This is just an educated guess, but if you're wearing a corset and
petticoats and skirts it's a lot easier to take care of business without
having to pull anything down. Besides, the waistband of the drawers would be
beneath the corset and shift, so accessing it would be difficult.
This was the experience of a roleplayer for whom I made skin-out 1870
clothing. Bad enough to have to lift all those layers out of the way; to
then also have to drop the innermost layer while maintaining control of the
outer layers is difficult. (She also learned that she really needed to put
her shoes on first, because once she was in her corset and all the
subsequent layers of clothing, bending that far was difficult.)Of course,
this was a modern woman's experience; no telling what a period woman was
accustomed to.

Astrida

******************
Astrida Schaeffer, Assistant Director
The Art Gallery
University of New Hampshire
Paul Creative Arts Center
30 College Road
Durham, NH 03824
(603) 862-3712
[log in to unmask]

******************



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Candace Perry [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 4:08 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: 19th century drawers
>
>
> Well, since the corsetry and footbinding discussion has died
> down, here's a
> question...what was the reasoning behind 19th century "open
> drawers" for
> women?  (I apologize if that isn't the correct term). I've
> read that women
> did not want to wear "closed" drawers because they were considered
> masculine.  Or is there a more practical reason? Small
> historical societies
> are lousy with examples of these garments, as well as other
> underwear.  My
> director was asking about them today, and I thought I'd ask around. I
> welcome onlist or offlist replies!
> Candace Perry
> Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
>
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