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Colonial America (1492-1765)

Colonial Clothing

Colonial Clothing
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 4
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.07

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    bodice, breeches, brocade, corsets, cuffs, dressy, tights, underclothes, waistcoat, washboard, natural, colonial, pudding, outfit, lace, skirt

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Colonial Clothing
By Sharon Fabian 		  
1     What did colonial people wear? Did they have lots of clothes? What styles were popular? How did they take care of their clothes? Where did they buy them?
 
2     The way people dressed back then was much different from the way we dress now. The clothes were different. The fabrics were different. The way they got their clothes was different. The way they took care of their clothes was different too.
 
3     Colonial clothing was made of natural fabrics. Many clothes were made of cotton or wool. Dressy clothes were made of silk, velvet, or brocade.
 
4     The clothes were all made by hand.
 
5     Some colonists made their own clothes. They spun the thread, wove the cloth, and sewed the clothes. Many families on the frontier made all of their own clothes.
 
6     Some people bought their clothes. They ordered them from England. Then
 
7     they waited months for their clothes to arrive by ship. In cities like Williamsburg, colonists kept up with the latest fashions from Europe.
 
8     Some clothes made in the colonies were colorful. They were dyed blue, violet, red, or another color. Materials like indigo plants and certain bugs were used for dyes.
 
9     An outfit of clothes could take months to make. Clothes were expensive to buy, too. Some colonists had only two outfits - one for every day, one dressy.

Paragraphs 10 to 17:
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