Abstract
During the early modern period material culture increasingly started to serve as a symbol of
identity and status rather than merely fulfilling a basic need. One example of such
possessions that was particularly relevant for demonstrating social position is clothing. By
using markers of distinction such as clothing, individuals could affirm or reaffirm their identities
and could denote an association with a certain status group. At the Cape this means of
distinction was utilised by the societal elite that consisted of a small group of senior officials
with the Governor at the head. The Governor was appointed by the VOC and in all cases but
one, was not locally born. Equally, many members of the VOC elite were temporarily
stationed at the Cape and would return to Europe or move to another VOC station at the end
of their tenure, most often taking their wives and daughters back with them.
The aim of this article is to discuss women belonging to the VOC elite of Cape society and to
determine firstly whether these women maintained their status through the use of status
objects (in particular clothing and other items used for personal adornment). The second aim
of the article is to determine what effect this use of clothing as a symbol of status had on the
social consciousness of the importance or unimportance of a particular object. The article will
also aim to determine how these women in the top echelons of society influenced and
determined what types of fashion, dress and accessories were seen as status objects.