Puritan Fashion

Puritans advocated a conservative form of fashionable attire, characterized by "sad" or somber colours, ranging from blue to brown to black, with the occasional white, and modest cuts. Gowns with low necklines were filled in with high-necked smocks and wide collars. Married Mulberry Bags Outlet women covered their hair with a linen cap, over which they might wear a tall black hat. Men and women both avoided bright colours, shiny fabrics, and over-ornament ation. Their clothes represented their reputation and morality; for example, they never wore accessories because vanity was a sin associated with evil.

Through the colors and styles of their clothes, Puritans literally displayed their political and religious beliefs on their sleeves. Unlike the extravagant lace and ruffles equally matched by an extravagant lifestyle that dominated the court during Charles II's reign in England, the starkness and simplicity of the Puritans' dress demonstrated a purity that showed they were closer to God.

Contrary to popular belief, Puritans and Calvinists did not wear black for everday, especially in England, Scotland, and colonial America. Black dye was expensive Mulberry Alexa Bags and faded quickly, and black clothing was reserved for the most formal occasions , for elders in a Mulberry Bayswater Bags community, and for those of higher rank. More typical colors were brown, murrey , dull greens, and tawny colors. Wool and linen were preferred over silks and satins, though Puritan women of rank wore modest amounts of lace and embroidery as appropriate to their station, believing that the various rank of society were divinely ordained and should be reflected even in the most modest dress.