Title: Women's Clothing Styles During the Revolutionary War | LEAFtv
Headings: Women's Clothing Styles During the Revolutionary War
Women's Clothing Styles During the Revolutionary War
Defining Roles, Adapting to Practicalities
The Basics: Shifts, Stays and Petticoats
Layering: Robes, Gowns and Stomachers
Accessories: Cap and Hat to Hose and Shoes
Clothing as an Expression of Patriotism
References
Writer Bio

Content: Women in the Colonies had access to fabrics not available in England -- calico, for example, had been banned in Britain because it interfered with the wool industry -- and some families boycotted English goods. Formal-wear was different from day-to-day dress. Luxury goods and store-bought accessories were available even in remote areas as merchants moved westward, historian Kate Haulman has written. The Basics: Shifts, Stays and Petticoats
Eighteenth-century women dressed in layers -- just a few if it was hot or that was all they had; things became more complicated for fashion or warmth. First was the shift, a natural-colored short, loose linen gown. Over this, most women wore a stay on the upper body. Rather than cinching the waist like in Victorian times, the stay was to influence posture. A hoop petticoat was followed by a gown, which opened in the middle to show off another petticoat meant to be seen as outerwear.