In the 1770’s, French culture focused on…

… indoor activities and Court life.  French fashion focused on indoor activities.  The English culture on the other hand, was still largely rural and urban dwellers enjoyed the outdoors and a more active lifestyle if one was to consider them as a whole.  Each country leaned towards indoors or outdoors.

The French, however, were peeking at the English, who were peeking at the Colonists.   The French especially liked the simple and rural type of clothing the English and Colonists were wearing, and so every women in the 3 countries ended up wearing much the same thing.

(Sketches:  depictions of Colonials: (left to right) American, English, French.  The lower class and rural woman looked quite a bit the same in Europe and the American Colonies.  Artistic impressions of the women of the day most often showed them actively engaged in work (or battle))