The Vintage Reader

I remember reading Imitation of Life and wondering what on earth a "shimmy" was. Later I realized it was probably a verson of chemise, and that she was probably wearing it under something. I remember Meg wearing her tired old muslin to a dance in Little Women, and it still seems like an inappropriate fabric for evening wear to me, but what do I know?

If in your reading you encounter muslins and shimmys and snoods and crinolines, or are wondering how that medieval character is tying her girdle around her waist, satisfy your curiosity at
Costume History at The Costumer's Manifesto.

Labels: clothing, costume, history