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British American Gentry
Wealthy plantation owners in Virginia became known as gentry, wealthy colonial class with refinement and class. They copied the style from the British Aristocrats, including the tailed, luxury clothes. This shows the attitude of most colonists in the early 1700's coming from England. This painting shows William Byrd !! of Westover, Virginia in the tailored, luxury clothes popular in London and copied in the colonies.1
1. OpenStax, “U.S. History”, chap. 4 p. 108 -
Washington
This image2 from Washington's wedding to Martha Custis shows him in clothes that at time he had made by a tailor in London because he believed they were more genteel when they were from London. Even if they didn't fit well he had all his clothes made in London. The attitude of the colonist before change began.3
2. History.com, http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-washington/pictures
3. UTA History Department, “The Making of the Patriots” -
Stamp Act protest
Patrick Henry's speech before Virginia House of Burgesses, denouncing Stamp Act. One example of the protest and discord that the colonist were feeling after the Imperial Government began imposing new regulations and taxes. These protest began to unify the colonies and led to the banning of british goods, including fabrics.4
4. Open Stax, "U.S. History", chap.5, p.133 -
Spinning Bees5
As a protest against English taxes women encouraged all to boycott English goods. The Daughters of Liberty began spinning bees, where groups of women would meet and spin from sunrise to dark. They even submitted articles to the newspapers encouraging everyone to wear homespun linens with pride.6
5. Lossing, John, & ... Our Country: A Household history for all readers,(New York; Johnson & Miles, 1876), PDF ebook Book IV, chap. VI, p. 668,
6. Open Stax, "U.S. History", chap. 5, p. 135 & 139 -
Inauguration
By the time George Washington was elected president he to had been converted to homespun clothing.This image shows the suit he wore at his inauguration. It was brown broadcloth homespun in Hartford.7
7. Donald W. Reynolds Museum display at Mount Vernon -
Greek and Roman Influence
By the 1800's the fashion influence was changing to ancient Greek and Rome. The new government was modeled after the Greek Democracy and Roman Republicanism, so fashioned followed. However,the revealing fashions did shock some of the more conservative. This image of a white muslin dress reflects Greco-Roman style of soft drapery.8
8. DAR.org, "An Agreeable Tyrant Fashion after the Revolution", 1890-2017
