... Politicians wore powdered white wigs. They could not wash their hair regularly; because of this they covered the greasy hair with a nicely kept powdered wig. "The wig showed they were men of importance." Not all men could wear a wig, only the rich or important. This was mainly because of the cost of a wig. The politicians also had more money than average people so they could afford clothes made of finer fabrics. A rich man often wore finer fabrics also. A rich man would wear a suit everyday. A suit consisted of eight pieces. The first piece was his hat. "The most fashionable hat worn by men in the 1700's was a three cornered hat made of felt" ("Anatomy of a suit"). The second part of a suit consisted of a shirt. "A man's shirt was white linen and an undermost garment. With the shirt tails falling to his knees, it was worn tucked into his breeches" ("Anatomy of a suit"). They also wore waistcoats. "A waistcoat is that part of a man's small clothes that cover the upper body and are worn under the coat. Today it is known as a vest" ("Anatomy of a suit"). Then a man wore breeches. Breeches were "a well-fit garment covering the lower body from waist to knees" (Anatomy of a suit). Then a suit would consist of a pair of stockings. Stockings are "coverings for the legs and foot knit mostly of silk, cotton, linen and wool" (Anatomy of a suit). Covering the stockings would be a pair of shoes. "Fashionable shoes have strait soles, with no left or right until shaped by the wearer's feet" (anatomy of a suit). After a man was fully dressed in his suit he would wear a coat. "Fashionable coats are closely cut, knee-length garments. The shoulder and sleeves are narrowly fit" (anatomy of a suit). A common accessory for a man wearing a suit would often be a cane, also known as a "walking stick" (anatomy of a suit). An average mans clothing would differ from a suit entirely. A working man in the 1700's wore "an overcoat, shirt, breeches, socks and shoes". The overcoat was much like one the rich wore but not made of such fine material. The shirt that they wore was made of linen. That was not very expensive in the 18th century. The socks would go to the knee. They would also go a little into the breeches. After the socks would have come the shoes. "The shoes were heavy; they wore them for walking long distances". Working women were a little more complex when getting dressed then men. ...
