Shirt ...This basic undergarment is long, flowing and made of linen. Plain shirts could be altered for a dress occasion by the addition of a set of collar and cuffs (see below.) since very little of a man’s shirt shows when he dressed.

Breeches...Generally speaking, breeches are front-opening pants which end about at the knee. As is true of trousers today, there are a number of variations possible in actual cut. They could range from tight-fitting to extremely baggy, open at the knee or closed for some distance, and ending about, at, or below the knee. Breeches could be made of any material from satin to canvas, leather, or rough-woven wool. Remember zippers hadn't been invented yet!

Garters...Frequently lengths of ribbon, garters were tied either about or below the knee. Garters had a practical use of keeping the socks up, but many were also intended as additional ornament. So they next time you see a guy with a bandana tied around his leg say.." Hey, nice garter."

Doublet ...Often the doublet and breeches were made as a suit with the same material and trim. This basic upper garment is close-fitting with full-length sleeves and tabs at the waist. It is a fairly complicated tailor-made garment using linings, interlinings, padding and stiffening. It creates the illusion of wide shoulders, broad chest and narrow waist. It seems that the ideal of male attractiveness had not changed much over the ages!

Gown ...Full-length and long-sleeved gowns were made of wool, often faced with fur. They were worn by the "aged and graver" men of the colony such as Elder Brewster and Deacon Fuller. The gown is always worn over the doublet and breeches, and may be tied with a sash or worn open.

Stockings ...The older form of stocking was a sewn garment of wool or linen. By the early 17th Century, knitted stockings of wool or silk thread had become fairly common. They were worn over the knee and fastened with garters to keep them up so that there would not be a gap between the top of the stockings and the bottom of the breeches.

Shoes ...The typical man’s shoe was low-heeled, open at the sides, with lappets coming from the heel over the tongue, and fastened with front ties. In some cases, the ties would be concealed by ribbon rosettes.

Collar & Cuffs ....Matched sets of detachable collars and cuffs were used to dress up plain outfits. The two main styles are ruffs and falling bands. Ruffs are made of a number of lengths of cloth sewn together and gathered in figure eighths onto a neckband or wristband. Falling bands are similar, but take less cloth and are simply gathered onto the bands and allowed to fall. The cuffs are simply miniature versions of the collar.

Hat ...The most popular hats were made of felt, from beaver pelts supplied by traders and colonies such as Plymouth.

Cap...It usually meant a soft brimless head-covering. The word "cap" was used to designate anything not a hat. The men often wore something like a modern knit stocking cap, but since football wasn't invented yet...there were no Patriots hats to be had!

Cloak... This sleeveless outer-garment was worn draped over the shoulders. Usually of a heavy wool, it could be made of the same materials as the suit. Cloaks might have no collar at all, a square "sailor’s" collar, or a hood. Length varied from waist to mid-calf for men, and from waist to ankle for women. It was unladylike to show any ankle!!!!