Women

• Women in the 18th century would wear many layers of clothing, a challenge in the heat of colonial American summers. A woman's innermost garment was a relatively simple shift, sometimes trimmed with lace. Over this she would wear stays, a garment reinforced with whalebone, wood or metal strips that were meant to provide support for the torso and encourage good posture. Over this might be one or two petticoats, sometimes with hoops. Over these might be a gown that opened to reveal the outermost petticoat, a stomacher that held the gown together in the front, and an apron and neckerchief. Women also wore lace caps to keep their hair from becoming dusty and might also wear a hat to protect them from the sun. On their feet, women would wear stockings held up by garters and shoes, which could be made from a variety of materials.
  
  

Men

• A man's clothing was almost as complicated as a woman's. A man's pants were called breeches and reached only to the knees. The man's version of the shift was the shirt that fell to the knees and was tucked inside the breeches. Like women, men would also wear stockings to cover their legs and feet. Shoes had straight soles, which would be shaped to the left and right feet by the wearer. A waistcoat, equivalent to a modern vest, would be worn over the torso. A coat was worn over the waistcoat. Coats were narrowly cut at the shoulders and reached to the knees. A cravat was wrapped around the throat and tied in front and a hat was placed on the head. The three-cornered hat was one of the most fashionable worn by men in the 1770s.
  
  

Children

• During the 18th century, philosophies about children's clothing were undergoing changes. In the first part of the century, children were dressed in tight fitting clothing like adults. Bodices were often fastened in the back and might include leading strings so adults could help the children learn to walk. Many young girls and boys would also wear stays to encourage proper posture and provide support. Towards the latter part of the century, children's clothing became less restrictive and both girls and boys would wear frocks. These were essentially like white dresses. Boys between the ages of 3 and 7 would change from frocks to trousers or breeches. This change in dress was called "breeching" and was symbolic of the child's first step towards manhood.
  
  

Soldiers

• American soldiers in the Continental Army wore plain clothing compared to their British counterparts. At the beginning of the war, simple brown was the official color for the American army. By war's end this had expanded to brown, blue and red. The British army wore red uniforms and were nicknamed "redcoats" or "lobster backs" because of this. Some British soldiers also wore blue uniforms.