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Skagit River JournalFree Home Page Stories & Photos The most in-depth, comprehensive site about the Skagit Covers from British Columbia to Puget Sound. Counties covered: Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Snohomish & BC. An evolving history dedicated to committing random acts of historical kindness |
 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284Home of the Tarheel Stomp Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug |
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These are three of the 16 children borne by Carrie Thompson Cole and they wear fashions common on the frontier at the turn of the century. Read the whole Fred and Carrie Cole soap opera. Photos courtesy of Paul Enge, a Cole descendant. |
We apologize that we are late in re-posting this page. Our computer crashed and thanks to John Hanks of Computer Solutions of Sedro-Woolley (855-0313), we are back up and running better than before. |
Victorian and Edwardian women wore a lot of lingerie, and sometimes it's confusing what goes where and what it's called. Here's a helpful guide:
A Victorian woman started her marathon dressing session with a pair of drawers. Drawers are most often split (crotchless) and about knee length. Some drawers aren't split, and it makes you wonder how they worked, since they were under all the other layers. Many times you'll see drawers referred to as bloomers, pantalets, or even pantaloons, which are really men's pants. Over her drawers, she would slip on a chemise which is a long sleeveless gown. A shorter version of a chemise is a camisole. Both the chemise and the camisole protected the skin from the corset, and vice versa. The next layer would be the corset. Over the corset would be worn a corset cover which protected the outer garments from the busk of the corset as well as hid the corset under sheerer garments. Sometimes it's hard to determine if a garment is a camisole or a corset cover, so we've grouped them together. Depending on the period, different types of hoops cages and bustles would then be added to give the outfit the shape that was currently in fashion. Next one or more petticoats were added to provide even more fullness under the skirt. Finally, after donning at least 5 layers of underwear, the Victorian woman was ready to put on her skirt and bodice.
After the Victorian and Edwardian periods many of these layers were simplified. As corsets became less structured and offered less support for the breasts, brassieres were introduced, and these later became bras. In the 1920s and 30s, cotton chemises gave way to silk and rayon slips & teddies, often cut on the bias. Drawers became tap pants, and then later panties.
Throughout all of these periods, there were gowns and robes for sleeping and lounging.
Left: The Torrey sisters, Georgetta and "Doll" as teenagers. Back in the Midwest they married upriver pioneers George Savage and Capt. L.A. Boyd. Photo courtesy of Dan Royal, publisher of http://www.stumpranchonline.com and a Boyd descendant.The crew at Birdsey Minkler's Lyman Lumber Co. shingle mill. We are unsure if this was the earlier1880s mill east of Lyman or the 1890s mill at Minkler Lake, west of town, but probably the latter.; Right: Wedding photo of Charles and Jessie Pressentin, photo courtesy of Barbara Halliday.
Boys and girls fashions of the age This website used to be a tremendous resource but it is now blocked by many firewalls because it is a "Parked Domain: Site may contain excessive advertising including pop-up and pop-under advertisements," as our Comodo firewall explains. So be careful about opening it. But when it was first created, the author shared these facts about Victorian-era clothes:
Figure 1. This wonderfully nostalgic sceen from small town America, probably about 1915-1920. Notice the large houses with porches facing a tree-lined street. A brother and sister are sitting in a swing on their front porch. The boy wears a smart double-breasted knickers suit, his sister an elegant white dress. Both wear long dark stockings. The boy looks to be a younger teenager, perhaps 13-14 years old. Notice the knickers are rather baggy and there is no crease. His hair looks rather stylized for the 1910s. He is also appears to be wearing gloves--even though it is not a cold day.
