According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "roundabout" as an  
article of clothing had two very different meanings in the 19th  
century: it could be a short men's or boy's jacket or it could be "a  
loose dressing gown worn by women." Interestingly, given your  
reference to slaves, three of the five quotations supporting the  
second definition are from New Zealand and refer to garments worn by  
Maori women. The other two quotations are from the US and appear to  
refer to something worn by middle-class women.

Hope this is helpful. The OED is a great tool for matters like this.

Lonn Taylor
Fort Davis, Texas
On May 25, 2006, at 9:29 AM, Sue Fischer wrote:

> I found a roundabout described as "a tail-less jacket similar to a  
> sleeved waistcoat" worn by early 19th c. soldiers.
>
> Suzanne Fischer
> Curator of Material Culture
> Louisiana State Museum
> P.O. Box 2448
> New Orleans, LA  70176
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> 504-568-5459 office
> 504-599-1950 fax
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Candace Perry [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 9:26 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] a "roundabout"
>
>
> I'm looking for a description of this type of garment, most commonly
> associated with slaves (though I can't imagine slaves alone, but  
> someone can
> set me straight please...)  Any help greatly appreciated!
> Candace Perry
> Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
>
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