Clothing in 1700s North Carolina: Colonial Attire by Class & Gender

18th-century NC dress reflected English styles, adapted for climate, materials, and status.

Women

• Gowns/Petticoats: Linen, wool, cotton; silk for wealthy. Stomacher, fitted bodice, full skirt over hoops/panniers (formal) or multiple petticoats.
• Shifts: Linen undergarment (washable).
• Stays (Corsets): Whalebone/cane, laced back; essential for posture/silhouette.
• Aprons, caps, kerchiefs, mitts. Shoes: leather, low heel, buckled/tied.

Men

• Coats: Wool, knee-length, flared skirt, large cuffs, buttons.
• Waistcoats: Sleeved or sleeveless, often decorative.
• Breeches: Knee-length, wool/linen/leather, buttoned/fastened at knee.
• Shirts: Linen, long, ruffled cuffs/collar.
• Stockings: Wool/silk, white/colored, held by garters.
• Shoes: Leather, low heel, buckled.
• Hats: Tricorne (felt), later bicorne.

Children

Miniature adults after toddlerhood. "Leading strings" for toddlers. Poorer families: simpler, homespun fabrics.

Enslaved people: coarse "negro cloth" (osnaburg), minimal allotments; distinct from free dress.