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18th Century Fashion
by Rick Brainard The fashion style of the 18th century was a reflection of the morals of the time. Most folks dressed conservatively. Women for instance showed very little skin, but accentuated their figures. Men wore clothes that advertised their trade or business occupations.
This "dress code" was a left over of the trade guilds of the 16th and 17th centuries. One can see this in the paintings and drawings of the times. To be sure, you could tell a businessman from the laborer by the way they dressed. In the 18th century, wigs, specifically powdered wigs were in fashion. Both men and women wore them, especially the upper classes and royalty. These wigs were usually powdered white. Several Web sites cover 18th century fashion. Some of these Web sites have histories of fashion. Others are merchant Web sites that sell patterns or completed clothing. Some Web sites cater to the reenactment enthusiasts; others work with theaters and movie production companies. The first Web site to visit is The History of Costume - Index. This is an index of plates from a book on fashion history. The book written in the Victorian era, for this reason, the images are decidedly Victorian in nature and view. These plates give a general idea of what the fashions of the period looked like. You can purchase 18th and 19th Century Historic Clothing Patterns from the James Townsend & Son, Inc.Web site. It shows prices and ordering information. This is a good place for reenactors. Another part of this site offers 18th and 19th Century hats and bonnets. Living history museums are another place to see the fashion of the times. At Colonial Williamsburg, you can see what people did and how they dressed. The Milliner was the place to go to get fabrics and other accessories for your wardrobe. Shoes were made to order in the 18th century. You had to go to the Boot and Shoemaker to order your new shoes. To be fashionably dressed in the 18th century meant dressing from the head down. The exact dress of the head was as important as any other article or garment in the mode of the day. Therefore, you would go to the Wigmaker to get your wig. These are just a few Web sites that you can visit and learn about 18th century fashion. For more information on this topic, check out the
Fashion Resource section on this site.
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