Buckskin Dresses and Pumpkin Breeches: Colonial Fashions from the 1580s to 1760s (Dressing a Nation: The History of U.S. Fashion)

What would you have worn if you lived during the Colonial era? It depends on who you were:

*Many Native American women made skirts or dresses out of deerskin. They completed the look with jewelry crafted from metal, shells, stones, pearls, or animal bones.
*Native American men often wore a breechcloth. For special events, prominent Iroquois men showed off deer antlers in their headdresses.
*In European settlements, women of fashion dressed in many layers. One of the first layers was a stay--a corset-like garment made of whalebone that tied or laced around the chest. On top of that, they put on a bodice, a waistcoat or a jacket, and several heavy petticoats.
*Stylish men from Europe donned pumpkin breeches--knee-length trousers stuffed with rags, horsehair, and grain. The stuffing gave their calves a shapely look.
*Owners provided two outfits for their slaves, one for winter and one for summer. Men often wore simple breeches and shirts. Women wore basic, lightweight dresses.
*Colonial toddlers wore pudding caps. These padded hats looked like round dishes used to serve pudding. They protected toddlers' heads when they fell.

Read more about Colonial fashions--from wigs to beaver-pelt hats and linen caps--in this fascinating book!