The Clothes They Wore: Puritan Fashions and 17th-century Status Symbols

From cotton bonnets to silk stockings, clothing has always been a way to communicate social status, and Puritan New England was no different.  With almost 400 years of hindsight, we tend to picture all Puritans in matching joyless outfits, but there were clear and fascinating distinctions between the clothing of the upper, middle, and servant classes.

This October, the Paul Revere House will be the setting for an elaborate display of three historically correct Puritan dresses, with a detailed narration of the status-markers that set them apart.  Historical seamstress Ruby-Grace Miller has constructed each outfit from her original research, and will share a high-status, middle-status, and lower-status/servant dress from the late 17th century.  This exhibit is on view ONE DAY ONLY.  

The Paul Revere House is best known for its most-famous resident – who owned it from 1770 to 1800.  But did you know that the house was already almost a century old when Paul Revere moved in?  It’s actually the oldest remaining 17th-century home in Boston, making it a perfect setting for this display of Puritan-era women’s clothing.

Note: From 1:00-3:00, Ruby-Grace will be available for informal discussion with visitors. Shortly after 3:00 she will offer a more formal talk on her historical seamstress work and answer questions about Puritan-era fashion.  An RSVP is required at http://puritans2018_fashion.eventbrite.com for the 3:00 - 4:00 PM session.

About the event series

Every fall, in honor of the naming of Boston, the Partnership of Historic Bostons hosts a series of free events exploring an intriguing aspect of Puritan life.  This year’s theme is From Theology to Commerce: the First Three Generations of 17th-century Boston.

To see a list of the entire series of FREE events, please visit http://historicbostons.eventbrite.com