[Ansteorra] Undergarments and stuff

[Stefan li Rous]

On Sep 20, 2006, at 2:47 PM, Claude Anthony Penny wrote:

> I know that Victorian panties were split in the crotch, so that one
> didn't have to rearrange all of the layers, when one went to the
> necessary.  I keep wondering if any underpants were used, for  
> ladies and
> small children, in much of period.

Not for small children. Both sexes appear to be dressed in simple  
tunics.  The kid needs to go, put him outside the door of the cottage  
in the cabbage patch ( I think that was the plant). No diapers, no  
underclothes to get messy during toilet training. I still don't  
understand how that fits in with swaddling the babies, though.

I've got more info on this in the Florilegium, but right now I can't  
remember if it is in one the children's files, personal care section  
or in the underclothes file.

> I could easily be convinced that a
> lot of peasents didn't wear them at all, for most of period.  Has  
> anyone
> found documentation on period diapers?  I know that someone has said
> that women used moss and rags, for the 'moon' times.

Yes. See this file in the PERSONAL CARE section of the Florilegium:
p-hygiene-msg     (37K)  6/26/04    Period bathing, hygiene,  
menstrual care.

> Some sort of slip or chemise is very reasonable.  It keeps the outer
> clothes clean.

Yes, I think there were a number of reasons that underclothes were  
usually of linen. They got cleaned a lot more often than the outer  
clothing. Linen holds up to washing much better than many other  
fabrics. It is also more resistant to staining. Linen was, unlike  
today, one of the cheapest fabrics available.

> Cairenn

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****