An epiphany

[chocolatepot]

You know, a lot of historical fashion resources on the net talk about how ridiculed the neoclassical muslin gowns were in England, due to their complete unsuitability to the climate, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone mention that they must have been seen as a godsend in America. I mean, obviously they were still unsuitable in the winter, but even taking the Little Ice Age it would still have been pretty darn warm in New York, not to mention the southern states.

This thought brought to you by the ridiculously hot weather yesterday.

Comments

[bitchet.livejournal.com]

I have never thought about it this way. You think out of sheer practicality they would have become popular in the American South for decades after they'd fallen out of favor in colder climates.

[chocolatepot.livejournal.com]

You'd think! Maybe they kept up using lighter fabrics? I know the rules of proper dressing were relaxed a bit in the South during the eighteenth century, but I've never read anything later than that. (America tends to get a bit shafted when it comes to dress history, nobody wants to write about it or study it.)