Fashion
Colonial American Clothing
Clothing during the time period of Colonial America was expensive to purchase. The wealthy and middle to upper class were mainly the only people that could afford the finished and manufactured clothes made in Britain. The poorer class citizens created most of their clothes. Wool was the most important material for creating clothing items. The poor created their garments in larger sizes in order for them to fit for multiple years. Both young boys and young girls dressed in the same fashion until about the age of 6-7, when boys usually started wearing breaches, which were basically pants and buttoned up shirts. Grown men wore breeches and a buttoned shirt, normally long sleeved, with a large coat in the colder weather. Most men also wore hats, the popular one of the time being the three-cornered hat made of felt. Women's clothing consisted of a long dress with multiple petty coats. Small waists were also popular and many women used laced corsets that were so tight some of them had a hard time breathing. Although women's clothing may have looked pretty, it was very uncomfortable. These are just a few of the items that colonists wore in Colonial America.
Native American and Slave Clothing
Native American and their clothing are large symbols of their culture and history. There clothing was sometimes very intricate and detailed, such as their ceremonial garments. The animals used to make their clothes were worshiped and then skinned completely clean. The natives used every part of a killed animal to make supplies such as cloth. Women were the main clothing makers of a tribe. They added beads and symbols to assert power and dominance. Native Americans were also popular for being very respectful when making clothes. Many of the weavers would praise the animals and thank them while weaving. The clothing for slaves was very different from this. Slaves were given clothes depending on their line of work and their owners. A servant would be dressed up nicer than a laborer. Laborers would wear ragtag clothes with hats to protect them from the heat as most of them were from the south. Fashion in Native American tribes was very important compared to the slaves and the rest of the colonies.