tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post7536380658162283603..comments2023-10-20T11:17:47.246-04:00Comments on Two Nerdy History Girls: Horrors! Not a Flannel Petticoat!!! 1807Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post-3498943428174649092013-03-08T06:51:31.376-05:002013-03-08T06:51:31.376-05:00I agree that the flannel was probably wool, with a...I agree that the flannel was probably wool, with a brushed surface. <br /><br />Static cling is more a modern plague than a 18th-19th c. one - remember that these ladies are wearing only natural fibers, with no nylon or polyester to get all static-y. No pantyhose, either, with their stockings only come to their knees. Plus without forced-air central heating, the air inside wasn't as dry or electrically charged. A small advantage to fireplace heating!<br /><br />I suspect this lady's main objection is that the sensible petticoat is old-fashioned, heavy, and just plain "ugly", and no amount of argument is going to make her change her mind. As someone who can remember standing at school bus-stops in the middle of winter in very short skirts without stockings because that was the style, I totally get her objections. Not that it makes sense, but hey....<br /><br />And in defense of wool: wool is a wonderful natural fiber, warm, soft, and cozy, plus being renewable and biodegradable. It's gotten a bad rap in modern times as being "scratchy", mostly by people who've never worn a good wool sweater. Beats acrylic and polyester fleece hands-down. Can you tell I'm a wool-loving-knitter? *g* Yay, sheep!<br /><br />Isabella Bradford/Susan Holloway Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00997375216314200469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post-81760019583690188182013-03-07T20:09:48.553-05:002013-03-07T20:09:48.553-05:00ME! Give the flannel to me! I'm sitting in fro...ME! Give the flannel to me! I'm sitting in front of a roaring fire, covered in a blanket with two sweaters on and I just cannot get warm tonight. So fashionable or not, it would have been the flannels for me back then.nightsmusichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984119792540771870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post-6013346098940163162013-03-07T14:04:03.342-05:002013-03-07T14:04:03.342-05:00I participate in medieval recreation and have seve...I participate in medieval recreation and have several flannel shifts/chemises and they're AMAZING. They're actually comfortable in warm weather as well as cold, they don't stick to my outer skirts either 8)Mortehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09270056103244412937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post-25552583235583589032013-03-07T11:01:12.257-05:002013-03-07T11:01:12.257-05:00One of my books has a knit wool petticoat that I a...One of my books has a knit wool petticoat that I always think would do the job nicely (it’s from Denmark I think, where perhaps it was cold enough for the ladies to not be so fastidious, LOL!). <br /><br />And, yes, Joyce is right. “Flannel” is a type of woolen fabric in this period. <br />Isobel Carrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03153722955365985930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post-76629749591252442082013-03-07T09:16:35.085-05:002013-03-07T09:16:35.085-05:00I focus mostly on the Civil War, but this post was...I focus mostly on the Civil War, but this post was hilarious! I think I could also use some flannels, especially in Michigan....Miss Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04454635256881892081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post-83039548725334044292013-03-07T08:29:27.761-05:002013-03-07T08:29:27.761-05:00My assumption would be that the "flannel"...My assumption would be that the "flannel" referred to is actually wool flannel, and not the cotton flannel we know today. It was commonly worn through the 18th century, and I would guess that it was still in use in the early 19th. Wool flannel was a lighter weight wool that had a brushed nap, so it was a warm fiber to wear... albeit rather scratchy!<br />Joyce B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5022318990784415929.post-24408790018495074442013-03-07T08:22:35.321-05:002013-03-07T08:22:35.321-05:00Aside from being "unfashionable" , the f...Aside from being "unfashionable" , the flannel probably clung to everything and caused clothing worn over it to ride up, appear wrinkled, or just plain as though it didn't fit right. Not sure if they had a Static Guard equivalent in those days... ;-)Terese Raminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09154943230250839838noreply@blogger.com