Colonial Costume in America 1620-1781

-By Renu Singh

Colonial Textiles
The Spanish, English, Dutch & French colonized
the New World France - silk brocades, laces and finer clothes. English- Leather clothing England Thin garments Hemp & Homespun cloths tradition lasted in the 1930s

Gore Clock Stockings

Stocking frame & knitting machine
late 17th century V-shaped instep inserts - gores Embroidery over the gores - clock Working classes - hand knit stocking upper classes - machine knit stocking

The Pilgrims (1620) The first settlers of Massachusetts Colony was poor Garments - Doublet and Hose The Puritans (1625) Extravagance was not eliminated but followed all lines of this period Middleclass - farmers, merchants, traders people and craftsmen.

The Manhattan colony Dutch and English Customs - similar to those of the homeland (thrift & optimism)

Men's Costume
The Pilgrim's
Upper body Shirt: long, short-sleeved, off-white linen, with collar Doublet: close fitting, long sleeves, broad padded shoulders, and buttoned front A cloak, lace collar and turned back cuffs & felt hat/cap Older people wore a full-length wool gown

Lower body Breeches knee length front-buttoning pants

made of linen and wool or soft leather. silk satin or silk velvet breeches worn by the wealthy persons. Secured at the waist with a belt and gathered below the knees with garters tied in a bow

Stockings

knee-length, knitted/tailored of cloth. Knitted stocking - silk, wool or linen (coloured) Tailored stocking - silk, wool or woolen mixtures. held up by garters (fabric or ribbon) some times fringed on the ends

 Colours
Whites, blacks, earthy greens, and browns Black was not the predominant color except for on Sunday or formal occasions Shoes low-heel, low cut leather shoes buckles were not worn on shoes Tied at the top of the foot with a ribbon or rosette Gloves and Gauntlets (cuffs are highly embroidered)

The Puritan
Upper body In 1660 the doublet was transformed into the coat large white collar or "playne band," and the turned-back cuffs of linen With the coat came the vest, the cravat, wigs, garters and buckles. The cravat a scarf of white sheer linen & over two yards in length. It was passed twice about the neck and lapped in front. A mental was also worn

Lower body
Breeches, stockings... or hose of dark gray or green wool, fastened to the knee-breeches by ribbon. The tall broad brimmed hat was of black felt These were very expensive and purchased by the very wealthy people Colours Very wealthy-black clothes Common people browns Jewelry few accessories, except for a wedding ring for the few who could afford one.

The Quaker
The Quaker dress (1660-1685),
similar to the French of 1660. Coat was dark brown or plum in color and without trimming of any kind. The full shirt sleeves ended in ruffles which fell over the hand Untrimmed neck cloth of the finest linen

 Hats were similar to

French hat Never adorned with a feather. Hair was cut with a short and fell to the shoulder. Occasionally it was powdered; moreover pre wigs were worn by them

1620-1781
BODY GARMENTS In 1620, loose buttons all down the front was collarless, knee length, large cuffs with full turned up sleeves 1670 straight coat without being shaped in at the waist, mid-thigh length. From waistline, they remained open. Elbow length broad turned-back split cuffs, usually of a different material from the coat. full sleeved shirt gathered to a band, at the wrist from which the ruffles fall over the-hand

 The pockets were usually

horizontal, placed low down and covered with large flaps. In the back the skirts were split in two openings (with buttons and buttonholes) The vest was exposed when the coat was open, and reached to a little below the waist-line. very low large flapped pockets in the coat and vest Men carried, their snuff-boxes, lace handkerchiefs, and silver combs

 In 1750 coat without the vest Coats were allowed to remain open,

and the full linen shirt hung over the waist-band of the breeches buttonholes being more for adornment "embroidered with silver and gold thread At the beginning of the last quarter of the seventeenth century the coat was being more and more fitted to the waist. Skirts of the coat enlarged and stiffened.

 In eighteenth century no marked

change in the coat, except in the narrow turned-down collars Coat extending to the knees or a little below, the vest remaining several inches shorter than the coat Fullness in the knee length skirt and more and more shape in at the waist The vest also followed along the same lines, but a few inches shorter than the coat Sleeves were lengthen toward the wrists, and turned back in deep split cuffs. The cuffs were usually held in place by buttons.

