Today we’re looking at the history of underwear. The first question you might ask is…Why? Why spend time thinking about something so mundane, so personal, so domestic? Because something so personal and utilitarian can give us a real glimpse into the way people lived their most personal lives hundreds of years ago.    

            So let’s take a look at what’s happening under all those glamorous clothes!

            We’ll start with a surprise. Women of the Middle Ages layered, starting with a long smock worn next to the skin and heavier dresses on top. It was thought that was about it until a discovery in Austria unearthed some Medieval undies.

            Lengberg Castle is first mentioned in 1190. It was rebuilt in the 15th century, and a “modern” second floor was added. In 2008, during extensive reconstruction, workers discovered a vault under the floorboards. Inside, researchers found leather shoes and textiles, including four medieval bras with shoulder straps. This was an astonishing discovery, as historians had previously believed that the bra was a 20th century invention.

            Apparently, we didn’t know as much as we thought about people’s unmentionables. So let’s take a closer look at underwear in Medieval, Tudor, and Victorian times.

Medieval

            We don’t have much information about clothing in the Middle Ages, and what we have doesn't talk much about underwear. We have some images in artwork, but it’s limited. And since undergarments were typically made of linen, they seldom survive for more than a few years. That’s one of the things that makes the Lengberg Castle find so amazing. 

            The first layer worn by men and women during this time was typically the chemise or undertunic. These garments were lightweight and often had long sleeves. They went past the waist for men and usually as far as the ankles for women. They were loose and billowy. The chemise was made by linen or hemp cloth. Wealthy and nobles wore items made of silk. In addition to providing warmth and protection for the wearer, the chemise protected clothing. The expensive fabrics worn by nobles and wealthy members of court were almost impossible to clean. Covering the body with a washable linen chemise was one way of preserving the more expensive outer garments against sweat and wearing out.

            Medieval men and women brought the idea of the Roman loin cloth practice to England. In imperial Rome, men and women generally wore what was comfortable, available, or necessary for modesty or protection. This meant simply wrapped cloth coverings, likely made from linen, under their outer garments. This would be the essence of the “loin cloth”—protect and cover what you needed to.        

            But in colder climates more was necessary. Medieval men wore a baggy type of underpants made of linen and known as braies, breies, breeks, or breeches. The braies were different lengths, from mid-thigh to below the knee. They could be closed at the waist with a drawstring. Sometimes they were held with a separate belt. Men frequently tucked the chemise into their braies. Weather, need for mobility, ease of getting on and off, and minimal maintenance made this type of undergarment popular.

            Along with their braies, men often wore long, fitted socks that came up to their hips. We sometimes think of these as “tights,” but the two sides were not connected at this time. So each leg would be tied to the braies or a separate belt to keep them up. There are images of these in Medieval artwork, with men working in fields or fishing and wearing braies. Other images showing men’s underwear are found in Medieval Bibles 

            Women’s clothing is less well-known once we get below the top layer. There are almost no references to women’s undergarments. Women were not depicted working in the fields wearing anything other than garments similar to those they wore everywhere else. Women wore long shifts next to their skin and layered long gowns over these. Did they wear anything else underneath? We don’t really know. If you think comfort and practicality, there might have been some kind of loin cloth or short braies, but there’s no evidence of that. At least not yet. Who knows what might be found one day?!

Tudors

Must-Have for Men in the 15th and 16th Century

            Starting in the fifteenth century, men’s typical dress consisted of doublet and hose. As the doublets or tunics grew shorter and the length of mantles decreased, the chemise was just not enough to cover everything.  Something else was needed. In fact, Edward IV’s Parliament had made it compulsory for a man to cover his “privy members and buttocks.” This led to the early codpiece, a form of gusset attached to the doublet. 

            When Henry VIII came to the throne in 1509, the royal wardrobe and the accompanying underwear pieces were about to get a big change. Doublets got shorter because Henry VIII wanted to show off. First, he wanted to show off his calves and legs. Henry loved to wear stockings and is even seen sporting some bright red stockings in the famous Barber Surgeons portrait. Then he wanted to show off something else.

            In Henry’s reign, masculinity was on the line as the years ticked by without a son. Masculinity was at the core of power and politics throughout 16th century Europe. The idea of chivalry and romance and honor were bound up with the codpiece, as the underwear of the earlier years became one of the most prominent parts of the male wardrobe. In Henry’s reign, the codpiece reached epic proportions and were made of luxury silk velvet and bejeweled and embroidered. 

            During a reign of the two Tudor Queens, the codpiece fell from favor through the end of the century. The focus shifted to the peascod style of doublet, and the codpiece was reduced. Often hidden by billowing britches, the codpiece of the late 16th and early 17th century retreated and became more like “underwear” once more. Considering the second half of the 16th century was ruled by the “Virgin Queen,” that seems appropriate.

Women and “Shape shifters”

            Beginning in the 15th century, women’s underwear began to literally change their appearance and shape. Especially the bottom half.

            The farthingale is one of several structures worn under a woman’s skirt in the 16th and 17th century to enlarge the lower half of the body. It originated in Spain in the 15th century. When Katherine of Aragon traveled to England in 1501, she brought the style to the English court. It took several years to catch on and appear in portraits and documents.

