Down

The Colonial period was the
late 17th century and the whole of the
18th century. During that time period,
fashion changed drastically. As new
ideas about fashion came in, and
others went out, dress codes changedfor both men and women. It would be
to complicated to talk about fashion as
a whole for the thirteen colonies, so I
am just going to talk about the rich
people’s clothing.

There really was no fashion for
kids. They had no choice of what
to wear. From the age of one to
five, they were condemned to
put on a dress- both boys and
girls! Also, they had to wear a
pudding cap, a hat
to protect their head
if they fell down.
The frock that boys and girls had to wear.
A pudding cap. It
was like the modern
crash helmet!
Kid’s Fashion (Again?)

A children suit.
 When kids were born, they had to wear
an undergarment called a skeleton suit,
which was usually made from a soft
material such as silk or wool.
 When a kid turned seven they dressed
like adults. If you were rich, you were
able to afford to have your children’s
clothes made by a tailor. Most of the
time, however, it was made by your
family.
 Also, kids had to wear stays, a garment
which supported the back and was
thought to support better posture.
A skeleton
suit.
Materials

Both poor and rich fashion was the same, but the
difference was the material that it was made from. Rich
people could afford imported silks and linen, from
China and England, while the poor had to make do
with the wool that they probably took from their own
sheep. Also, the rich could afford to have their clothing
embroidered with gold and silver threads making an
elaborate design.
Men’s Suits

Men’s suits consisted of
many undergarments and
coats. In the first layer their
was a linen shirt with silk
stockings. On the second
layer their was a three point
hat, shoes with a silver
buckle, breeches, a
waistcoat, a silk cravat, and
a coat. Remember, when a
kid turned seven he dressed
like a mini adult.
Shoes

Everyone knows girls love shoes! (I nearly
forgot to put this slide in!) If you lived in the colonial
period shoes were a necessity, especially in the winter,
when you could get frostbite and other diseases. If you
were rich you could afford fancy shoes and other items.
Indian Moccasins were the most comfortable, but
English shoes were the most stylish. English shoes
were made from leather, velvet, linen, satin, and wood.
The satin or velvet was used on the outside of the shoe.
Linen was used on the inside. Then, the wood or the
leather was used as the sole. In men’s shoes buckles
were a must. They were more practical, made of a
hardened leather. In order to be seen as a proper
gentleman, you must have worn a buckle. Also, Men
usually wore boots. Buckled shoes were only worn at
parties, and very few could afford them. Fancy shoes
came from
England.
Gowns

Women’s Gowns were very
complicated. They had, on the
inner layer a hooped petticoat,
stays, and a shift. On the outer
layer they wore an elaborate
hat, a lace cap, a bodice and
skirt joined together (a gown),
shoes, and stockings. Also,
Hoops were only worn at
fancy parties, women did not
wear them everyday.
Tailors

Tailors were the people who made clothing. However, the
people brought their fabrics to the tailor, he did not weave
fabrics. The tailor was the one who made embroidered
gowns that could cost a pretty penny. The poor had to make
do with simple clothes. Also, clothes were considered a
status symbol. If your clothes were nice, you were thought to
be rich (you probably were if you had nice clothes), and if
you were poor you had clothes made from rough fabrics. (it
was the same fashion, it was just uncomfortable, made from
cotton, wool, and other materials.) Tailors were one of the
basic tradesman needed in a colonial town.
New England Clothing

There is one word that describes New England
clothing: Bland. Well, it is not really that surprising,
because of the Puritan background. The Puritans
believed in modesty, so women had to cover their hair
and people could only wear simple clothes in modest
colors like black and white (no embroidery, no fancy
gowns). They also had to cover their body. Men dressed
in simple, one colored suits. Also, women rarely
dressed their hair, it was only done on gala occasions,
where of course everyone had to look their best.
Middle/Southern Clothing

The middle colony had a mix of fashion styles. Because of
the Dutch and Swedish heritage (Delaware and New York
were Swedish and Dutch colonies.) knickerbockers were
some what popular. They were a type of pants that came
down to the knees. Men wore pieces of felt tied around their
necks (an ancestor of the bow tie.) and wore the regular
suits. Women wore sack back dresses. Also, horse back
riding was popular along the Hudson River so soon people
were wearing riding boots. In the south, people just wore
what was fashionable. Also, kids had more freedom to
choose what they wanted to wear.
Slave Clothing

In the new English colonies there were slaves, a lot of
them. And they had to wear clothing. Women wore a
simple dress and an apron, if they worked in a kitchen.
Men wore a shirt and some breeches. The clothing was
extremely uncomfortable and made of wool. Imagine
working in a field, you’re sweating like heck, and
you’re wearing itchy, rough wool. Not so comfy. That
was how a slave felt. Also, they were treated with
hatred and contempt, so that did not make their job any
easier.
Wigs

Wigs were the most fashionable thing
you could wear in the colonial period.
They were made from donated hair or
hair from other places (animals). It
was a must for gentleman to powder
their wigs, making them look pure
white. However, despite their
popularity, wigs started to disappear
by the late 18th century. Women also
sometimes wore wigs. They were
powdered a bluish grayish color,
making them look as if they were in
their sixties. Men in the local militias
instead of wearing wigs powdered
their hair with chalk dust, making the
impression of a wig.
Sources

 history.org/clothing/childrens/cloth/child,
history.org/clothing/mens/anatomyofasuit
history.org/clothing/women/shoes
history.org/clothing/women/anatomyofagown
history.org/accessories/clothing.
- ALL ABOVE ARE FROM COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG
- Retrieved from 11/7/11 to 11/29/11.
- McPharlin, Paul. Life and Fashion In America 1650 – 1900.
Hastings House, New York, 1946.