1730 - Puritan Establishments
The Puritans placed emphasis on moderation, which arose from their strong religious beliefs regarding the nature of human vanity and desires. They believed that moderation reflected affectations that were "tempered and swayed with the fear of God."
Fashion displayed a "careless elegance." Puritans did not entirely steer away from stylish garb, but they did steer away from lace and frivolous ornaments. Contrary to popular belief, Puritans tended to avoid wearing the color black. Black dye was immoderately expensive and wearing such a color would have been viewed as a "social vanity." Popular colors included burgundy, blue, brown, and green.
Menswear:
- Long-length, loose linen shirts
- Breeches - short length pants that were fastened at the knee
- Socks - long and woolen
- Jerkin - sleeveless jacket which could be made of cloth or leather
- A doublet - padded jacket with sleeves
- Belts
- Plain leather shoes, usually without buckles
- Hats - often quite large in a variety of styles and usually wide-brimmed
- Coats or capes were worn as protection from the cold and the rain
Womenswear:
- Long-length, loose shift which was worn as an undergarment; the sleeves were sometimes removable and could be tied on
- Petticoats covered the shift
- Long gowns or skirts with a jacket as the outer clothing
- Belts
- Socks - long woollen stockings
- Plain leather shoes
- Laces held clothing in place
- Apron usually worn over the women's clothes
- Hair was hidden under a close-fitting coif
- Coats or capes were worn as protection from the cold and the rain
There was a growing restrain in dress during this time period due partly to the lack of imported materials. Commerce with England had been cut off during the war, and contact with other countries was hazardous because of the British blockade.
Dress consisted of lower coiffures; straight, clinging lines of gowns; low-heeled shoes and sandals; turban head-dresses; and thin, semi-transparent materials.
Women dressed in hoops, full skirts, and tight bodices. Men dressed in trousers that reached to the middle of the calf and tight stockings. Wigs were mainly worn by wealthy men, and colored fabric was slowly going.
French Influence in Revolutionary Garb
1861 - 1865 - American Civil War
This isn't really a fashion trend, but rather a look at the different types of garments Confederates and Unions donned in order to distinguish themselves.
For a look at the many antebellum dresses women wore during this time period, check out this link:
Confederate uniforms consisted of grey kepis, jackets, and trousers, all woven from the cotton cloth produced from the South's abundant cotton fields. After they weathered and faded, they took on a light brown appearance, giving rise to the nickname "Butternuts" for Southern soldiers.
Union army soldiers wore traditional dark blue trousers, jackets, and kepi hats. Volunteers were issued dark blue jackets and kepis, but with light blue trousers to help distinguish them. Their clothes were made from manufactured wool, which kept the troops warm int he winter and cool in the summer.
For both sides, artillerymen wore red kepis and shell jackets with red trim. Depending on the rank, there might be a red stripe on their pants legs.
Cavalry riders had a yellow trip on their pants and yellow trim on their jackets.
Sources:
Great article, Katherine! Being a Civil War junkie, I am interested in the uniforms the Confederate and Union soldiers used during the Civil War. Upon further research, I learned that in the beginning of the war, there was a lack of uniforms provided by the each government because war was not expected to happen. The North ran out of blue cloth many times during the war, so they had to make do with using grey cloth. However the Confederates used grey cloth in their uniforms, so this led to a confusion of who is on which side in the battlefield. It is interesting how the uniforms can have a great impact on historical events such as the Civil War.
ReplyDeleteP.S: Cite your sources!!
Source:
http://www.ducksters.com/history/civil_war/military_uniforms.php
Omg, you're right! I forgot to do that. Thanx Johnny!
DeleteI'm glad we live in the world that we do today, if for nothing else but more comfortable clothes. I do think, though, that a lot of these outfits were probably not for the common man, but rather, for the rich and noble. Especially the more elegant styles.
ReplyDeleteLove this! The evolving fashion throughout history has always fascinated me, especially the often political symbolism behind each shift. On a similar note, a Youtube channel called Cut has made several videos depicting the changes in beauty standards (and with it, fashion) from 1900 to 2015 in different countries, such as the US, Korea, Iran, and a couple others. Here's the link to the US one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOyVvpXRX6w
ReplyDelete