Pilgrim Clothing

The Pilgrim's idea of being respectful included wearing simple clothing. Men wore long white cotton shirts and breeches. Breeches were pants that were worn just below the knee. The men also wore long woolen stockings that were held up by garters tied above the knee. A doublet, which was a jacket, was worn over the cotton shirt. Men wore felt hats and leather shoes.

Women had long cotton shirts, too. They wore skirts with three petticoats under their skirts and and apron over the skirt. Women also wore a jacket called a waistcoat. Since clothing did not have pockets, women wore cloth pouches tied to their waists. They also wore bonnets called coifs.

The children dressed like their parents after they were seven years old. Before that age, boys and girls dressed alike. They wore long cotton gowns with ties at the shoulders so the parents could grab ahold of those ties to keep the children from getting away. Children went barefoot in the summer and wore leather shoes in the winter. In the 1600's, there were no right or left shoes. Both shoes were made to be worn on either foot.