Slave — Calico

: In places like Mount Vernon , Martha Washington’s maids wore gowns made of finer materials like calico, which served as a reflection of the enslaver's affluence.

In the context of American history, —a plain-woven cotton fabric with colorful printed patterns—was often used for the clothing of enslaved people, particularly those working in domestic roles. While field hands typically wore coarser fabrics like "negro cloth," osnaburg, or linsey-woolsey, domestic laborers were sometimes provided with calico garments as they were more visible to the enslaver's family and guests. Key Aspects of Calico and Enslavement calico slave

: Some enslavers used small amounts of calico as a form of "encouragement"; for example, one 1835 record describes a merchant being asked for "cheap calico" to be given to women after childbirth. : In places like Mount Vernon , Martha