Title: Facts on Clothes in Jamestown, Virginia During Colonial Times | LEAFtv
Headings: Facts on Clothes in Jamestown, Virginia During Colonial Times
Facts on Clothes in Jamestown, Virginia During Colonial Times
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Content: Under the waistcoat, men wore a long white linen shirt tucked into the breeches. During the 18th century, men wore a cravat, which is a neck cloth made of white linen. Wealthy men wore cravats embellished with lace or fringe, and working class men wore an informal, basic cravat. Shoes were fashioned out of soft leather and had a straight sole that didn’t differentiate between the right or left foot. Most shoes were fastened by a buckle across the top of the foot. Women
In Colonial Jamestown, women generally wore a two-piece dress made up of a gown and matching petticoat. The gown, also called a mantua, had a fitted bodice, sleeves that reached the elbows, and a skirt with an open front that showed the petticoat beneath. Wealthy women wore gowns of silk, while working class women wore wool, cotton or linen. Under their dresses, women wore stays, which were the precursor to the modern corset. Stays were designed to correct posture and were fashioned out of linen and stiffened with whale bone.