Marriage Shirt
Marriage Shirt
Marriage Shirt
Marriage Shirt
Marriage Shirt
Marriage Shirt

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Marriage Shirt
Late 18th c

The heart at the bottom of the opening has a little traingle of needlace with IPS  the wearer's initials. The unusual buttons used are called Dorset Singletons made on a ring, padded with a disc of woven fabric that is then embroidered. Their name derives from the Singleton family, who made a speciality of this style in the 17th century. The shape of the cuffs is unusual and aesthetically pleasing.

The shape of the cuffs are most unusual and aesthetically very pleasing. Could they be a nod to the Incroyable style fashion of the 1790s? The sleeve shape intrigues me because there must have been a fashionable purpose to reduce the volume of fabric from the classic rectangular shape. I think it is cut specifically to be worn under the fashionable shape which you can see in the plate attached (c.1799). A coat with a very tight sleeve shape which extends over the knuckles. My thanks to Natalie Garbett for her comments*

 

Description

The fine linen with shallow collar 2 in; 5 cm high secured with a Dorset button, the front with very fine pleating either side of the wide finely pleated double frill, the shoulders with a wide strip from collar to top of sleeve, flanked by elongated V sections, the sleeves cut in a T shape with an underarm inserted triangular section, the shaped cuffs secured with an embroidered button, the initals IPS 6 in red cotton, the back tightly gathered into the collar, French seams throughout, Back neck to hem 29 1/2 in; Underarm 75 cm.58 in;1.5 m

Condition

The shirt is generally grubby and a good wash would improve the appearance.  There is a light stain to the left hand elbow area. A small area of blood stains to the right hand collar area. The frill has slight light coloured markings and more at the right hand above cuff area. The back is fairly clear of marks. One pinhead hole near the collar. The shirt has been starched. Ask for photos of staining.  A conservator could really improve the shirt!

Comments

see The History of Underclothes Cunningtons, Dover edition. p 103 where it talks about a wedding shirt having a double heart with needlelace in Norwich museum, 1795-1800 worn with tight buckskin breeches.

*Natalie Garbett  A History of Fashion 1790-1820,
(To be published 2017 by Pen and Sword Books)

M de Garsault . L'art de la lingerie , Neuchatel 1780 ( reprint oof original 1769 ) To make a shirt.
http://www.marquise.de/en/1700/howto/maenner/18hemd.shtml

http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b7200315v/f74.item

Colonial Williamsburg have a shirt with very fine pleating which they described as pattern-ironed pleats. I guess this means that some pattern / grid was marked on the fabric before starching and ironing. The same method must have been used on the our shirts and seperate sleeves.

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