Getting Dressed in 18th Century Working Class Women's Clothing

Despite what you might see in TV shows and movies, the clothing of working-class women in the 18th century was full of variety and color. A linen shift was the basic undergarment for all women regardless of class. This shift has slaves gathered into a narrow band which was an incredibly common style for most of the 18th century. A linen cap helps to keep the hair neat and tidy. Wool stockings are held up by woven tape garters tied just below the knee. Over the shift is worn a simple underpetticoat. This one is made out of cotton mock quilt fabric sometimes called marseille cloth. It is entirely possible to put backlacing stays on by yourself. I start by lacing them backwards with an extra long lace and then turn them around and tighten These stays are made with an outer layer of light blue worsted wool. They're boned with synthetic whalebone from Burnley and Trowbridge Company. Women of all classes, including working women, wore stays. Stays provided support for the chest and back which was especially helpful when doing manual labor. Even impoverished women relying on the charity of their local parish would be issued stays. A separate pocket is tied around the waist to help keep valuable items close at hand. Next comes a petticoat of blue linen. When putting on a petticoat, I like to tie the back half first. I usually tie the bow off to one side or the other so that I don't have a big knot of ties at my center front. Then the front of the petticoat is brought up and tied at the back. I like to tuck my bow in under the back of the petticoat. Printed cotton kerchiefs in a variety of styles and colors were common on working class women. This one is a reproduction from Burnley and Trowbridge Company based on original images. The bedgown is a simple t-shaped garment. Its loose fit and adjustability made it an ideal garment for working class women or fashionable women relaxing in the privacy of their own home. The fronts of the bedgown are overlapped in front and then secured in place by the apron. This apron is made of blue checked linen. Suspended from the apron strings is a knitted pin ball or pin cushion. It's helpful for keeping pins close at hand, which are so important for getting dressed in 18th century women's clothing. A straw hat trimmed with silk ribbon is the finishing touch for this outfit and provides useful shade from the sun. Another option for the working class woman of the 18th century was a jacket. This jacket is made of wool and is lined with linen. It's fastened by pinning up the front with straight pins. Although this might seem potentially painful, remember that the stays underneath provide protection from any stray pins. And of course the outfit wouldn't be complete without a printed kerchief and an apron. Gowns are incredibly common for working class women as seen in images and written sources. As I mentioned in my Regency working class clothing video, it's important to remember that the word gown in the 18th century did not refer only to fancy ball gowns or wedding gowns as we use it today. Whether working class or elite, wool or silk, they were all gowns. This gown is made of off-white and red striped wool. It's a round gown, meaning the skirt does not open in front to reveal the petticoat. The front panel of the skirt is brought up and ties around the waist. Then the bodice of the gown is fastened on top, in this case with a stomacher and robings. First the stomacher is pinned in place to the stays. Then the sides of the gown are pinned to the stomacher underneath the robings. Again the outfit is finished with a printed cotton kerchief and an apron. An alternative to the hat was a bonnet. While bonnets came in a variety of colors and materials, black silk bonnets were the overwhelming majority. Red wool cloaks were an iconic form of outerwear for women during the 18th century and they remained popular into the early 19th century. Thank you for joining me for yet another look at working class women's clothing through history.