What's What in Vintage Fashion

Have you ever wondered what vintage sellers are talking about when they speak of corset covers, camisoles, chemisettes, chemises and so on? Have you wondered why tap pants are called tap pants, and whether they're the same as French knickers? And what is a guimpe, for Heaven's sake?

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From Bed Caps to Dolls - The 1920s Boudoir

From lacy nightgowns and boudoir caps to dolls with attitude - a glimpse into the boudoir of a 1920s woman.
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Unmentionables - A Brief History of Womens Underpants

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Antique Underwear as Outer Wear - Camisoles, Corset Covers and Chemisettes

I've always been a fan of wearing your undies on the outside. Well, someone else's old undies anyway. And I mean really old antique Victorian and Edwardian underwear. It always appealed to the romantic in me - white broderie anglaise and lace adds a beautifully feminine touch to a contemporary look, and looks fabulous with jeans or leather.

Thanks to the lovely Mary Bordelon for these photos, wearing a corset cover from Louisa Amelia Jane, and showing how to breathe new life into antique clothing - and how! Check out Mary's fabulous style on her blog and YouTube channel.

The Old Story

Before World War 1 women wore a lot of underclothing. Although they didn't wear knickers until the end of the 18th century, there were many other layers of undergarments - chemise, corset, corset cover and petticoat seems to be the minimum. Sometimes an underbodice and several petticoats were worn. Check out this reenactment of how a "lady" was dressed in the 18th century from the National Museums Liverpool for a demonstration of how all those underlayers were worn. Fascinating!

Chemise

The chemise was the first garment, worn against a woman's skin. It was  a loose fitting garment worn to provide warmth but especially to give protection to the skin from the corset. Sometimes a chemise doubled as a nightgown. Underpants were not worn until the very end of the 18th century.

Corset

The corset came next. It's purpose was to give a fashionable shape to the woman's silhouette. The shape of corsets changed as women's fashion changed. Ideals of feminine beauty underwent many changes and is still changing - flattened breasts, upraised breasts, the Edwardian pigeon breast, larger bottoms, leaner or curvier silhouettes.

 

 Corset Cover 

The corset cover was exactly that, a garment to protect the outer garments from the hardware of the corset and to prevent the corset from being seen. Corset covers were often trimmed with lace, crochet and embroidery, which was sometimes seen at the neckline. Sometimes they had short sleeves. 

H. O'Neill & Co Catalogue, 1890-91

I have had quite a few corset covers in the store - it seems I have a weakness for them - and they have proven very popular. Here are a couple in the Etsy store at the moment:

Corset Cover with Pin Tucks & Peplum

Embroidered Corset Cover

This cutie sold last week

Underbodice

Sometimes an underbodice was also worn. This was very similar to a corset cover, and seems to have been used to improve the line of the outer garment. Sometimes the underbodice had long or short sleeves. It was often cut like a detachable lining to the main bodice but in white.

Chemisette

A chemisette was like a dickey front to add modesty beneath a low neckline. It was basically a lacy front, often with a collar, which was seen above the otherwise revealing neckline. Chemisettes were usually just stitched at the shoulders with the sides left open, then tied with a tape at the bottom. Occasionally the side seams were joined.

This chemisette, with side seams, is listed in the web store:

Netting Chemisette with Red Diamante Buttons

Camisoles

Camisoles were a later fashion and replaced the corset cover as corsets were shed by the young in the 1920s. Typically, they were loose fitting and had narrow straps. Only the fabric has changed in the modern camisoles we know today. The very old ones, usually in cotton, make crisply cool summer tops.

1920s French camisole - In the Etsy store

This 1920s camisole, and I have a few slips/petticoats in the same style, is charming in its simplicity. Pieces will still have beautiful detail and hand finishing - such as the embroidery on this piece. Antique underwear often had embroidered monograms. I think the ladies embroidered them for their "Glory Box", the linens that a woman would work on over years to take into her married life.

Drawers, Bloomers, Pantaloons, Knickers 

Now that's a whole other story for another day. And bras? They were invented around about the time of World War 1 - and that's another story too.

Genuine Vintage v. Reproduction

H & M are doing a great line in reproduction antique blouses, taking in the sleeveless corset cover look. However, there's nothing like a genuine vintage antique piece, if you are lucky enough to find one in your size in wearable condition. An authentic piece will not only have a history and secret, only-to-be-guessed-at life of its own, but will exhibit amazing attention to detail and hand finishing that you will never see today outside of couture. I particularly love the fastenings - teeny tiny little hooks and thread loops, tiny shell, porcelain or linen covered buttons, ties and drawstrings. Lace is often inserted into the fabric, rather than sewn over the top, and all those tiny little tucks! For me, there is no comparison.

