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1600 Women's Fashion
In the early years of the new century, fashionable bodices had high necklines or extremely low, rounded necklines, and short wings at the shoulders. Separate closed cartwheel ruffs were sometimes worn, with the standing collar, supported by a small wire frame or Supportase used for more casual wear and becoming more common later. Long sleeves were worn with deep cuffs to match the ruff. The cartwheel ruff disappeared in fashionable England by 1613. -
1600 Men's Fashion
At the beginning of the century, those pesky conservative styles were still lingering from the previous era but gradually fashion transformed into a more colorful palette and soft extravagance. Delicate fabrics were introduced that flowed gracefully out from the body and excessive decoration disappeared. Men wore doublets with rounded waists, slashed sleeves with leg of mutton breeches. And what’s this? A new non-neck irritating soft falling ruff. -
1600 Kids Fashion
Boys and girls of all ages wore pinafores, or aprons, to protect their clothes from getting dirty. Pinafores were typically made of linen, either plain or finely embroidered. Older boys might wear a shorter version made of leather. Boys and girls also wore linen collars, sometimes trimmed in lace. To top off an ensemble, a boy wore a woolen cap or wide-brimmed felt hat. Girls wore a felt hat over a linen "coif," which was a cap that fit over their pinned-back hair. -
1700 Women's Fashion
Women's dress was somewhat severe, although it had certain elements of informality. The small laced apron was much worn, even on important occasions. Below it was the flowered petticoat, much more important than the skirt, which was frequently drawn back in bunches or folds. The bodice of the dress, although cut low, was very stiff. -
1700 Men's Fashion
The male suit, also known as the habit, consisted of three parts: the justaucorps, a jacket, and breeches. In the early eighteenth century the jacket continued to have a full skirt. Fabrics for men were primarily silks, velvets, and brocades, with woolens used for the middle class and for sporting costumes -
1700 Kids Fashion
Until the age of 5, both boys and girls wore stiff bodices that fastened at the back, along with separate full skirts. Long strips of cloth called "leading strings" were attached to the bodice's shoulders. A linen chemise and stockings would be worn underneath. Boys' dresses were usually less elaborately trimmed, and boys also went bareheaded, while girls would wear close-fitting linen caps. -
1800 Men's Fashion
For the business man, 1800s clothes consisted of trousers, vests, jackets and overcoats or dusters. Men wore a wide variety of ties to make an ensemble a bit dressier and more refined. For evening wear dark tail coats were the choice for formal occasions accented by colorful waistcoats and cummerbunds. -
1800 Kids Fashion
Before the early-twentieth century, clothing worn by infants and young children shared a distinctive common feature-their clothing lacked sex distinction. The origins of this aspect of children's clothing stem from the sixteenth century, when European men and older boys began wearing doublets paired with breeches. Previously, both males and females of all ages (except for swaddled infants) had worn some type of gown, robe, or tunic. -
1800 Womens Fashion
The fashion canvas of the 18th century changed radically as the 19th century began and simpler, lighter brushstrokes were applied. Fashion in the first two decades mimicked classical Grecian drapery with its fluid lines. Bodices were minimal, cut to end under the bust thereby achieving a high waist that defined the silhouette. Necklines were predominantly low. Sleeves could be long or short. The fiddle-back bodice, with side, back and shoulder seams that were placed to. -
1900 Women's Fashion
As the Victorian era drew to its close, skirts for both day and evening were elongated at the back to form a train. The skirt’s silhouette was slim at the hip, achieved with pleating and smocking. Any fullness in the skirt was confined to below the knee. Decoration was applied using large and small tucks, hem ruffles, buttons and lace insertions. For day, ladies wore very high necks and the bosom was undefined with fullness. -
1900 Men's Fashion
Coats were worn on various occasions. In 1900's fashion, men had different coats for different times of the day as well as for different events. In the winter months, men wore knee-length topcoats or overcoats that were calf-length. For outdoors and shooting, men wore the Norfolk jacket. It was made from heavy tweed and had box pleats over the chest and back. It also had a matching fabric belt. -
1900 Kids Fashion
"Historical Boy's Clothing" reports that kids' clothes in the early 1900s were heavily starched and looked formal compared to modern kids' clothing. Clothing was, however, becoming looser and easier to play in, compared to previous decades. Both boys and girls sometimes wore sailor suits during more formal settings, and sometimes similarly formal dresses for boys as well as girls. Colors were generally pale, ranging from browns to whites.
