The Pilgrims: Pilgrims Dress

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When we picture the Pilgrims it is with them wearing black and white clothes, with large white collars. Often they will have large buckles on their shoes and hats.

However, my research shows this is not historically accurate.

Pilgrims

Actually, the Pilgrims wore a wide variety of colors. We know this from the estate records which often mentioned the person’s clothing, which included the style and the color. Often clothing was dyed using berries, bark and other items found in nature.

Most of the women’s clothes were made of wool.

The undergarment of a woman would best resemble our modern-day nightgowns. Most of the undergarments were long off-white short-sleeved, linen shirt which was called a shift. A dress had a bodice and a skirt. Some dresses would have sleeves that were separate and tied to the bodice, which buttoned all the way down the front.

A long waistcoat was worn over the top with an apron on top of that.

On special occasions a woman would wear a lace collar and cuffs and a cloak.

Women would wear their hair pulled back tightly and hidden underneath their hat or close fitting cap, known as a coif.

Children would wear gowns, similar to a woman’s dress until they were about six or eight years old. Their clothes then became a “smaller version” of the men’s and women’s clothing. The children wore head coverings called puddings.

Men would wear a “a long, short-sleeved, off-white linen shirt, with collar.” Over this he would have a close fitting doublet on, which had padded shoulders and buttoned down the front. He also attached a lace collar, cuffs, a cloak around his shoulders and a cap, often made of beaver. The pants were called breeches or drawers, which buttoned in the front and stopped at the knees and were baggy. Stockings finished the outfit, which went up to the knee and were tied with ribbons, which were known as garters.

The shoes were made out of leather.

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