An Overview of Pilgrim Clothing

The clothing associated with the Pilgrims as depicted in pictures of the first Thanksgiving has become intertwined with that of the Puritans who did wear dark colored clothing with white cuffs and collars. However, the clothing of the Pilgrims was nothing like that and is likely to be more of that which was in style in England during the early 1600’s. Among the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in December of 1620 there were many who were skilled in the art of making clothing and who did have indepth knowledge of fabrics. Some were cloth makers, others were hatters and there were wool carders and combers.

The clothing of Pilgrim women

Women wore underpants, stockings and petticoats under the outer clothing. An apron worn over the dress was also the norm. The dresses themselves were made from brightly colored material and consisted of a bodice and skirt. The bodice was very similar to a man’s jacket in that it buttoned up the front, but the waistline was short and was usually pointed in the front. The neckline of some dresses was low, but the chemise that was worn underneath covered up any flesh that may have shown through. Some women wore brooches or tied a bow to add a contrasting effect, which is not how the Puritan women dressed at all.

A lot of material was used in making the skirts that women wore. This was because the material tended to be very loose around the hips so that it could accommodate a bolster. This was a large roll of padded material that was tied around the hips under the skirt, which was usually open in the front to reveal the frills or embroidery of a petticoat of a different color.

A cape was the most common outer garment, although it was not unusual to see a woman wearing a coat or an outer gown. This outerwear followed the same style of the dress with a fitted bodice and a flowing skirt, which was not open in the front.

The clothing of Pilgrim men

Men also wore underpants and stocking, but the stockings were clearly seen with the breeches only coming to just below the knee. The shirt worn was very much like a woman’s blouse with full sleeves. They generally wore this under a buttoned vest so that only the sleeves and collar could be seen. The outer jacket, called a doublet, did have sleeves, some of which could be detached making the garment one that was very versatile.  It was characterized by a standing neckband and had open spaced buttons down the front. 

The breeches worn by Pilgrim men were very much like those worn by Dutch men because the Pilgrims had spent some time in Amsterdam before coming to the New World. These were gathered at the waist and just below the knee and had rather wide legs. Quite often the gathering at the knees was embellished with a bow on the outer side of the leg. Stockings for both men and women were made of wool or cotton, with silk being reserved for the more well-to-do or for special occasions.

Men also wore capes or overcoats that were very loosely fitted. Quite often this outerwear did not have a collar because they were usually worn with a ruff at the neck.

Both men and women wore belts and gloves as well as low heeled shoes.