            The farthingale is evident with English royal women by the 1540s. Portraits of Princess Elizabeth and Katherine Parr clearly show they are wearing farthingales. This style allowed royal women to demonstrate their wealth and influence. The layers of fine fabric displayed over the farthingale were available only to the wealthy. The ability to display an elegant kirtle under the gown was possible because of the structured undergarment. Farthingales were shaped with esparto grass, willow withies, rope, and finally whalebone, which is the hair or bristles inside a whale’s mouth that can be stiffened and used to shape various garments.

            Sometimes, royals and other very wealthy women would have specially made farthingales that were so elegant and decorated themselves they were worn to be seen. According to records, Queen Mary I had a farthingale of crimson satin edged with velvet. Underwear as outerwear: how royal!!

            In the 1580s, the French farthingale began to gain popularity. Queen Elizabeth is seen wearing both styles, including one drawing by Hilliard of her wearing an unrealistically large farthingale that makes her nearly as wide as she is tall. Portraits of Elizabeth in the late 1580s and through the rest of her reign also show her wearing the French or drum farthingale. Sometimes this style is even referred to as a wheel, as it seems the woman is standing in the middle of a wheel.

            In this style, the woman wears a thickly stuffed hip roll or bum roll over the farthingale, which is also very stiff and designed to go out a nearly a right angle from her body. Then layers of expensive fabric are piled on top. This shape creates an opportunity for the Queen or other very wealthy and high-status women to wear and show off yards and yards of rich fabric. The Ditchley portrait of Queen Elizabeth I is a great example of the French farthingale. 

Victorians

            After the Georgians, the plan was to have Princess Charlotte inherit the throne. She stepped away from the excesses of the Georgian wardrobe, opting for a slimmed down look that reflected the natural shape of the female body. However, Charlotte’s early death prevented her taking the throne. Instead, George IV was followed by William IV and then by a woman who would rule for the rest of the century: Queen Victoria.

            The invention of the sewing machine in the early decades of Victoria’s reign led to the mass production of clothing and underwear. Some items were stitched by hand, but the sewing machine meant that manufacturers could produce numerous pieces in different designs. 

            Victorian women still worn a chemise against the skin. This was still a shapeless long shirt that had a drawstring around the neck. It was made of linen or cotton. Men wore a chemise and long or short drawers made of cotton or linen. Wealthier men and women wore undergarments made of silk. Sometimes in especially cold weather, men and women wore undervests of merino wool or flannel. Some wore “union suits,” a combination top and bottom undergarment by the 1870s.

            Men’s additional underwear or supporting garments included braces or suspenders to hold up both drawers and trousers. Many men wore a corset to maintain a tapered waist. That was about it.

            Women’s additional underwear was much more extensive!

            Let’s start with corsets. Corsets didn’t start with Victorians, but the age took it to new heights. In the 1840s, corsets were cut from separate pieces and stitched together to give roundness to the bust, pull in the waist, and shape the ships. A broad busk was inserted up the center front to give a smooth line to the bodice. Strips of whalebone were inserted to give more structure and conceal the chemise, drawers, and petticoat underneath.

            One of the outcomes of the corset was stiff position the wearer had to maintain. The fashion style set by the Queen included drooping shoulders and low waists, all of which was shaped by the corset.

            Skirts got wider as the century went on. Many petticoats were worn at the same time to create bell-shaped skirt. The numerous petticoats were also starched or had horsehair to stiffen the hem and across the back. The crinoline phase began with bustle crinolines. These were made of stuffed horsehair and extended the rear of the dress. There are examples of these at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

            In the 1850s and 1860s, cage crinolines became popular. Sometimes called cage petticoats, these wide undergarments used whalebone and more often steel hoops to hold dresses out to a stunning width. Daytime crinolines could include nine steel hoops, and evening wear as many as 18!

            Crinolines had a downside. There are wild stories of crinolines being so big women were bumping into candles, catching on fire, and burning to death in their dresses. There are also stories of crinolines being caught up in moving carriages or carts and women being dragged down the street. But these were exceptions. The positive thing about the cage crinolines was fewer petticoats and room to move! 

            Queen Victoria was concerned about projecting messages through her wardrobe at the beginning of her reign. She specifically cultivated her role as Queen, wife, and mother by rejecting some of the excess wardrobe of her predecessors. As she moved into her role as widow, she isolated herself from many of the fashion changes of her nation. Decorative petticoats became popular in the 1860s, just as Victoria was going into mourning.          

            Victoria’s lack of height was emphasized by the size of her skirts, and she maintained this through the rest of her reign. When the crinoline collapsed and petticoats became narrower, Victoria remained in her big black dress. When petticoats with cascades of flounces down the back were worn in the 1870s or bustles returned in the 1880s, the Queen remained in her big black dress. Only for her Golden Jubilee in 1887 did the Queen allow her ladies in waiting to wear something other than mourning. She began to allow some white lace and grey satin touches to be added to her clothing, and white lace and flowers to her bonnet. But her big skirts, held up by all those royal petticoats, remained.

            Throughout history, people responded to changes in climate and technology, to wars and regimes being overthrown, to hunger, to marriage and birth and death in public ways. They also responded in private ways. And private choices are sometimes represented by these most private moments and bits of clothing, worn away from the public gaze. Looking at the private moments can help us understand who those people really were. And understanding them helps us understand where we come from, who we are, and who we can be.

            Thank you for joining us to take a sneak peek into the history of underwear. Next week, join us as we wrap up our look at the royal wardrobe with the crowning glory: the jewels!