 The pockets of both the coat

and vest were raised considerably higher. Waistcoats were richly ornamented with embroidery

In 1750 1760 closer-fitting skirts to the coats The vest was left unbuttoned a short way down the neck, in order to show the carefully arranged cravat. The vest was considerably shortened, the skirts coming to about mid-thigh Cuffs are much smaller,

CLOAKS AND OVERCOATS

From the beginning of the period, capes and cloaks were no longer fashionable garments, nor of so much importance
eighteenth century worn in cold weather by travelers, either when mounted on horseback or when traveling as passengers The cloak was now more like a great mantle, worn wrapped around the figure instead of being thrown over the shoulders as formerly. In place of the cloaks, one finds for general wear the long, loose overcoats

 In place of the cloaks, one finds for

general wear the long, loose overcoats coming into fashion turned back cuffs large flat collar Or, the collars overlapping the outer collar could be pulled up around the head and face and buttoned down the front, thus giving protection from the cold. belted and buckled-in at the waist Sometimes a double or triple cape overlapped the shoulders leather and fur coats were still worn, such as "mooseskin," "raccoon-skin. huntsmen wore the "deerskin coats."

BREECHES
In 1620 "full gathered breeches",
appearing in voluminous folds from under the skirts of the long coats and vests 1675 gathered tighter at the knees Fit the leg quite close. "Not tight to the leg, but just full enough for comfort." (full in the seat, and were gathered to a tight waistband) These tight-fitting breeches came down over the knee and were fastened in place by a buckle

 Fastened up on the outside with small buttons, usually

four or five in number Outside of the buckles and buttons at the knee, these breeches were not otherwise embellished. As a rule, the breeches matched the coat in color and material; Breeches were commonly made of leather, deerskin or sheepskin, Skin-tight riding breeches were worn until the end of the century.

LINEN
Under the coat and vest the shirt was
worn. Shirts were made ranged from finest linen to coarse cotton, according to the position and purse of the wearer The ruffles of lawn or lace at the wrist. In the early years shirt-sleeve as well as the ruffle appeared from under the great elbow cuffs but later the cuff was brought closer to the wrist, the ruffle alone being exposed

Cravat
Neck-cloth was introduced into America about
the year 1660 In the wearing of these first cravats, the neckcloth passed around the neck and was tied under the chin with "short-spreading ends" Sometimes the ends of the cravat were brought together and fastened at the throat with a ribbon bow

 Cravat took place in the eighties, when

the cravat no longer was gathered into the throat by a ribbon tie. The tie was lengthened and fell freely down the front in two long ends, which carried over the neck-band or the ends were simply knotted with a single tie falling down in two straight ends

 3rd. August 1692, introduced a new

fashioned cravat ... It was reported that the French officers, dressing themselves in great haste for the battle, twisted their cravats carelessly round their necks; and in commemoration of the victory achieved by the Mareschal de Luxembourg over the Prince of Orange on that day

 The solitaire was a ribbon of black silk

attached to the hair bag The beginning the ends of the solitaire were carried around to the front of the neck Later on it was carried at the back

COIFFURES
THE PERUKE THE RAMILLIES WIG PLAITED QUEUE WIG PIGTAILS

 Carried up under the full-cut baggy

STOCKINGS

breeches, fastened above or below the knee with garters, probably bands or ribbons; these were embellished on the outside with bunches of ribbons Stockings could be either worn pulled up over the knee under the breeches or pulled up over the breeches at the knee, then gartered below and rolled above the knee Stockings for dress occasions were decorated at the ankles with gold and silver clocks. Stirrup hose were provided with wide tops were probably used to pull on over the stocking and knees of the breeches to protect them from the boot saddle when riding horseback Knitted homespun stockings, leather stockings, cloth stockings, were worn by men

FOOT-GEAR
1675, shoes still retained
their heels shoe was fastened by strings or ties by buckles With the high-heeled, hightongued shoes the square ending to the toe, was in fashion lasting throughout the first quarter of the eighteenth century. 1720, rounded toe with a large buckle over the instep

 Boots were not a part of the fashionable

everyday costume during this period, but were worn more for riding, traveling, and hunting.

ACCESSORIES
From shoulder-belt the small
sword was suspended The hilt of the sword was often decorated with a large bowknot of ribbons. Muffs, both large and small, fashioned out of either cloth or fur, or cloth edged with fur, were carried by men throughout this period.

