What Did They Wear in 17th Century Colonial America?

Clothing in Massachusetts wasn’t much different than clothing throughout the rest of the American colonies. However, living in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was different because Massachusetts was a theocracy ruled by Puritans.

The colonial Puritans were stricter in many ways than their English counterparts, and, oddly enough, after the Puritans fled England to escape persecution they became the persecutors. Of course, as with any story, the reality of the Puritans is more complex than can be summed up in a few sentences. For our purposes, let’s say that the Puritans earned their reputation for having closed minds.

The Massachusetts Puritans believed that theirs was the only true church. They villainized and often executed those who worshipped differently (with a particular distaste for Quakers), mainly because the Puritans believed it was their duty to impose their religion on others—their excuse being that they were saving the souls of those who did not follow the one true church, their church.

They had no mercy for those who did not or would not convert to Puritan beliefs. The isolation of the Puritans in Massachusetts, the harshness and dangers of life in the New World, and their sense that they were chosen people meant that Puritans reacted harshly to any perceived threats to their beliefs and way of life.

The Puritans had laws that governed all aspects of their lives. There were even laws that dictated the way people dressed—the Fashion Police, as we would call it today. There is a misconception that all Puritans were staid in their manner and dress. But a number of prominent Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were successful merchants (including several of the judges of the Salem Witch Trials, among them Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorn, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ancestor).

These successful businessmen and landowners were not as modest in their wealth and possessions as the poorer farmers. The Puritan lawmakers believed that the English style of clothing of leather and silk ribbons (with slashed sleeves, no less) was too flashy and immodest. This did not stop the richer colonial women from wanting to know what the Queen in England was wearing so that they could emulate the latest fashions.

To combat any display of opulence, Puritan lawmakers in Massachusetts tried to tamper down any signs of extravagance or wealth. In 1634, the General Court in Plymouth decreed that wearing silver, gold, silk, lace, girdles, or hatbands were prohibited. Slashed clothing was definitely a no-no unless done discreetly (with merely one slash per sleeve and perhaps one slash at the back).

Any other embroidery or needlework was also prohibited. People were fined for not adhering to the laws of modesty. Most of the modesty laws concerned women’s clothing—no great surprise there. One law decreed how long and wide a woman’s sleeve should be. Also, her skirts must drag along the floor since it was improper for a woman to show any part of her legs. No ankles here, please.

As time passed, the Puritan lawmakers softened their feelings toward wearing gold and silver while they became more concerned with poorer citizens trying to pass themselves off as richer than they were. In Puritan society, people were expected to stay in their lanes. Poorer people were not allowed to wear gold and silver lace, buttons, or points at their knees.

Rich folks had more freedom in their choice of wardrobe. Wealthy people could wear silk hoods, scarves, silver and gold lace, and bright buttons. Anyone of lesser social standing caught wearing such items was brought before the court and fined.

A Puritan Wardrobe in the 17th Century

The basic items of clothing worn by women during the 17th century were an undershirt, known as a shift, a corset, and long petticoats. Her outer clothing consisted of either a gown or a waistcoat (fitted jacket) and a skirt. Bodices, as a rule, were long and pointed, and skirts were full and long. Poorer women wore plain frocks and petticoats, although wealthy women wore silk, satin, and velvet dresses.

Women also wore white linen caps, called a coif, to cover their hair. In the colder winter months, women wore cloaks, a sleeveless outer garment that draped over their shoulders. Women’s shoes and stockings were much the same as men’s.

Laboring men wore leather and coarse fabrics. Farmers wore frocks, a large outer garment, to protect their clothing or hide an untidy appearance. The farmers would take the frocks off when they went inside their houses or went into the village or marketplace. The Monmouth cap, a knitted woolen hat, was frequently worn by working-class men and fishermen.

Men wore a long shirt, stockings, garters, doublet, breeches, points (a tie used to join the doublet and hose), a waistcoat, a neckcloth, a knee-length coat, a great coat for colder months, and shoes. The broad-rimmed hat came into fashion about 1670.

With an average brim of six inches, one flap was often fastened to the side of the crown. Over time, a second flap was fastened, then a third—and thus the triangle-cocked hat was born. Wealthier men had their clothing made of fabrics such as silks, velvets, and brocades.

Puritans were not entirely stodgy in their manner and sober in their dress, and the wealthier Puritans among them wanted the finer things in life just as we do today. As time passed, the Fashion Police in the Massachusetts Bay Colony loosened its grip and people were brought to court less often for their clothing.

When the witch trials began in Salem in 1692, people had more pressing concerns.

References

The Great Puritan Migration History of Massachusetts https://historyofmassachusetts.org/the-great-puritan-migration/

Puritan Laws and Customs History of American Women http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2007/10/puritan-laws-and-customs.html

The Puritan Dress Code and the Outrage of Slashed Sleeves New England Historical Society http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/puritan-dress-code-and-outrage-slashed-sleeves/

* * * * *

Down Salem Way, the prequel to the Loving Husband Trilogy, is set during the Salem Witch Trials.

Winner of the B.R.A.G. Medallion and a semi-finalist for the Chaucer Prize in Early Historical Fiction

How would you deal with the madness of the Salem witch hunts?

In 1690, James Wentworth arrives in Salem in the Massachusetts Bay Colony with his father, John, hoping to continue the success of John’s mercantile business. While in Salem, James falls in love with Elizabeth Jones, a farmer’s daughter. Though they are virtually strangers when they marry, the love between James and Elizabeth grows quickly into a passion that will transcend time.

But something evil lurks down Salem way. Soon many in Salem, town and village, are accused of practicing witchcraft and sending their shapes to harm others. Despite the madness surrounding them, James and Elizabeth are determined to continue the peaceful, loving life they have created together. Will their love for one another carry them through the most difficult challenge of all?