Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era
This study of clothing during British colonial America examines items worn by the well-to-do as well as the working poor, the enslaved, and Native Americans, reconstructing their wardrobes across social, economic, racial, and geographic boundaries.

Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era presents, in six chapters, a description of all aspects of dress in British colonial America, including the social and historical background of British America, and covering men's, women's, and children's garments. The book shows how dress reflected and evolved with life in British colonial America as primitive settlements gave way to the growth of towns, cities, and manufacturing of the pre-Industrial Revolution.

Readers will discover that just as in the present day, what people wore in colonial times represented an immediate, visual form of communication that often conveyed information about the real or intended social, economic, legal, ethnic, and religious status of the wearer. The authors have gleaned invaluable information from a wide breadth of primary source materials for all of the colonies: court documents and colonial legislation; diaries, personal jourbanals, and business ledgers; wills and probate inventories; newspaper advertisements; paintings, prints, and drawings; and surviving authentic clothing worn in the colonies.

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Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era
This study of clothing during British colonial America examines items worn by the well-to-do as well as the working poor, the enslaved, and Native Americans, reconstructing their wardrobes across social, economic, racial, and geographic boundaries.

Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era presents, in six chapters, a description of all aspects of dress in British colonial America, including the social and historical background of British America, and covering men's, women's, and children's garments. The book shows how dress reflected and evolved with life in British colonial America as primitive settlements gave way to the growth of towns, cities, and manufacturing of the pre-Industrial Revolution.

Readers will discover that just as in the present day, what people wore in colonial times represented an immediate, visual form of communication that often conveyed information about the real or intended social, economic, legal, ethnic, and religious status of the wearer. The authors have gleaned invaluable information from a wide breadth of primary source materials for all of the colonies: court documents and colonial legislation; diaries, personal jourbanals, and business ledgers; wills and probate inventories; newspaper advertisements; paintings, prints, and drawings; and surviving authentic clothing worn in the colonies.

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Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era

Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era

Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era

Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era

Hardcover

$108.00 
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Overview

This study of clothing during British colonial America examines items worn by the well-to-do as well as the working poor, the enslaved, and Native Americans, reconstructing their wardrobes across social, economic, racial, and geographic boundaries.

Clothing through American History: The British Colonial Era presents, in six chapters, a description of all aspects of dress in British colonial America, including the social and historical background of British America, and covering men's, women's, and children's garments. The book shows how dress reflected and evolved with life in British colonial America as primitive settlements gave way to the growth of towns, cities, and manufacturing of the pre-Industrial Revolution.

Readers will discover that just as in the present day, what people wore in colonial times represented an immediate, visual form of communication that often conveyed information about the real or intended social, economic, legal, ethnic, and religious status of the wearer. The authors have gleaned invaluable information from a wide breadth of primary source materials for all of the colonies: court documents and colonial legislation; diaries, personal jourbanals, and business ledgers; wills and probate inventories; newspaper advertisements; paintings, prints, and drawings; and surviving authentic clothing worn in the colonies.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780313335938
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 06/25/2013
Pages: 444
Product dimensions: 7.30(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Kathleen A. Staples is a textile historian and curator specializing in the cultural and technical histories of fabrics and embroidery in early-modern England and colonial America. She has served as curator or historical advisor for exhibitions at museums such as The Charleston Museum.

Madelyn Shaw is an independent curator and historian specializing in the exploration of American history and culture through textiles and dress. She had held curatorial and administative positions at museums such as Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Chronology, 1585-1785 xv

1 Settling British Colonial America 1

The People 1

The Individual and the Family 17

Health and Hygiene 21

The Economy 26

References 30

2 Society, Culture, and Dress 33

Clothing as Fashion 35

Clothing as Communication 41

Clothing and Ornamentation as Mediating Agents 51

Clothing for Social Rituals 57

Clothing and Fabrics as Currency 66

Access to Clothing 69

References 73

3 Clothing and Textile Technologies and Trades, 1607-1785 79

Clothing Technology 79

Problems in Terminology 106

Bespoke and Ready-Made Clothing 110

Imported Fabrics 133

Colonial Production of Textiles: Homespun 142

Fabric Quantities for Clothing 167

Colonial Clothing Trades and Crafts 169

References 210

4 Women's Fashion 221

1608-1714 222

The Evolution of Cut, Construction, and Silhouette, 1608-1714 222

Clothing for the Enslaved, 1620-1714 248

Clothing of American Indians, 1607-1714 249

Clothing in Portraiture, 1616-1714 251

Composition of a Wardrobe, 1608-1714 253

1715-1785 257

The Evolution of Cut, Construction, and Silhouette, 1715-1785 257

Clothing in Portraiture, 1715-1785 281

Clothing for the Enslaved, 1715-1785 283

Clothing of American Indians, 1715-1785 284

Composition of a Wardrobe, 1715-1785 285

References 289

5 Men's Clothing 295

1607-1714 296

The Evolution of Cut, Construction, and Silhouette, 1607-1714 296

Clothing for the Enslaved, 1620-1714 318

Clothing of American Indians, 1607-1714 318

Composition of a Wardrobe, 1607-1714 322

1715-1785 327

The Evolution of Cut, Construction, and Silhouette, 1715-1785 327

Clothing in Portraiture, 1751-1785 352

Clothing for the Enslaved, 1715-1785 354

Clothing of American Indians, 1715-1785 358

Composition of a Wardrobe, 1715-1785 361

References 366

6 Children's Fashions 371

Concepts of Childhood in Colonial America 372

Infants: Birth to Three Months 378

Infants and Toddlers: Three Months to Three Years 381

Girls: Three to Eleven Years, 17th Century 388

Boys: Three to Eleven Years, 17th Century 390

Girls: Three to Eleven Years, 18th Century 391

Boys: Three to Eleven Years, 18th Century 392

Children over Twelve 396

Enslaved, Apprenticed, and Indentured Children 398

American Indian Children 401

Composition of a Wardrobe 402

Availability of Children's Ready-Made Clothing 404

References 406

Glossary: The Colonial Period 409

Resource Guide: The Colonial Period 429

Print Resources 429

Museums 430

Index 435

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