Underwear in 1912

Well, I don't know what you think Kyrila, but secondary research usually precedes primary research, doesn't it? So I think Bob should get out there in the field and interrogate a few sprightly centenarians about their underwear in the years before Jane Russell hit the hayloft in The Outlaw.
 
Certainly the working classes could be well turned out when dressed in their best. Here's my great great aunt Louisa some time in the 1880s. Her husband was a casual labourer, so there wasn't much money to spare. But Louisa worked as a seamstress, so her outfit was probably home made.

135085.jpg
 
Kyrila, the US hadn't entered the war by 1915 but your export markets would have been disrupted, so maybe the garment industry had stocks to clear. Just guessing!

"Bob should get out there in the field and interrogate a few sprightly centenarians about their underwear."
Right, Mon. See you next Thursday.
 
Yes, that's the logical conclusion. But I'm wondering if the war had impact on the tremendous increase in 1913, one year prior to the war, and then the prices dropped to near 1912 prices in 1915. That makes me wonder if there weren't other economic factors besides the war.
 
Whoops! It's Bob's Great great Aunt Louisa, Kyrila ... I don't want to give him any more age-related ammunition.

But to think, you and I have sewing machines and, although I know you do much better, the most I can produce is a few T-shirts. But they didn't squander hours in front of the TV or at the computer, did they? But if they could have, I bet they would have.
 
Back then of course there were two main options for working women - domestic service or whatever local industry was available. In the north that would have been the cotton or woollen mills, but here in Colchester it was garment making, so a great many local women acquired tailoring skills. Here's a small Colchester garment factory (making mens' suiting) around 1910. The cutters in the foreground were always men; the women are at their sewing machines in the background. In Louisa's time they certainly were using machines, and possibly there was no objection to the girls making use of them for their own purposes during their dinner breaks.

135088.jpg
 
Bob- I love you're grand mothers dress,defferenlty the top half.Miner adjustments and i would wear it.
Bob you mention jobs that women had back in 1910,how about nurses? were women in the nursing profession?
 
Most nurses were women. And some doctors too. My great grandmother worked as an army nurse in the 1890s and volunteered to serve again throughout the 1914-18 Great War. She found time to raise seven children too.

PS: Kyrila and Mon, looks like there's a new player in the game! My age has now advanced to 100 plus.
 
Women Doctors? I thought doctor was a mans profession,i learnt something new!
It seems wowmen had more guts back then compare to us today!I don't think i can go though war then having 7 babies or i probelry can't hack having just one.
Are you 100 years old?
 
Hi there.Thanks for that information, much appercaited.
Iv'e got one question-It says this lady was married but in those days,women were not aloud to work if married,maybe it was only her husband was a doctor.
Or does that law only exsist in England and not America?If so it's great to know there was women docs out there in those days.

Bob-nothing wrong with that age,mature people are the best to talk too.
 

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