HBC begins to notice knickers in America during the 1870s, but they did not become popular as a boys' garment until after the turn of the 20th century. Even through the 1900s knee-pants were more common than knickers. American boys did not begin to wear knickers extensively until the 1910s. By the 1910s, however, knickers were beginning to replace knee-pants. Knickers soon became the major attire worn in America. School-age boys in America between the two world wars wore knicker-suits. Knickers were the [dominant] trousers for American boys in the 1920s and 30s. Unlike Europe where short pants were more common, [American] boys wore knickers--even Boy and Cub Scouts wore them. Through the early 1920s they were mostly worn with ling stockings, but by the mid-1920s, knee-socks had become more popular. The age of boys wearing knickers varied substantially over time. Although knickers had once been pervasive for boys, they declined in popularity very quickly in the early 1940s. It is unclear to HBC just why this major fashion shift occurred so abruptly.
Late 19th Century (1870-99): HBC begins to notice knickers in America during the 1870s, but they were much less common than kneepants. American boys began wearing short cut pants in the 1860s, although it was not until the 1870s that they became standard boys' wear. Knickers were widely worn by British and other European boys, but they were less common in America where the knee pants style predominated.
Early 20th Century (1900-18) : did not become popular as a boys' garment until after the turn of the 20th century. Even through the 1900s knee-pants were more common than knickers. American boys did not begin to wear knickers extensively until the 1910s. By the 1910s, however, knickers were beginning to replace knee-pants. Knickers begin increasing in popularity in the 1900s. They were adopted by the new U.S. Scout movement. By the 1910s they were becoming the dominate style for boys. They were widely worn by even older boys of high school age.
The crew at Birdsey Minkler's Lyman Lumber Co. shingle mill. We are unsure if this was the earlier1880s mill east of Lyman or the 1890s mill at Minkler Lake, west of town, but probably the latter.; Right: The Torrey sisters, Georgetta and "Doll" as teenagers. Back in the Midwest they married upriver pioneers George Savage and Capt. L.A. Boyd.
This is the 1917 Lyman School class. Can you help us identify any of the teachers or students? The school stood on the bluff overlooking what was then the slough of the Skagit River, what is now the main channel, and it is now the main channel. In October 2009 it is just about as low any Lyman resident recalls.
Left: The Karl and Minnie von Pressentin family at their homestead on the south shore of the Skagit River across from the villages of Birdsview and Bessemer.; Right: An unknown member of the von Pressentin family. Can anyone identify this person? Photos courtesy of Barbara Halliday, a descendant of the von Pressentin and Kemmerich families, 1878 settlers on the south shore of the Skagit River across the water from the villages of Birdsview and Bessemer.
Cecil Hittson, who grew up in Lyman when it was still a village and who remembers as much of Lyman history as anyone, supplied this photo of the crew of the shingle mill east of town that was built by Birdsey Minkler and Frank Ries, another early pioneer of the area.
Left: George Savage, pioneer sawmill owner who bought the South Birdsview mill of Birdsey Minkler. Photo courtesy of Dan Royal, Birdsview Boyds family descendant.; Right: Henrietta, Elizabeth and Frank Cooper, children of Henry Cooper, the pioneer who bought Valentine Adam's homestead, which included most of present-day Lyman. Photo courtesy of Charles Meyers, grandson of Henrietta Cooper Meyers.
Left: The wedding photo of Maude Minkler and Bert Vandeford. She was Birdsey's eldest daughter and he was a mill foreman and a pharmaceuticals salesman. They obtained the Minkler Mansion after Birdsey's death in 1911. Photo courtesy of Mike Aiken, great grandson of Birdsey Minkler. Right: 1915 photo of Bessie Belle Cole, one of the daughters of Fred Cole of Concrete. Photo courtesy of Paul Enge.
Links, background reading and sources
- Entry Form. Sign up now. Deadline for completed essay and art entries, Oct. 17, 2009
- See our new page of photo ideas for costumes
- Oct. 24 Lyman Essay, Art and Costume Challenge Contest with details of the time capsule and games and food for kids of all ages.
- See Dan Royal's Stump Ranch Online for many more photos of clothes of that period.
Story posted on Oct. 11, 2009, updated Oct. 18, 2009 . . . Please report any broken links so we can update them
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