Getting dressed in the 18th century - working woman

We have also been commissioned to produce a video on how a man dressed in the 18th century.

Production Assistant: Lilli Stoddart

Location: Friends Meeting House, Brant Broughton

Carpentry: Peter Halse

Bed Quilt: Martha and Emily Milne

Cockerel: Hughie

Special thanks to the Friends for permission to use the Meeting House and to Wendy Gwatkin in particular, for all her support at the Meeting House and the loan of antique furniture too!

Many thanks to John O’Boyle for allowing us to record his cockerel Hughie!

[trousers]

18th century: *water*

2019-2020: *10 steps night routine*

[iexist]

18 century: women get a tied pocket to their clothing
2019: fake pockets in women’s clothing

[lt.dundee]

For everyone questioning how long it takes to get everything off: As someone who has to dress this way every day for work at a museum, let me tell you that after wearing this stuff for 8+ hours rain or shine, it is very easy to get everything off if you're desperate enough (only a couple minutes max). It's like watching the wicked witch melt

[anjanapunni]

In 3000s
"In 21st century Women pulled up blue or black 'jeans' up their leg, secured with a metallic zip, and further secured with a button." "Oh! They also faked pockets for no reason!"

[FunSizeSpamberguesa]

For everyone saying 'so many layers', keep in mind the 1700s were still in the Little Ice Age. The world was colder, and there was no such thing as central heating. All those layers would have been necessary.

[emilyarking]

Every time I think she’s done she adds another layer

[binglesnort]

“The _ is to protect from heat”

*continues to put on 30 more layers*

[ezrallow]

I wish people wouldn't think that this fashion looked odd, if not then I would definitely be strutting down every single road in a full ball gown with a corset, petticoat and all.

[Melodysys.]

The original 'I like your dress'
'Thanks! It has pockets'

[sofi]

“Hurry! you’re gonna be late!”
Me: BUT IM JUST ON THE SECOND LAYER

[jolien]

I think it's very pretty, actually....and those pockets were genius.

[jessieg]

people in the comments: omg I could never wear so many layers without dying
theatre kids singing and dancing under bright stagelights for hours: _amateurs_

[afinoxi]

Damn, how many layers of skirt does she have on ? And to work like that ? Massive respect.

[seed]

I want to go to school late wearing this kind of outfit and my reason of the tardiness would be: I struggled with the 10th layer.

[Hannah-nlqq]

for all the people who have mentioned the heat, and those who I'm sure will continue to do so, let me save you some time. clothes then were made of all natural fibers, wool was warm for the winter, and linen is very cool for the summer, linen breathes extremely well, so you're not as hot as you'd think, we're accustomed to clothes that have polyester, nylon, rayon, ect in them, synthetic plastic based fibers which do not breathe well at all, they trap the sweat to our bodies, which is why we think they'd be hot, but they weren't because of the linen worn in the summer.

working women did not lace their stays tight, they were just used to hold the breasts in place while working to keep them out of the way since there were no bras

the number of layers is for several reasons. 1, it gives the silhouette that was fashionable for the time, 2, it provides the modesty they valued, 3, it protected their fair skin from the sun before the invention of sunblock, and 4, (in my opinion, most importantly), it provided layers to absorb sweat and dirt and what not so the outer clothes didn't smell, just like our underwear nowadays will stink much faster than a pair of jeans. same reason really. believe it or not, they did know that they smelled bad and really didn't like it, they tried to avoid it when possible, they did value cleanliness, filth was for the devil.

they did not get naked for sex, since there were no panties, the skirts were just lifted and that was it, so no it wouldn't take that long

getting dressed only took a few minutes, especially once you're used to the routine

now for an example from personal experience, every summer I volunteer for a weekend at a living history museum doing a 1815 reenactment as a pioneer farm woman. I wear layers like hers, but the jacket sleeves are longer and it closes with ties instead of pins as that was more fashionable then. I do this weekend in July or August and i work a farm, I do so in a shift, petticoat, set of stays, stockings, work boots, skirt, jacket, cap over my hair, bonnet when I go outside and an apron. all the clothes I wear are made of natural fibers EXCEPT my modern day stockings which have polyester in them and I will say my lower legs sweat the most of any part of me. it's not as hot as you'd think, and the stays actually prevent you from hurting your back while doing work like tilling soil

this is a topic I know a lot about, if I've forgotten anything and you have any questions, I can probably answer them.

[pepetiredofursht]

1800's: Water and 10 layes of clothes
2020's: 10 steps nightime skincare routine, and a tshirt.

[Moon-rkb]

and legend has it she is still getting

[viannarosado]

“Babe come over.”
“Can’t. I already took off all my layers.”

[marenanunya]

I can barely move with a sweater and coat, I respect this.

[teddy]

This video made me realise how much i love historical fashion. I just got a dress form so im gonna try to make a dress like this :)