Wrappers were the casual dresses the women wore for everyday activities. Made to suit the season in either cotton or wool, this comfortable dress was high necked with long sleeves and a free-flowing body. Less fitted than more formal dresses, the wrapper didn’t require hoops, corsets, or bustles, was easy to make, and could easily be adjusted for maternity wear. The style was practical and enduring in popularity and suited women of all ages, including young girls.

As with any dress goods, after the garment was completed, the leftover pieces went into a scrap basket, eventually joining other scraps to make quilts for the family.

Although "dry goods" as a term for textiles, ready-to-wear clothing, and sundries has been dated back to 1742 in England, the term was actually more popular here in the United States.  Dry Goods were usually found in stores during the Civil War specializing only in those products - consumer goods that were distinct from those carried by hardware stores and grocery stores – a type of specialty store. General Stores began to carry dry goods as well when they realized the money-making potential of the items.With fashion magazines emphasizing mourning attire,the demand for mourning veils and black yard goods increased. Not just the “fashionably attired” women were concerned with matters related to dress and textiles; dry goods had a prominent part in every sector of the war from the battlefield to the homefront.  Uniforms had a dramatic impact on the war effort. When the war broke out, state volunteer regiments on both sides marched into battle wearing an array of colorful uniforms which, although impressive to look at, resulted in great tragedies of mistaken identity.

Early Finery, c. 1845 by Roberta Benvin

Several decades subsequent to the declaration of our nation’s independence, we were still reliant upon France and Great Britain for many of our commodities, most certainly for the majority of the textiles that were available to women for their household needs. Only the affluent could afford to purchase quantities of quality material; others had to make do with smaller amounts and either cut up or recycle them to maximize their usefulness.