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Colonial America

Men's Clothing

A Colonial Man by Ducksters

• Shirt - The shirt was generally the only undergarment (underwear) that the man would wear. It was usually made of white linen and was fairly long, sometimes covering all the way to the knees.



• Waistcoat - Over the shirt, the man wore a waistcoat. The waistcoat was a tight-fitting vest. It could be made from cotton, silk, linen, or wool. The waistcoat could be plain or decorated with items such as lace, embroidery, and tassels.



• Coat - The coat was worn over the waistcoat. The coat was a long-sleeved heavier item. There were different length coats. Some were shorter and close-fitting while others were much longer reaching well past the knees.



• Cravat - The cravat was one of the most popular forms of neckwear. Most men wore a cravat. A cravat was a long strip of white linen that was wrapped around the neck several times and then tied in front.



• Breeches - Breeches were pants that stopped just below the knee.



• Stockings - Stockings covered the rest of the leg and feet below the breeches. They were usually white and made from cotton or linen.



• Shoes - Most men wore low-heeled leather shoes with buckles. The most popular color was black.

• Cloak - The cloak was worn over the coat during cold weather. It was generally made from heavy wool.
• Banyan - The banyan was a robe worn over the shirt by wealthy men when at home. It was more comfortable than a coat.
• Trousers - Trousers were long pants that reached to the ankle. They were generally worn by laborers and sailors.

Powdered Wig

• Wealthy men would sometimes pad their clothing with rags or horsehair to make their shoulders and thighs look bigger.
• Once a boy turned 5 or 6 years old he would begin dressing like an adult, wearing the same types of clothes a man would.
• Wigs were made from different types of hair including horse hair, human hair, and goat hair.
• Servants often wore the color blue.
• The term "bigwig" comes from wealthy and powerful men who would wear giant wigs.
• Puritan men wore simple clothes with dark colors, usually black, and did not wear wigs.

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