1. If You Were a Pioneer…
What Would You Wear?

2. Women and girls sewed their own clothing
Women and girls sewed their own clothing. They wore long dresses that were made out of wool
or calico (plain-woven cotton cloth).
Common colors of these dresses were black, green, blue, and red with flower designs
or gingham stripes.

3. They wore stockings, corsets, and hoops for their skirts
They wore stockings, corsets, and hoops for their skirts. They wore bonnets on their heads to protect their faces from the sun. They wore boots, scarves, and shawls in the winter. Aprons were worn so they wouldn’t get their clothes dirty while working.

4. They wore fur or beaver felt caps. Farmers wore straw hats
They wore fur or beaver felt caps. Farmers wore straw hats. The men’s shirts were long-sleeved and were over woolen undershirts.
The men wore shirts (usually blue, green, red, white, shirts), long trousers (black, gray, or brown wool or cotton pants), suspenders, long wool socks, and black or brown leather boots.

5. Sometimes pioneers wore bandanna handkerchiefs over their mouths to protect them from the cold and the dust.
Pioneers washed their own clothes by hand on washboards using water from wells or rain. They wrung their clothes and hung them on clothing lines.

7. Common Fabrics:
Wool
Leather (for boots, gloves, and coats)
Linen
Cotton