National Trust - I'm Your Fan

A few weeks ago I attended the National Trust vintage clothing sale at Como House in Melbourne. Como is an historic mansion dating back to 1847 and is a popular venue for weddings, functions and exhibitions. Once a year it hosts a vintage clothing sale. Many people donate vintage clothing to the National Trust but it can only keep the best and most significant pieces in its collection. Much of the clothing and accessories are sold off in their annual sale, with the proceeds going to the upkeep of Como.

This was my first time to the sale, and I'll certainly be going back again next year. After walking through  rooms filled with hats, accessories and even patterns and magazines, I entered the ballroom, which was cram packed with racks of clothing. Volunteers were there to help, and they had also soaked, washed and ironed a lot of the clothing as necessary and where possible.

 

Just one little corner of the ballroom.

It was Sunday afternoon, and everything was half price. So what did I find?

 

 This was only the beginning. Luckily, I had brought a trolley and a very big bag with me.
Amongst the highlights for me were  the lingerie items. There were beautiful little bras from the 1930s and 40s, many were unworn and still displaying shop tags.

Berlei longline bra, very early 1930s

Never boil your bra. Our grandmas had to slave over the copper, boiling their underwear and linen.

The other little bras also look new, or have seen very little wear.

This little gem is silk. For a very small but busty lady.

And this bra seems impossibly tiny.

Not only bras, ladies, but knickers. I snapped up a few pair of the ever popular French Knickers, or tap pants as our American friends call them. My mother insists that in Australia, in the 1950s, they were called scanties. I was interested to hear the volunteer lady who served me also called them scanties. Mum must be right, as usual.

Unusual and lovely floral print, and silk.

Look at the beautiful insertion work on this pink pair.

 

And a teddy.

Another find that was exciting for me is this 1930s silk wedding dress.

This gown came complete with a copy of the wedding in which it starred in 1934, and the names of the bride and groom. How lovely to know a bit of the story behind the dress. This dress has gold lame trim at the shoulders and on the delightful Art Deco belt.

I was also delighted to find quite a few men's items. I couldn't help thinking Downton Abbey - tail coat, stiff white waistcoat front and stiff collars. 

And of course, some lovely dresses.

And for some more modern vintage, two Kenzo smocks from about 1980.

My friend Hannah has already bought this one. It looks fabulous on her.

I was so busy sorting out these gems that I didn't even have time to check out the hats, bags, shoes etc.
Items were reasonably priced to sell ASAP. Gems cost a little more, but of course. Some fixer uppers were also found, so we'll see how we go.

Thank you to the National Trust, and also to the wonderful volunteers who helped before, during and after the day. See you there next year. Make sure you say hello.

1952 Time Capsule

I recently had an appointment with a private seller who told me she had some 1950s nightgowns and gloves she wanted to sell. Great!

I turned up to the address I was given which turned out to be an old block of units in inner Melbourne. The outside was not at all interesting.
Inside, I eventually worked out, was the unit belonging to the lady's mother, who had died a couple of months previous to this. The nightgowns as well as gloves, handbags, handkerchiefs and some shoes were laid out on the couch for me to look at, and they were lovely.

Pink nightgown with lace and applique

Ivory nightgown with lace inserts

Peach nightgown with lace inserts

Ivory nightgown with applique and embroidery

The clothing had all belonged to the lady's mother, who had travelled from New York to be married in Melbourne in 1952. There were six of these gorgeous rayon nightgowns, all different colours and with different sleeves and trims, but all bias cut with the same basic style of bodice. These had been custom made for the trousseau in New York and for whatever reason the lady had never worn any of them. (Maybe she didn't like ironing!!).

There was also this beautiful satin bedjacket:

Pink satin bedjacket with coffee lace

And two green glass jars stuffed full of grey seamed nylon stockings. The lady told me that for some reason, on the journey the customs men made her mother take the stockings out of the packets and throw away the boxes. I later thought this must have been because she had so many, they probably thought she was going to sell them without paying import duties or something.

The unit itself did not appear to have been changed since the newlyweds moved in, in 1952.  The lounge suite was fabulous, and cobalt blue! All of the bedroom furniture was original and built in, custom made for the unit. The cupboards and wardrobes were still full and the lady was happy to show me through the contents of the wardrobes.

We found her mother's bras. This lady had all her bras custom made in Melbourne. They are made of beautiful cotton jacquard with padded silk straps. The lady told me there had also been longline bras but that she had cut them up! ):

Custom made bra

And what a collection of fabulous handbags! These two are snakeskin:

And the little evening bag:

And gloves! The lady had a friend in the industry and must have owned at least 40 pairs.

Unfortunately, my pockets were not deep enough to take away all of the treasures, but the lady's daughter has promised to save them for me until the next time I may be passing! One day soon I will go back for the evening gowns, shoes, knitwear, 60s slips and more amazing handbags! I was thrilled that the lady's daughter shared this with me, thank you.