One of the things that most surprised me when I learned about it was just how fantastically difficult to produce and how expensive was most clothing before the industrial age.

That even well-off people might have hade only two – or at the most, three – outfits was a bit of a shock.

Most people have no idea that a decent outfit (including shoes) might have cost $5,000 in today’s dollars in 1700. It is just hard to imagine, I’ll grant. All for an ensemble that today might run $150 or less, if one finds a good sale.

That you can still find places that will sell you 5 t-shirts for $10 would absolutely amaze your ancestor from 1800. More than just about anything, I’d wager.