Post #4 - Colonial Dictionary of Clothing

Traveling Caravan Entry #4

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Topic:  Colonial Dictionary of Clothing

            This lesson is coming from the book The Writers Guide to Everyday Life in the 1800’s by Marc McCutcheon.  The students are always amazed at how things have changed, especially fashion.  In this unit we will study what was popular for the Nineteenth Century versus the Twenty-First Century.  Students will create a colonial vs. Now-A-Days Clothing Dictionary, which will define the different clothing men and women wore.   (Content) (DOK1)

Pictures will also be shown of the different parts of clothing from the nineteenth century and how it was worn.  Each student will be given a picture of the clothing to paste in his or her dictionary.  The students must write in the definition I will shorten them.  My examples are from the Massachusetts Memorial Hall website because I forgot the book that is sighted above at home.

http://memorialhall.mass.edu/activities/dressup/notflash/1800_woman.html

Here are some examples of what I would include: 

Womens Apparel:

Stockings  vs  Pantyhose

Everyone wore stockings. They were worn over the knee and were held up by a little ribbon or belt known as a garter. Stockings were knitted of cotton, silk or wool.

Drawers vs. Underwear

Drawers were like underpants. Women's drawers weren't supposed to show but drawers on young girls and boys did peek out from under their gowns. Men didn't wear drawers. Some drawers were split, such as the ones shown here, to make the trip to the outhouse easier and quicker

Corset  vs. Shapers

Girls and women wore corsets to make their figures look nice, but also to give support to their bodies when they carried around heavy things such as milk buckets, firewood, or small children. Many corsets were lined with stiffeners such as whalebone or metal. This corset has a pocket in front which contains a "busk". The busk helped make a woman's posture perfect. This corset laces up the back.

Gown vs Dress

This gown is typical of the new style with its high waist, narrower skirt, and simpler lines. It has hooks up the back. A gown might be decorated at the waist with a belt or ribbon. Young girls often wore the same style of gowns as their mothers.

Men’s Apparel: http://www.history.org/history/clothing/men/mglossary.cfm

Banyan vs Robe

A gentleman's banyan was a loose, informal robe to be worn instead of a coat. Influenced by Oriental fashion, these popular robes were also called Indian gowns, nightgowns, or wrappers. Cut either in a loose T-shape or as a long simplified coat, they were acceptable wear for home or informal business. Made most often of patterned materials, these useful garments could vary from light and cool to quilted and warm. (See also Negligé Cap)

Breeches vs pants

From the late 16th century until the early 19th century, most men wore breeches as their lower body garment. Through the centuries breeches were seen in many forms and lengths. In the early 18th century breeches were barely seen beneath long waistcoats and coats. By the mid-18th century they were more noticeable beneath shorter waistcoats and open coats, and so the cut of breeches became tighter and revealed the shape of the leg. Worn by all levels of society, breeches were made in a great variety of silks, cottons, linens, wools, knits, and leathers. (See also Trousers)

Stockings or Hose vs Socks

Stockings of the 18th century were worn by men and women, and were most often knit.

 (Creative Activity) (DOK 2 & 3)

            When the Colonial Clothing dictionary is complete the students will draw their own colonial outfit and label the parts. (DOK 4)

Standards:  3.1.1.A5, A9; 3.1.1.B6; 3.2.1.A1, A3, A6

                     8.3.1.A, c; 8.1.1.A, C