The author examines the clothing worn by the earliest American colonists, tracing the continuity between European fashions and New World attire. Popular misconceptions of total Puritan somberness are dispelled through detailed lists of apparel, inventories, and contemporary portraits, revealing a widespread use of russet, scarlet, and rich fabrics among early settlers. The narrative details the garments of Puritans, Virginia planters, Dutch settlers, and Quakers, showing how dress functioned as a strict badge of social rank and moral order.
Attention is given to the persistence of English and European styles in the colonies. The text explores items such as doublets, jerkins, cassocks, ruffs, and bands, explaining their construction, evolution, and materials. Special emphasis is placed on the transition from ruffs to falling bands, the introduction of the coat, and the use of beavers and various caps in daily life.
The volume covers the attire of women through the century, analyzing the complex details of sleeves, whisks, hoods, and the evolution of gowns. The influence of trade, sumptuary laws, and changing social hierarchies on dress is documented through court records, tailors' bills, and personal letters. Particular attention is paid to the interplay between religious beliefs and the persistent human desire for elegant apparel among both men and women.
The text incorporates numerous historical portraits of early governors, pioneers, and their families, using them as visual records of authentic colonial costume. The clothing of Native Americans and their interactions with settlers regarding trade and dress are also examined. The volume concludes with a comprehensive survey of footwear, buckles, and the finer accessories of seventeenth-century life.
