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: between 1784 and 1786 alone, hat styles changed 17 times in Paris -- though with wartime shortages, that likely wasn't the case during the Revolution. Women's shoes were leather for everyday wear, trimmed with metal buckles, laces or "paste" -- costume -- jewels. Heel styles varied from flat to higher, though chunky. Instead of coats, men and women alike wore woolen capes called cloaks, hooded or not, short or long, and tied at the chin. While wealthy women often wore jewels, even a working woman might wear a miniature on a silk necklace. Clothing as an Expression of Patriotism
As the war went on, many supporters of the Revolution avoided English imports, even wearing homespun -- which became increasingly sophisticated rather than rough -- and weaving political motifs into decorations: an eagle, for example, or heroes such as George Washington or Ben Franklin, who himself became known in European courts for wearing a fur hat. Boycotting of imported textiles was widespread. 00:00
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References
Colonial Willamsburg: 18th-Century Clothing
Memorial Hall Museum Online: