British historical romance author Rosemary Morris
stops by today to give us a fashion lesson on undergarments. Learn more about Rosemary and her books at her website and blog.
A Brief History of Underclothes
It would be
unrealistic to deny that, throughout history, as well as having a practical
purpose, feminine undergarments have had an erotic effect. Once, even the
glimpse of a stockinged ankle titillated. Modern fashion, which is more
practical and comfortable, has removed feminine mystique.
In the past,
female underclothing was the focus of sensual curiosity. In the prudish
Victorian era, mention of trousers or drawers was considered unseemly. It
reminded people that men and women have legs.
In the medieval
period women wore smocks or, as the Normans called them, chemises. They were
pulled over the head and were either plain or embroidered.
In “The Miller’s
Wife” from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales,
there are the following lines:
“…brooded all before
And eke behind on her colere
about
Of cole-blak silke, within
and eke without.”
Women also
appropriated the term petticoat, little coat, from the word coat used by men in
the Middle Ages.
The evolution of
underclothes is interesting. After the early Saxon period, tunics concealed
men’s breeches, which were subsequently called drawers. Centuries later, men
wore knee-length breeches then close-fitting ankle length pantaloons. Next,
they wore trousers and, more recently, shorts and jeans beneath which minimal
undergarments are worn.
By the Victorian
era, women wore a linen chemise and petticoat, sometimes attached to a bodice.
In early 19th century England, drawers were considered scandalous
until Princess Charlotte, heiress to the throne, wore them. By the 1830’s they
were commonplace. Also, the French custom of wearing pantaloons when riding
side saddle had become popular. After the Regency era, small waists were
admired. Tight lacing was necessary to be fashionable. To achieve it, corset
makers used steel, whalebone and buckram, which compressed women’s figures so
much that they couldn’t move naturally and suffered from stomach aches and
other pain.
Crinolines were
superseded by bustles, until, in the late 20th century underwear
evolved into the scanty garments worn today, although bras are used to emphasis
the bust to enhance the figure.
Famous names have
been used to describe female underwear. From American Mrs. Bloomer came the
term bloomers. Some of many other terms are undies, cami-bocks, cami-knicks,
knick-knacks, frillies, bras, slips and thongs, all of which have erotic
connotations.
The main purpose
of underclothes has been warmth. Men’s shapes have remained similar throughout
the centuries, but women’s have been altered by artificial means. These
included bustles, corsets, crinolines, farthingales, hoops and stays, all of
which gave rise to speculation about what females wore beneath their outer
garments. One can imagine a curious bridegroom eagerly anticipating a
revelation.
Today, people
bathe frequently. Their clothes are dry-cleaned or washed. This means few
underclothes are necessary to keep outerwear clean. It was not so, for example,
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when splendid clothes made in costly
fabrics needed protection from unwashed bodies.
Towards the end
of the 18th century, the Macaronis stressed the importance of
personal cleanliness. In the first part of 19th century John Wesley
preached ‘cleanliness is next to Godliness’. Beau Brummel, the famous Regency
dandy, agreed, also advocated cleanliness. In Queen Victoria’s reign, men and
women changed their underwear frequently. To move on in time, between the 1st
and 2nd World Wars fewer underclothes were worn. Which brings me to
the present day. Mini-skirts, shorts, sleeveless tops with shoestring straps,
bikinis and extremes of fashion leave little to the imagination.
In the past,
deliberate revelations of underwear, such as the edge of a chemise or the hem
of a petticoat, suggested female disrobing was erotic. At other times, the
bodice looked like a corset. This implied a woman had dressed immodestly. For
at least six centuries, women wore corsets to emphasise the bust and slim the
waist. Laced too tightly they compromised health.
Men’s shirts may
also be regarded as underwear. They divided the working classes from upper
classes. In Henry VIII’s reign, shirts were revealed by slashing the jerkin; in
the 18th century the top of the waistcoat was unbuttoned to reveal
part of the shirt. Spotless white shirts, frilled or plain, divided the social
classes.
Linen, the oldest
material used for underwear; cotton, regarded as inferior to linen; wool and
flannelette have been used for undergarments. Only well to-do people could
afford silk until the last part of the Victorian era. More recently artificial
fabrics, such as nylon are popular and can be washed and dried as often as we
bathe. We no longer stink as our ancestors did.
Far Beyond Rubies
Set in 1706
during Queen Anne Stuart’s reign, Far Beyond Rubies begins when William, Baron
Kemp, Juliana’s half-brother claims she and her young sister, Henrietta, are
bastards. Spirited Juliana is determined to prove the allegation is false, and
that she is the rightful heiress to Riverside, a great estate.
On his way to
deliver a letter to William, Gervaise Seymour sees Juliana for the first time
on the grounds of her family estate. The sight of her draws him back to India.
When “her form changed to one he knew intimately – but not in this lifetime,”
Gervaise knows he would do everything in his power to protect her.
Although Juliana
and Gervaise are attracted to each other, they have not been formally
introduced and assume they will never meet again. However, when Juliana flees
from home, and is on her way to London, she encounters quixotic Gervaise at an
inn. Circumstances force Juliana to accept his kind help. After Juliana’s life
becomes irrevocably tangled with his, she discovers all is not as it seems.
Yet, she cannot believe ill of him for, despite his exotic background, he
behaves with scrupulous propriety while trying to help her find evidence to
prove she and her sister are legitimate.
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