Drawers (Underpants)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Like the shirt, linen drawers were part of 18th-century men’s underwear, although less commonly worn. They were usually made of linen, a washable and durable fabric, in a simple construction. The stitching on 18th-century underwear is extremely fine, in order to prevent the seams from fraying during the harsh hand-laundering process.
Drawers copy the shape of the breeches worn over them, with linen tapes fastening at the knee and holding up the stockings. The waistband buttons in front and usually features eyelet holes at the back. These were tied with linen tape, allowing a degree of ‘give’ in an age before the use of elastic in clothing.
Drawers copy the shape of the breeches worn over them, with linen tapes fastening at the knee and holding up the stockings. The waistband buttons in front and usually features eyelet holes at the back. These were tied with linen tape, allowing a degree of ‘give’ in an age before the use of elastic in clothing.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Linen; hand-woven, hand-sewn |
| Brief description | Man's drawers of linen, France, 1750-75; 'TL' laundry mark in dark pink thread |
| Physical description | Man’s drawers made of linen known as ‘shirting’ with a thread count of 55 warp × 60 weft per inch, sewn with linen thread. The full width of the linen cannot be determined, but there are selvedges at the outer leg seams. Cut and sewn in the same way as men’s breeches, these drawers have a yoke at the back, and two-piece waistbands. The lower ends of the leg were bound with linen tape which forms ties to fasten them. The waistbands fasten in front with 2 linen-covered buttons and 2 worked buttonholes and at the back with 2 worked lacing holes on each side. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | . T L [conjoined] . (Laundry mark embroidered in cross stitch with dark pink silk on the inside back of the right waistband) |
| Summary | Like the shirt, linen drawers were part of 18th-century men’s underwear, although less commonly worn. They were usually made of linen, a washable and durable fabric, in a simple construction. The stitching on 18th-century underwear is extremely fine, in order to prevent the seams from fraying during the harsh hand-laundering process. Drawers copy the shape of the breeches worn over them, with linen tapes fastening at the knee and holding up the stockings. The waistband buttons in front and usually features eyelet holes at the back. These were tied with linen tape, allowing a degree of ‘give’ in an age before the use of elastic in clothing. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.607-1996 |
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| Record created | July 20, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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