Collection: Underpinnings

A fancy period name for the undergarments of the Era. A proper lady of 1862 would wear more underneath her dress than most women of the 2000’s wear even on the coldest days. Underpinnings served many purposes. Not only did they help to achieve the look of the period, but they protected the clothing from body oils and odors. With the difficulty of laundering and the non-existence of dry-cleaning, clothing had to be protected more from the human body on the inside than the spills and stains that could occur on the outside. As heavy coats were not common, many women wore extra layers under their dresses or made their underpinnings out of flannel or wool in the cooler weather, to help keep them warm. With the size of the hoops skirts, drawers were worn for modesty. To be historically correct your underpinnings should be made of 100% cotton. Almost all underpinnings were white, although there are references to colored petticoats.