Title: Puritan Laws and Customs | History of American Women
Headings: Puritan Laws and Customs
Puritan Laws and Customs
Puritans Lived Under Harsh Rules

Content: The length and width of a lady’s sleeve was decided by law. A woman wore an undershirt, called a shift. Over that, she wore a corset and long petticoats. Her outer clothing was either a gown, or a waistcoat (fitted jacket) and skirt. Her skirts must be long enough to drag the floor—it was unladylike to show any ankle! A lady wore a close-fitting white linen cap, called a coif, to cover her hair. In foul weather, she wore a cloak, a sleeveless outer-garment that was worn draped over the shoulders, and was usually made of heavy wool. Cloaks might have no collar at all, a square sailor’s collar, or a hood. Her shoes and stockings were much the same as the man’s. Law and Courts
The Massachusetts Bay colonists brought with them the law they knew—the local law and customs of their section of England.