Primarily Me 6: Clothing

The Primarily Me Challenge

How do we know about the past? Most of what we know comes from what people left behind. Everything from what they wrote to what they created is a record of life lived. Each record, or primary source, tells a story about people, how they lived, and the environment they lived in. What will people in the future know about how we live today? That depends on what we leave behind!

You can find each challenge and response by following along on social media using #WMNHSPrimarilyMe!

Find Out From Fashion

What is your favorite fashion trend right now?

We can learn a lot about history through the clothing and accessories that people wore. We can learn what resources were available from the fabric or materials that were used. The style of someone’s clothing might tell us something about what climate they lived in, how they celebrated special occasions, or their job. On top of wider trends, we can also learn about how people expressed their own style and personality.

Clothing itself can be a primary source, but what people wear can also be recorded through things like paintings, photographs, and written descriptions.Take a look for yourself! Below are a few different primary sources that show clothing from the 1800s.

Portrait of Hee-oh'ks-te-kin painted by George Catlin in 1832. Hee-oh'ks-te-kin was one of the Nez Perce men whose visit to St. Louis, Missouri, inspired missionaries like Marcus and Narcissa Whitman to head west.

Smithsonian Institution, Object Number 1985.66.145

These silhouettes of a family were created by Higginbotham in 1841.

Smithsonian Institution, Object Number 1981.172.32

• Each of these primary sources uses a different method to record history. What materials do you think were used to make each source?

• What materials do you think were used to make the clothing represented in each source?

• How is the clothing here different from what you wear? How is it similar?

• Ask your parents, grandparents, or other family or friends what their favorite thing to wear was when they were your age! How is it different or similar to what you wear?

Activity 6: Show Your Style

The next Primarily Me challenge is to record your favorite things to wear! You might paint like George Catlin, use paper to make a silhouette like Higginbotham, or take photos like countless photographers to recreate your favorite clothing items.

If you want to use the clothing itself as your record, you could even put on a fashion show for your family!

Ready for the next challenge? Go to Primarily Me 7: What's Missing?