At 12:59 PM 9/14/2011, you wrote:
Victorian women NEEDED split drawers. They wore a long chemise over the top
of the drawers, and a corset laced up tightly on top of that, so the only
way to "drop a penny" was to have the drawers split. You just couldn't get
at them to pull them down from the waist.
Kim
That's not necessarily so. (Gentlemen, please delete this message,
only the ladies should read it.) When in my 1840s outfit for
Sutter's Fort, I simply do not wear any bifurcated garments. With 5
layers (shift, 3 petticoats, and dress) between me and the outside
world (and no inclination to do cartwheels), my modesty is safe. I
find split drawers to be very uncomfortable as they never fit
properly and caused me to get badly chaffed. So all I need to do is
pick up all the layers and take care of "business". Of course, later
in the 19th century fashions were different, but until the cage
crinoline, drawers were not necessary for modesty.
Joan Jurancich
[email protected]
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