The Fleece of Their Flock: Homespun & the American Identity

Democratic Dress
Though hundreds of wealthy Williamsburgians coordinated
their homespun attire, this was not something that all
colonists were able to do. Limited resources made it impossible
to produce enough fabric to clothe the entire colonial
population. Additionally, it is quite likely that the cost
of acquiring a brand new, locally made garment for a special
occasion was restrictive.
Nevertheless, the patriotic rhetoric surrounding the movement
was printed in newspapers and circulated throughout
the colony. With these descriptions, homespun’s symbolic
nature was reinforced in the minds of the middling
sorts and other colonial readers who may not have worn
homespun themselves. Additionally the fashionable anti-fashion
movement encouraged individuals to reevaluate
and alter their dress. Simple, unadorned silhouettes and
natural fibers and colors were a departure from the golden
trimmings and charming pastels of previous decades.
Since individuals from many positions along the social
continuum – farming families and diplomats alike – supported
the anti-fashion and homespun movements, class
distinctions were visually obscured. Instead of wearing the
usual signifiers of their higher socioeconomic status, elite
colonists covered themselves in homespun. In this sense,
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