What Kind of Clothing Did a Blacksmith Wear in the Colonial Days?
During the 18th century what you wore marked who and what you were in society even more than in today’s modern fashion world. A blacksmith was one of the most important craftsmen in every colonial town because he made practically everything useful: shoes for horses and oxen, pots and pans, nails, anything made of iron or steel. A blacksmith might try to appear fashionable to fit in with the other common folks walking the cobbled streets, but, with only a few changes of clothing, a blacksmith wore his garments until they could no longer be patched or mended.IdentificationAccording to a Colonial Williamsburg website dedicated to fashion and clothing, a blacksmith wore two types of garments. He wore one kind for daily labor and saved his best, more expensive outfits for Sunday’s church service and rare special occasions like a wedding or other family celebration.PantsBlacksmiths, like all colonial people, dressed in many layers. According to the official Colonial Williamsburg site’s “Dres
The American Colonial Period started in the early 17th century and continued until the American Revolution in 1775. The most common reference to Colonial times refers to the period beginning in 1607 with the founding of a British colony in Virginia. The blacksmith was considered to be among the most valuable of the craftsmen in the colony due to the variety of skills (i.e., metallurgy, carpentry, glassblowing, iron monger) he possessed. As most artisans, the blacksmith wore noteworthy clothing while plying his trade.
