Colonial Clothing - What was worn in the 18th century
The history of clothes in this period of the 1700’s (18th century) is very fascinating. Men’s colonial clothing was very difficult to make. Wealthy people were usually the only one’s who could afford to buy clothes that were finished. Those who were considered middle class and poor usually had to make their own. Colonial clothing for the middle class and poor children was usually made to fit loosely so the children had room to grow.
Colonial clothing was usually made of wool. Young boys and girls dressed the same until the ages of 5 or 6 years old. They both wore loose fitting gowns and slippers. Once the boys turned 5 or 6, they were given their first pair of breeches and boots and started to dress more like their father while the girls began wearing dresses more like their mother.
The middle and upper class men wore a suit that consisted of various parts of colonial clothing. The suit consisted of a shirt, which was usually worn closest to their skin. It was always make of white linen and the tails on the shirt were almost down to the knees and were tucked into their breeches. The breeches were pants that buttoned up and stopped just below their knees. They men also wore a waistcoat (which is like a vest) that was worn over the shirt. Depending on the weather, they wore a coat with their colonial clothing that was well-fitted and reached down to their knees. They wore colors that consisted mainly of white, black, beige, brown and earthy green.
The women’s colonial clothing was very modest. They usually wore dresses that were long sleeved and down to their ankles. The bodice of the dress was full with a tight waist and a very full skirt. Women usually wore their hair up and pulled back tightly which was almost always worn with a bonnet or a hat. The material of their colonial clothing was naturally homespun. They wore a variety of colors such as red, blue, gray, violet, brown and earthy green.
As was noted at the top of this page, the children’s colonial clothing was a little different. Boys usually wore dresses until the age of eight and the girls wore them all of their life. The difference between the boys and girls dresses was that the girls wore aprons. Their dresses were usually made of wool or linen. The dresses were a full-length, long sleeved and had high collars. The color that children mostly wore was blue, but they were sometimes seen wearing other colors.