Farms: Eighteenth century clothing at Claude Moore Colonial Farm
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The Claude Moore Colonial Farm is a living history farm in Northern Virginia. www.1771.org In this video, the Farm's interpreters (costumed staff) get dressed in their 18th century clothing to show the different layers that ordinary people wore in pre-Revolutionary America.
Comments
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Were these handmade or purchased? I would be very interested in knowing where it was bought or which patterns and materials were used to make this outfit.
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Half the population died of heat stroke?
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this man is now ready to loot a ship...for reals the guy looked like a pirate to me
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I can't believe that they worked all day, sweating and grubby, and then sleeping in the same garment. Eweee. And..I wonder why he got buttons but she got pins? She had many more clothes on than him also. Wicked dress back then. How hot in the summer. Even if she was in the house, she would have to be at the stove. How hot. I guess everything was out of necessity though. Bless their hearts.
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I'm glad I don't have to wear all those layers I would literally die
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that narrator sounds like Melissa Sue Anderson
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i think if you tried wearing the clothes you would find them quite comfortable as they are and probably would wear MORE petticoats. remember they were in Cold country and no central heat whatsoever. those layers kept you warm - during the summer several layers of linen would wick away heat/sweat from your body to keep you cooled -- i am often much cooler/more comfortable at events even in my wool dress than the visitors in shorts are -& i dont get sunburned :) ( i do civil war)
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i believe the Amish and others dont use buttons because military uniforms of the time used buttons extensively. not using them was a form of anti war protest.
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Buttons must have been considered an upper class affectation, since Quakers and other Protestant simplicity sects forbade them
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marialla: underpants was a 19th century innovation, and these were what we would call bloomers. I am guessing women wore some kind of breech cloth that held rags for menstruation. Well into the 20th century rags that could be laundered were used. Even when sanitary napkins became available they were too expensive for many.
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I'm very curious whether people, especially women, wore anything analogous to what we wear as underwear or panties. I'm also curious what they used to handle their menstrual cycles.
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Theyd surely would have loved stretch clothing
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Very good point. Also, someone mentioned how the pin would be a plain sewing pin, but I'm sure I heard somewhere that pins were considered a special expense that women would save up for, thus the term "pin money", meaning a special allowance or savings for something special/ornamental for the lady. I'm sure many women must have had at least one nice pin used specially for fastening clothes or shawls. But that is really just a guess.
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It's really interesting that you mentioned rich people affording to change clothes because it definitely was a sign of affluence how well tailored/made your clothes were, the rich would have all their clothes custom made and made to fit them WELL, so a close fitting, intricate garment would be both the most difficult to construct and the most expensive!
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Yeah, it seems most likely. To be honest, all the research and study I have done has been on upper class clothing, it seems harder to find working class clothes. But then again, they kinda kept the basic principles for hundreds of years -with changes in silhouette. The most important element was practicality so I guess historians haven't thought it a worthy enough study. I've never been to a costume museum with working class stuff on display...it's a shame.
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It's easy to think that you'd rebel against fashion and do what you know today feels good, but if you'd been raised that way, and if the penalties for breaking tradition were severe, you might never even consider going against the tide. Besides, they may have been practical in days when people only had ONE garment that had to last through hard farm labor and pregnancy, in days before deodorant, with weekly bathing. It would absorb oil and odor and keep it covered up.
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I'm sure that pregnancy has a lot to do with it. People didn't have closets full of clothes like we have now. One dress had to do for daily wear for years at a time, accommodating perhaps one pregnancy every single year. Pins and ties are most adjustable. Buttons restrict the wearer to being only one size. Maybe that is why upper classes wore buttons profusely, to show how rich they were, being able to afford to change clothes often, even if their size changed.
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Possibly. I think if I lived back then, I'd break the rules and put buttons on my own garments and button holes. Oh, and I'd whittle down on the petty coats too. Hehehe
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Maybe, and this is a complete guess on my behalf, it could be something to do with it being adjustable, woman's weight is less stable, like with pregnancy and what have you, having no fixed fastenings means you can kinda adjust it to where it's comfortable. But i'm not sure, all the 18th clothes for women I have seen have button/hook and eye fastening so maybe it's a personal preference? I guess on the plus side you wouldn't feel yourself being stabbed because you've got so many layers on! lol
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I always found it unfair that the men got to use buttons but women were stuck with pins and hooks and eyes for fastening their clothing. Why didn't the women use buttons as well? Pins are no fun! GIVE ME BUTTONS, OR GIVE ME DEATH!