What kind of clothes did the Colonists wear?
American Colonists wore hand-sewn wool and linen clothing. According to American Centuries Memorial Hall Museum, men and women owned two to four outfits and sometimes wore many undergarments beneath outer layers of clothing.Women’s ClothingWomen’s layers began with a long-sleeved nightgown-style linen shift or smock. According to the website Plimoth Plantation, they wore a stay or corset on top of the shift and added a petticoat skirt and colorful gown or waistcoat.Men’s ClothingMen’s layers started with a long-sleeved full-body linen shirt. For pants, they wore knee-length breeches. Doublets or sleeveless waistcoats covered the undershirt and long-sleeved knee-length coats completed the ensemble. At home, men might opt to wear a banyan, which, according to the Colonial Williamsburg website, was a patterned, loose-fitting gown worn on top of a waistcoat and breeches.Children’s ClothingMale and female children under the age of six wore long-sleeved gowns. Clothing for older children and
