Celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July or Halloween by Wearing Colonial Dress

See the Complete Collection of Childrens, Adults, Male and Female Colonial Costumes Here: Colonial Costumes.

The United States’ colonial spanned a period of almost 300 years. During that period, colonial dress for women varied greatly although we frequently associate the term with clothes during the 18th century.

Colonial Girl Colonial Dress	Pilgrim Girl Colonial Dress	Little Miss Colonial Dress	Traditional Girl Colonial Dress

Dress and Undress

Like the clothes of the 21st century, colonial clothes were also very varied depending on the occasion, the activity and the status of the individual. Indeed, the colonial costumes found in offline shops and online sites make it appear that the dresses of the period were comparatively simple. In fact, colonial garb was more complicated than modern outfits if only for the many layers involved even in summer. (Yes, bikinis were unheard of and you would have probably been slapped with the scarlet letter if you were seen in nothing more than your shift on)

Colonial Womans Colonial Dress	Martha Washington Adult Colonial Dress	Mrs. Franklin Adult Colonial Dress

The term “dress” in the 18th century pertained to the overall look of the outfit instead of the single garment that we associate it with today. Thus, when looking for a colonial dress, keep in mind that it means that the entire ensemble from head to toe must be as authentic as you can make it. Also, when one says full dress, it means the most fashionable and formal look you can come up with given your resources.

And unlike in modern times when undress meant approaching nudity, fashionable undress in the 18th century meant less formal than the full dress but still in the very best of fashion. The riding habit was considered fashionable undress although you will find it fussier than the jeans and shirt you can ride a horse in today. No matter if it is full dress or fashionable undress, however, the gown and petticoat were the staples in both instances.

Of course, the colonial dress will not be complete with outer garments such as the cape, caraco and cloak. All of these were meant for fashion as well as for protection against the elements.

Underwear

There were no brassieres in the 18th century although there were so-called stays to support, shape and lift the bosom, waist and hips area. The stays evolved from the boned bodies of the 17th century to become the corsets of the 19th century and then on the bras and brassieres of the 20th century.

As such, the ideal shape of a woman’s body changed from the tubular chest of the 17th century to the conical form of the 18th century and then the hourglass figure of the 19th century. Indeed, if you are to aim for authenticity of the silhouette of the 18th century colonial dress, we suggest going for the conical look.

The stays themselves varied greatly in materials, construction and use depending on the status of the woman as well as the occasion. Thus, there were stiff and pliable stays made from materials like metal, baleen, wood, pasteboard, pack thread and leather.

Headwear and Footwear

To finish the whole ensemble, headwear consisted of caps to protect the hair from dust and wind, hats for fashion with their various trimmings and riding hats. The materials ranged from straw to fabric. Shoes were made of various materials from silk and taffeta to leather and worsteds. There were elevated heels even then!

Choosing colonial dress as your costume makes for some patriotic fun! Just make sure that you have the right size on so as to achieve the ideals of beauty in those days.

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