During these warmer months, expect some lovely lingerie and unexpected items in shades on vanilla, ecru, off-white, peach and ivory. All are either dry-cleaned, gently washed and steamed or pressed, as needed. Expect cotton, rayon, seersucker, silk, nylon, crepe de chine - and more. They range in eras from the 1800s to the 1960s. All items are being sold AS IS with NO RETURNS. I hope you enjoy this rather eclectic and often antique listings.
Lot #64 - Often mistaken as pantaloons or pantalettes, these Victorian Drawers are open crotch with drawstring/tie closure and feature a wider waistband and multiple tucks/pleats at leg bottoms.
Damage? Nothing specific to note. Cleaned and Pressed.
The drawers/pants measure: waist 28-32, hips fuller to 46, outer leg length 27, leg hem circumference is 24 inches.
Bagged shipping weight is 12 ounces.
A note about vintage underpinnings: During the Victorian era, drawers were cut full in the hips, with legs that were either straight or gathered onto bands just below the knee. For decoration, they might have rows of pintucks and lace, a bit of embroidery, or perhaps a short ruffle. Some had a yoke, to which the bulk of the drawers was gathered, while others used a narrow waistband. The waist fastened with drawstrings, buttons, or a combination of the two.
As the Edwardian era approached, drawers became shorter and fuller. In the 1890s, some drawers were indistinguishable from petticoats, unless you pulled the fabric aside to find the separate legs.
Until the early 20th century, drawers were traditionally open through the crotch. The Victorians believed it was more hygienic to have fresh air circulating the nether regions. You might think of this as shockingly immodest, but remember that drawers had plenty of fabric at the hips, as well as overlapping edges that kept things from showing. Plus, they were buried underneath at least two petticoats and a skirt.
All thoughts of hygiene and propriety aside, the split crotch was a matter of necessity. Drawers were one of the first garments put on, with a corset laced snugly over them. They couldn’t be pulled down, so if they were sewn closed, there would be no easy way for a lady to use the toilet.
Plenty of rumors circulate about why drawers eventually came to be sewn closed at the crotch. For instance, some say it’s because of cancan dancers, who sewed their drawers shut so they wouldn’t expose everything when they lifted their skirts onstage. Personally, I believe that once the corset became unfashionable, open crotches were no longer a necessity and therefore disappeared. Eventually, drawers evolved, shortening into tap pants, an early form of what we now call panties. Note: Combined Shipping in the US is our pleasure.
All sold As Is or As Are. No Returns.
Smoke and pet-free environment.