Thanksgiving essentials: pilgrim ware

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with those you love, whether family, friends, significant others, or whomever else, and spend quality time. When celebrating this holiday filled with thanks and full bellies, do not forget the roots of the day and how the celebrating all began. 

The first Thanksgiving took place many years ago, back in the 1600s, at which the pilgrims did not wear the stereotypical clothing we nowadays associate with them. When thinking of thanksgiving pilgrims, we picture black and white clothing, large hats or bonnets, and large golden buckles. Unlike many may think, this is not accurate to how the pilgrims truly looked. In the 1600s, men and women both wore collars frequently, as well as stockings for conservative ware. Women were found in large two-piece dresses made of a bodice and ankle-length skirts with a petticoat. Men sported long sleeve doublets with knee-length breeches for pants. Both the men and women wore clothing primarily made of linen and/or wool, also sporting a hat or cap. 

While times have drastically changed since the first Thanksgiving, and most do not dress in the same way as the first pilgrims, you can still dress to represent the autumn, hearty holiday. From this, you do not have to wear a large and boisterous linen gown, but you can instead dress to the holiday’s warm fall colors while still looking nice and staying comfortable. 

The suggested choice of clothing for women at Thanksgiving time is to wear a somewhat loose-fitting dress with knit tights, if needed. This dress combination choice works best because it will leave room for a full belly and many style combinations! Go with either a short sleeved or tank top dress so you can layer on top. Follow along the fall color scheme, choosing a dress of solid color that is either a dark/mustard yellow, burnt orange, dark and faded red, maroon, dark plum purple, brown, or olive green. Pair with this either black, grey, or tan/neutral tights underneath to pull the outfit together and provide an aspect of warmth. 

Adding to this combination, to embody the first pilgrims, there are a few modern and fashionable choices. The first option is to put a solid button-up, collared shirt over the top of your dress and button it to the top. This will follow the same collared look the pilgrims typically wore. Finalize this addition with a fall-colored sweater overthrow that complements your dress’ color. Another option to embody the pilgrims is to slip into some oxford-style bootie heels—brown will look best. If you want to further follow in the footsteps of the pilgrims, finish this look with the addition of some modern day stockings. 

Now you can engage in a family and friend-filled holiday feast while commemorating the first Thanksgiving dinner. If this is a style combination you wouldn’t typically wear, try it out this holiday and tell everyone that you want to remember the pilgrims who began it all!