Clothing for African American Slaves

Clothing for black slaves consisted of old clothing their masters gave them. Slavery clothing was worn and torn and depended very much on the masters who were enslaving them. If a master was falling on hard financial times, slaves were the first to suffer, often going without food and clothing. However, it behooved masters to keep their slaves well fed and clothed so they could properly attend to their work so slaves for the most part wore the same basic clothing as their masters: breeches and a long sleeved shirt. Shoes were reserved for house slaves or slaves who gained favor with the master. House slaves could be seen wearing the same manner of clothing as their masters. It really depended on the master regarding how much a slave was clothed.

Slavery clothing for women consisted of bonnets and skirts for domestic housework. Slavery clothing was very little and the wardrobe of slaves was quite limited. They could wash their clothing in tubs and hang them to dry to refresh them for the next work day. African Americans were never given the chance to make a dent on mainstream fashion given their oppression and lack of opportunities. It was not until the early forties when African Americans took on a fashion identity of their own through zoot suits and later with such fashion trends as the afro of the late sixties and seventies. From the 1970s onward, African Americans had made enormous contributions to fashion that had spread all over the world whereas before blacks were never afforded the opportunity to wear what they wanted.