Threads of the Past
Martha Washington's Wedding Gown
One of the most fashionable styles of gown worn in the 1750s was the Sacque or Sack gown, with pleats that flowed from the upper back to the floor, was fitted in the front, and often trimmed elaborately.
At her wedding on January 6, 1759, Mrs. Washington wore a yellow silk gown adorned with Flemish lace, paired with purple satin shoes trimmed in silver. The ensemble was a stunning display of imported European splendor that complimented her and confirmed her sophisticated taste.
The Clothing of Enslaved People
The garments do not survive, but records in the Washington papers and period descriptions describe the types of garments issued to field workers and indicate that some of this clothing was made by enslaved seamstresses and indentured tailors.
Records from the Overseers Account Book show these laborers were issued two basic outfits annually, with seasonal clothing as needed. At least some of the cloth for their clothing was produced at Mount Vernon. In 1786, George Washington wrote:
you will perceive no mention is made of coarse Woolens; because of these I manufacture a sufficiency to clothe my out-door Negroes1
His plantation was never able to produce all the cloth needed to clothe the enslaved at Mount Vernon. His financial papers show numerous purchases of various types of cloth needed to provide the balance of their clothing.
Surviving textile fragment of yellow lampas from the wedding dress.
Clothing provisions for enslaved people at Mount Vernon.
Recreation
The original wedding gown does not survive intact, so Brooke's recreation is based on the surviving textile fragments, popular styles in the late 1750s, and descendants’ descriptions of her ensemble. Kathrin will work the types of garments worn by the laboring men and women at Mount Vernon.