What clothes looked like in the early 1800s
Some big differences
Clothes in Ellen Hutchins’ time were in some ways very different to the clothes we wear today and there are things that may surprise, even shock, you! People in that time would not have had as many clothes as us, because the fabric used to make them was very expensive.
There were no clothes shops back then where you could buy something to wear and take it home with you - everything had to be made by hand which took a lot of time. For this reason, people were very careful with their clothing and took good care of them so that they would last a long time.
They mended holes and torn seams, they changed the look of the clothes to match what was fashionable, and they handed things down to younger family members. Poorer people often bought clothes from second-hand sellers. There was very little wasted.
How are things done differently today? Do you think this is a better way or a worse way than in the 1800s?
Layer one: shirts and shifts
People wore a lot of layers. The first layer was a shirt for men, or a shift for women.
The woman’s shift was very plain as it was hidden beneath her other clothes. It usually went to below the knees, and had short sleeves.
Some parts of the man’s shirt were seen and so these were decorated with ruffles. It was about thigh length and had a collar. The shirt and shift were usually made of linen as it is excellent for keeping cool.
People in this time washed themselves but they did not really have baths or showers like we do. They also did not have washing machines, which made it a bit more difficult to clean their clothes.
The shirt and shift keep the expensive clothes away from their body, to help stop the clothes getting dirty. The shirt and shift were like underwear. Can you spot what item of underwear is missing?
What clothes did children wear?
Ellen sometimes looked after her young nephews and niece while their parents were away from home.
Children in the time Ellen Hutchins was alive wore clothes which were very similar to the adults. Girls wore dresses and boys wore trousers.
Very young children, even boys, would all have worn dresses until they were older. Can you think why?
I am a boy
I am a
boy too
At what age
do you think
young girls
started wearing
a corset?
Girls’ dresses were usually simpler than adult women’s clothes, with less decoration. They were also a little shorter than adult clothes.
When a boy was old enough to wear trousers, it was called breeching and was an important moment in their life. At first, they might wear a skeleton suit, where the jacket and trousers were joined together with a shirt worn underneath. As they got older, they would wear separate trousers and jackets.
Layer two: petticoats
On top of the shift, a woman and a girl would wear a petticoat. This was a kind of skirt which was worn under the dress. It could be made of white cotton or linen, and wool for wearing in winter.
Layer three: gowns
Women wore a full length dress, that they called a gown or a frock. The word dress meant style or type of clothing. For a wealthy woman there were different styles of dress for different occasions. Morning dress was simple and comfortable clothing worn at home. Day dress was semi-formal for afternoon visits to friends and running errands. And then there was dinner dress.
What Ellen wore
Ellen would have worn morning or day dress, with a gown (dress) down to her ankles made out of cotton, linen, or a fine woven wool. It would probably have had long sleeves. These sleeves were often detachable. This meant that the dress was able to be worn as a sleeveless dress at another time
Layer four: outerwear
For outerwear, there were short fitted jackets, called spencers, or long coats called pelisses, short cloaks called mantles and full length cloaks. Shoes or boots were made of leather. Gloves and hats or bonnets were considered essential for any activities outside the house.
What surprised you?
Did anything shock you?
What do you like about clothes then?
What don’t you like about clothes then?
This section received funding from Fisheries Local Action Group South
