Exploring the History of 17th- and 18th-Century Clothing

Discover the history of clothing and textiles through original documents, period advertisements, surviving garments, and historical research. Explore the materials, craftsmanship, fashions, and everyday dress of the 17th and 18th centuries. 

• Stockings in Colonial Virginia - Did you know that in 1773, you could bring your own thread to a stocking maker and have it knitted into stockings? 

• Macaroni Waistcoats in Colonial Virginia? - Catherine Rathell had been advertising “maccaroni waistcoats” as fashionable merchandise in colonial Williamsburg.

• Waistcoat Construction in the 18th Century - In the 18th century, a gentleman could purchase the embroidered waistcoat panels before the waistcoat was even cut or sewn!

• Hand-knitted Mittens: A Colonial Trade - Discover how women and girls in colonial Cape May knitted thousands of wool mittens for trade, as documented in Benjamin Franklin's account and 18th-century merchant records.