Age of Antiquity






18th Century Shift and Stays Next to her skin, a lady wore a linen or cotten garment called a chemise or shift. The purpose of this garment was to protect the other clothing from sweat and body oils - the chemise could be washed while the rest of the outfit, generally, could not. Over the shift the stays were worn. This garment provided the proper sillouette.

Stays worn over a shift. I now make my shifts from either cotton or linin batiste - a very thin fabric. This reduces the amount of bulk under the stays as is much more comfortable in hot weather.	18th Century Stays Front. The stays are made of cotton brocade in tan and blue, with blue ribbon trim. The stays are bound in bias strips of the same fabric. The eyelets are threaded. I now have an embroidery machine that can make thread eyelets. Metal grommets had not yet come into use at this time. Note the lacing pattern - rather than the double lacing pattern used today, in the 18th century one lace was used, and the eyelets are offset.
Detail of stays showing thread eyelets. Some stays lace in the front and the back - this allows them to be put on and taken off easily. Not everybody had a ladies' maid!	Detail of tabs. The purpose of the tabs is to prevent the stays from digging into the waistline.
18th Century Stays - Side View.	18th Century Stays - Back View.

18th Century Hooped Petticoats or Panniers For most of the 18th century, a hooped petticoat was worn to create the stylish shape of the skirt. Over this one or more petticoats were worn. At this time, the term "petticoat" referred to a skirt rather than a slip, as it does today. Over the petticoat or skirt, a robe (or mantua) was worn. For most of the 18th century, the robe was open in the front to display the petticoat. Petticoats could match the robe or contrast with it, depending on the needs of the wearer.
Small 18th Century Panniers - or side hoops. During the mid 18th century hooped petticoats (later called "panniers") were worn by women in every social class. Small hoops like these could even be worn by servants.	Medium sized 18th Century Hooped Petticoats.
Full sized 18th century panniers. These remained part of formal court dress long after they went out of fashion in the "real world".	Side view of full panniers.

18th Century Pockets The poem "Lucy Locket Lost Her Pocket" refers to this garment. In the 18th Century pockets were separate from the dress for ladies. They were worn tied around the waist on a band. Slits for access were opened in the side seams of the overdress and petticoats. One or two pockets could be worn.

18th Century Stays and Shift

Stays worn over a shift. I now make my shifts from either cotton or linin batiste - a very thin fabric. This reduces the amount of bulk under the stays as is much more comfortable in hot weather.

18th Century Stays Front

18th Century Stays Front. The stays are made of cotton brocade in tan and blue, with blue ribbon trim. The stays are bound in bias strips of the same fabric. The eyelets are threaded. I now have an embroidery machine that can make thread eyelets. Metal grommets had not yet come into use at this time. Note the lacing pattern - rather than the double lacing pattern used today, in the 18th century one lace was used, and the eyelets are offset.

18th Century Stays Front Detail

Detail of stays showing thread eyelets. Some stays lace in the front and the back - this allows them to be put on and taken off easily. Not everybody had a ladies' maid!

18th Century Stays tabs Detail

Detail of tabs. The purpose of the tabs is to prevent the stays from digging into the waistline.

18th Century Stays - Side View

18th Century Stays - Side View.

18th Century Stays - Back

18th Century Stays - Back View.

18th Century Hooped Petticoats or Panniers

For most of the 18th century, a hooped petticoat was worn to create the stylish shape of the skirt. Over this one or more petticoats were worn. At this time, the term "petticoat" referred to a skirt rather than a slip, as it does today. Over the petticoat or skirt, a robe (or mantua) was worn. For most of the 18th century, the robe was open in the front to display the petticoat. Petticoats could match the robe or contrast with it, depending on the needs of the wearer.

18th Century Hoops - Small

Small 18th Century Panniers - or side hoops. During the mid 18th century hooped petticoats (later called "panniers") were worn by women in every social class. Small hoops like these could even be worn by servants.

18th Century Medium Sized Panniers

Medium sized 18th Century Hooped Petticoats.

18th Century Large Panniers

Full sized 18th century panniers. These remained part of formal court dress long after they went out of fashion in the "real world".

18th Century Panniers - Side View

Side view of full panniers.

18th Century Pockets

The poem "Lucy Locket Lost Her Pocket" refers to this garment. In the 18th Century pockets were separate from the dress for ladies. They were worn tied around the waist on a band. Slits for access were opened in the side seams of the overdress and petticoats. One or two pockets could be worn.

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18th Century Shift and Stays

18th Century Hooped Petticoats or Panniers

18th Century Pockets

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