Colonial textiles & Costumes of the women 1620-1781

Textiles
Textiles were complex as the design may be of an orderly and repetitive bird design on a solid background but no two images were alike Forms and shaded areas began to be used to create a three-dimensional effect An overall image seems geometric, yet its interior details are fluid curving lines

Plain weave (tabby weave), twill weave and satin weave were included Wools, Pima cotton, camelid cotton, linen, silk, feathers as well as blended fabrics such as linseywoolsey, poplin and fustian A few of the other textiles were: broadcloth, flannel, linsey-woolsey, cambric, ticking, and checks Calico was the cotton fabric used to make quilts. Calicos could be plain, printed or painted of many grades and types

Tapestry
Tapestry were woven (weftpatterned) rather than embroidered Camelid wool was mainly used for tepestries

The Pilgrim's
Undergarment A woman's undergarment was a long off-white shortsleeved, linen shirt ribbon-tied at the collar and cuffs and fastened at the front. One or more ankle length waist-fastened petticoats were worn Dress The dress, or gown, consisted of two parts a bodice and skirt Some times separate sleeves, being tied to the bodice. The bodice buttoned all the way down the front. The skirt was ankle length and gathered at the waist

 Along sleeve fitted waist coat was

often worn over the top and an apron was worn if the woman was doing any kind of work They occasionally wore lace collar and cuffs and clock They wore woolen and leather gloves and gauntlets Colour Red, earthy green brown, blues violets and grays

Head dress & Hair style

Worn up and pulled tightly-back and worn

under coif (bonnet) or hat. All times the women and girls wore a felt hats like the men's hats. In the summer they would cool straw hats to shade them from the sun. Their hats were worn over their bonnets

Footwear
Same as the men's shoes - low cut with
rounded toes. Shoe was high but folded back and tied with a ribbon or a rosette. Wedding shoes were made of soft leather; such as pig skin or silk and were decorated with silk embroidery. Jewellery String of beads & gold necklace

 Gowns of cloth in in purple, russet. or

The Puritan

gray Turned under and looped back, showing the petticoats of homespun and linseywoolsey Over this was worn the large apron of white linen The large handkerchief was put about the shoulders on going out- of doors The hood made of wool or wool blends was the necessary part of the out door costume Woolen stockings and clogs (shoes) with wooden heel completed the costume

 In the colony of Manhattan the dress

The Manhattan

of England mingled with that of the Hollanders The handsome silks velvets and brocades were seen side by side with the more simple attire of the Dutch The dress consisted of full skirt and pointed bodice Some times second skirt was worn over the first Opened at the front and if trailing was carried over the arm

New Amsterdam
Loose jacket or samare edged with fur
and full skirt over the equally ample petticoat

Hair arranged by turning the side

locks under the tying with ribbon

While the remainder was fastened at

the back in a coil into which ribbon was frequently twisted

 During the last quarter of the seventeenth century

1650-1777

America was beginning to sense the increasing wealth and prosperity A growing commerce tended to bring different sections of the country together, unifying the ideas in dress and fashion Colonists who visited the homeland, imported ideas to imitate the fashions in a manner becoming their new ideal of national capability. This new national consciousness furnished a stimulus to common desires, and costumes waxed exceeding rich, varied, and showy. Thus, dress tended to be more uniform throughout the country.

 The most fashionable dress -

sacque This garment, hanging from the shoulders over the large hooped petticoat, passed through various changes The most usual dress was a dress with a long-waisted bodice, which came to a point in front The neck bared by a medium horizontal or round dcolletage (collar) The skirt was full

 Low cut and long- waisted, coming to a

BODICE

point in front If fastened down the front, the opening was embellished with bow-knots that were known as chelles Border of the chemise appear above the bodice The neck could be covered with a fine scarf or folded kerchief The horizontal, low-cut bodice was often edged with a lace band or a lace collar

 Later forms of the bodice might be

some times rounded about the waist

Fastened down the back, leaving the

front perfectly plain, except where it is relieved by lace ruffle at the opening of the dcolletage

A ribbon bow-knot was commonly

placed at the top of the bodice in front

A ribbon might also be tied around

the waist in a bow-knot, usually a little toward the right side

SLEEVES
Elbow sleeves with their accompanying ruffles
remained in fashion throughout the period Full sleeve of the fine chemise, ending in a ruffle of lace

SKIRTS AND PETTICOATS

In 1675 skirt was gathered, into small

close pleats about the waist Open in the front Loop the skirt up about the hips, holding it in place with knots of ribbon Until the introduction of hoops and panniers, fullness of the skirt gathered up about the hips was further exaggerated Both skirt and petticoat were provided with a train.

