Victorian Old West Ladies' Underpinnings: How Many Layers Did Women Really Wear?
A common question we get asked is, “How many layers of underwear did ladies wear in the Old West?”
The short answer is: quite a few.
Depending on the decade, the season, the lady’s circumstances, and what she was wearing over them, a woman could have five, six, or even seven or more separate pieces making up her underpinnings. There was no single set of Victorian underwear that every woman wore every day. Fashion changed quickly, and so did the foundation garments underneath it.
Those layers were not simply there for modesty. They protected clothing, provided warmth, shaped the fashionable figure, and gave the outer dress the proper form.
Let’s take a look...
From the Waist Up
3. Corset Cover
The corset cover went over the corset and beneath the bodice. It could be quite pretty, with lace, embroidery, tucks, and other decoration, even though it was normally meant to remain hidden.
There was good reason for having it. A corset was a substantial and sometimes expensive garment, so putting another layer between the corset and the dress helped keep dirt and wear from reaching it.
From the Waist Down
4. Drawers, Knickers, or Pantaloons
Drawers went against the skin below the waist. Depending on the period and the speaker, you might hear them called drawers, knickers, britches, or pantaloons.
They provided modesty and another washable layer between the body and the clothing worn above. Like the chemise, they were part of the practical side of Victorian dress that often gets lost when we look only at the finished gown.
Petticoats did more than make a skirt look fuller.
They helped support the outer skirt, provided warmth, and helped keep the shape of the skirt from revealing the body underneath.
During the nineteenth century, petticoats could be beautifully decorated with embroidery, lace, ribbons, tucks, and pleats,
even though they were generally not supposed to be seen.
In cold weather, additional petticoats could be added. Wool and flannel versions were particularly useful in winter,
making the petticoat as much a practical garment as a fashionable one.
And during some periods, an over-petticoat might be worn specifically to help conceal the framework underneath.
Depending on the reference you look at this piece is sometimes counted as a separate piece,
since it was something that could be “accidentally” seen and would have fancy decoration.
6. Hoop Skirt — Civil War Era
If we're talking about the Civil War period, the hoop skirt is one of the most recognizable pieces of the outfit.
The cage crinoline allowed women to achieve the enormous, bell-shaped skirts fashionable during the 1850s and 1860s without having to rely entirely on layer upon layer of heavy petticoats. The result was plenty of volume with considerably less weight.
The word “crinoline” originally referred to a stiff fabric made with horsehair and linen before becoming associated with the cage-like skirt support itself.
After the Civil War, fashion changed. The great volume of the hoop skirt gradually moved toward the back, and the bustle took its place.
Bustles came in several forms. Some were made with wire, cane, or other framework, while others were little padded cushions worn at the back. By the 1880s, some bustle arrangements could be surprisingly elaborate. The Met has an American bustle from about 1885 that was worn over the chemise, corset, and drawers, with another petticoat placed over it to help keep the framework from showing through the dress.
Fashion being what it was, the bustle did not simply disappear overnight. It changed shape, came and went, and reached some of its most exaggerated forms in the 1880s. By the 1890s, skirts were becoming slimmer and the bustle was giving way to a different fashionable shape.
So, How Many Layers?
That brings us back to the original question.
A Victorian or Old West woman could have a chemise, corset, corset cover, drawers, one or more petticoats, and then a hoop skirt or bustle beneath her dress. Add another petticoat for warmth or additional layers dictated by fashion, and seven or more pieces was certainly possible.
But it is important not to picture every woman walking around in exactly seven layers every day. Underpinnings changed with fashion, weather, occupation, income, and circumstance.
What all those layers tell us is that Victorian clothing was engineered from the inside out. The dress everyone noticed was only the final layer. Beneath it was a carefully arranged collection of garments designed to shape, support, protect, insulate, and hold everything in its proper place.
That's the part of Victorian and Old West clothing history we find most interesting. The clothes weren't just decoration. They were practical pieces of everyday life, and every layer had a reason for being there.
