1770s
A fitted jacket of cotton resist print, is laced up the front, has a scoop neck line, fitted sleeves and flairs at the waist to accommodate the hips and petticoats. The top petticoat is looped through the pocket slits to give the wider silhouette that was in fashion. Both petticoats are linen. A kerchief of white linen fill the neck line.
Beneath the jacket is a corset. A woman needed help to spiral lace the corset in the back. Tied around the waist is a woven tape that holds a chatelaine of needlepoint consisting of a pin ball, scissor case, and needle case. On the other side is a knit purse of blue, red, and white wool. Purses were usually carried by men as they had control of the "purse strings." A widow might carry a purse such as this. The shift has a gathered ruffle around the neck, and the sleeves end below the elbow. The shifts end about mid-calf.
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