 Round and funnel-shaped at first; later on became

more oval Unusually ankle length skirts, especially for everyday wear; while for dress occasions they reached the ground Between 1770 and 1776 the quilted petticoats were as much in favor as were the hooped petticoats of the earlier year

 With the introduction of hoops the

trains gradually disappeared Hoops came into fashion between 1710 and 1715. The hoop-skirt was a circular arrangement of whalebone It started at the waist, gradually becoming larger at intervals as they descended. They might be attached to a canvas petticoat; or later, about the middle of the century, they were made in two side pieces to enable the wearer to handle them more easily

GOWNS
Bodice and skirt are made in
one piece The skirt was hang from the waist and looped back over the hips with "narrow braid and buttons" Round or a square cut neck Open in front Worn over a richly embroidered or laced stomacher

 Full gown, that hung from the

Sacque or robe la franaise

shoulders with great fullness in the back Either open all the way down the front, or about the waist or, closed Some times fit to the figure quite close, with the two pleats hanging down the back, merging from below the waist into the fullness of the hooped skirt Later on the box pleating was sewn to the back of the bodice

POLONAISE GOWN
The body was close fitted to the
tightly laced bodice that came to a point in front Two pleats, or ruffles, came from the back of the neck over the shoulders, from where they fell away into a rounded front Skirt was sometimes looped up or hanged over the hooped petticoat The petticoat, reached to a little above the ankle The hem usually embellished with a wide box pleating

 Some times the bodice was laced

over a stomacher, with a "silk cord through eyelet holes." The gown was cut low, baring the shoulders The neck, was often covered with a folded shawl or fichu of lace.

RIDING COSTUME
The coat was tightly laced at waist,
with skirts

Turned back sleeves held in position

by loops and buttons

Under the coat a low cut bodice is

worn

A mannish cocked hat, decorated

with lace fonds and plumes

 Tailored coat with straighter lines

Waistcoat ends a few inches above
the line of the coat

The cravat hanging down over

waistcoat

A cocked hat rests upon upon her

own hair dressed to resemble the fashionable mannish wig

The back hair was occasionally

placed in a bag and the solitaire worn over the cravat

CLOAKS
CAPUCHIN A short cloak made of silk, with a hood attached The cloak had two long points hanging down in front ROCKET Long cloak of about three-quarter length, or longer, with or without a hood attached Some reaches to their feet, some only just below the waist; They are white in the summer, and red in winter Red cloak, called as cardinal, was made out of a woolen material

PELISSE With or without sleeves, when without sleeves, it was termed a cloak

Made in the form of a loose

cloak, with slits in front through which to thrust the arms

At the neck there was a broad

flat collar or a hanging hood

Expensive pelisses were trimmed

with fur

 1680- Arranging the hair over the

forehead and closer to the side of the head in two tall peaks above the brow

COIFFURES

1690- Dressed over a wire frame, rising

1700- One or two long curls hung from

the back of the head over the shoulders

1760- The hair was dressed in a high

pompadour with a symmetrical arrangement of curls at the sides and over the top of the head

 1775- The hair carried over framework

of wire, or rolled over a high cushion of hair and were powdered A twisted muslin head-dress in the form of a small turban on top of the "creation. Two curls might hang from the back over the shoulders Some times might be brushed up from the sides and the back & front of the head A few curls or puffs were over the ears If natural hair was not sufficient false hair would be added In the top of this coiffure might be placed feathers and plumes

HEAD-COVERINGS
COMMODE Addition of a lace cap, fitting over the back of the head, and trimmed with lace, frills, and ribbon, feature rising in the front Lappets could hang down the back

Small linen or lace cap, appearing shortly

after 1700 Lappets in the back, which could be either worn hanging down or fastened up

 1770- when the hair was beginning to be

dressed higher, caps also began to grow in height and width 1730-Straw hats with a broad brim and low crown appeared shortly Hats were worn over the small linen cap edged with ruffles, held in place by two long ribbon ties Hats were of every style and shape and form. Hats were worn at every conceivable angle, They were trimmed with artificial flowers and fruit, plumes and feathers, ribbons and laces

SHOES
High-heeled shoes with a round toe were fashionable
up until 1730 Shoes with pointed toes came into style from England cloth slippers were made from silks and damasks Either plain or flowered. By 1760 heels began to be lowered. Both buckles and small rosettes were worn on the instep Clogs were worn in rainy or inclement weather

ACCESSORIES
Long or short gloves of white, black, or purple silk
were very fashionable. Silk or lace mittens i.e. fingerless gloves worn in in summer Aprons were worn in no special size or style, but as fancy suggested Muffs varied in size and material from time to time as fashion dictated

 In evening dress they wore a bunch of either

real or artificial flowers at her bosom Real flowers were placed in "bosom bottle." A small cluster of either real or artificial flowers was often worn in the hair Paint, powder, and patches on face were in fashion They carried a fan of ivory or lace and patch-box of enamel, brass, silver, china, or tortoise-shell