Dear Dede--
If you have a lampshade slightly loose on its harp, press down on one side. The other side goes Flying up. The crinoline does the same thing, if not managed carefully. Even the most ladylike of persons might fall. Drawers are definitely needed. Also, they were in fashion and had been coming into fashion since somewhere around 1800. Trowsers (sic) may be found in the Workwoman's Guide (1840 edition online here: http://www.archive.org/details/workwomansguide00workgoog); my copy is after an 1838 edition, as reprinted by Old Sturbridge Village, so some sort of bifurcated undergarment for women was being constructed at that point. This book is not aimed a fashion-forward women, but women trying to clothe their families or to make clothes as a charitable act. Ann in CT > why did they need drawers at all? Chemise, layers of petticoats, and long > skirts -- everything totally obscured, so why > bother with drawers? > > Dede O'Hair --- On Wed, 9/14/11, Kim Baird <kba...@cableone.net> 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. _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
