Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Drawers |
Catalog Number |
1948.12.16 |
Maker |
Maysville, Kentucky |
Date |
ca. 1815 |
Material(s) |
Linen/Bone |
Dimensions |
H-39 W-28 inches |
Description |
This is a man's homespun and handmade off-white pair of underdrawers. It has a two button (bone) front closure made of a wide tapering waistband constructed in two panels. The bottom button is missing. It does not have a fall front but rather an open fly. The high back cinches with one tape laced through the waistband. It has a full seat, splayed legs and is of knee length. There is a 5 inch split extending from the bottom hem of the legs at each exterior side seam. The drawers are sewn in two panels (front and back). |
Notes |
Probably owned by Valentine Peers. 2003-2005 research: The items of underwear are presumed to be some of the last clothing Peers wore during his lifetime (see attached notepad). It would not be out of line to infer that these are the garments of an old man seeking comfort during the cold months. "Wearing of under drawers is somewhat less well documented in the records than wearing under waistcoats. For many men in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the shirt was the only underwear, the long tails being tucked down into the breeches and serving as a liner. Nevertheless, some men clearly did wear drawers, perhaps as a liner to keep the breeches clean as well as for extra warmth. "Although drawers were available for sale ready made in hosiery stores and other outlets, it is known that Thomas Jefferson, for example, had some of his drawers made by tailors." (Baumgarten, Linda. Under Waistcoats and Drawers. Dress, The Annual Journal of the Costume Society of America. Volume 19, 1992: 5-16. Valentine Peers wore this pair of underdrawers, cut knee length with splayed legs and extra fullness in the seat just like breeches. |
Collection |
Mrs. Henry Waller Collection |
People |
Peers, Valentine, 1756-1830 |
Subjects |
Clothing & dress Textiles Underwear |
Search Terms |
under garments undergarments Men's Fashion |
Physical Holder |
Kentucky Historical Society - KHS |