This chemise is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. This chemise is machine sewn by Eliza Towns and she has added pintucks and broderie anglaise lace as a decorative element. A chemise was usually a sleeveless garment made of linen or cotton (so they could be easily washed) and its shape was much like a modern day nightgown. The name comes from the French word for "shirt" or "shift". Women wore chemises next to the skin (under the corset) to keep stains and odors away from the less washable corset and gown.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the mid to late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery to personlise and embellish an item of clothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulties of needing to regularly hand wash a bulky outer garment or gown in the Victorian era.A white cotton, short sleeved, knee length chemise. The fabric at the front is gathered on a yoke which is decorated with bands of five pintucks alternating with broderie anglaise lace and embroidered strips lined with pink ribbon. A different broderie anglaise design decorates the sleeve edges, neckline and center broderie anglaise strip. The back of the chemise is gathered on to the neckline. There are two bands of pintucks on each sleeve. The fabric around each armhole has been strengthened with another layer of cotton and a length of cotton has been added (from the left shoulder to the hem) to increase the width of chemise.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, great ocean road, south west victoria, victorian era, victorian era undergarments, chemise, victorian era chemise, undergarments, pintucks, victorian chemise, eliza towns, nhill, wimmera, home sewing, machine sewn, hand made

This chemise combination was basically a long chemise with panty legs attached, but in a briefer form than pieces of previous decades. It was made by Marjorie Burton's mother, Mrs Whiteman, and was for Marjorie's trousseau. Marjorie Burton ( nee Whiteman), born 12 June, in Birmingham, England came to Orbost in 1995. In England she did office work – typing, shorthand and secretarial work - in accountants’ offices and also trained as a comptometrist with Burroughs in London. She came from amiddle-class, working church-going family. Her mother was a milliner who mademany of Marjorie’s clothes, hats and outfits. Marjorie was married in 1938 to a salesman who later became a mechanic in the R.A.F. during WW11. This item is an example of ahomemade piece of clothing and reflects theneedlework skills of women during the first half of the twentieth century.A chemise combination made of pink silk and buttoning at the crotch. It has lace insets and thin straps. It is waisted and has a defined bustline.underwear women's-clothing chemise burton-marjorie

This lady’s fine cotton hand sewn chemise is an example of the dressmaking and craftwork skills of the women of the early settlers families in Moorabbin Shire in the early 20th C Early settlers and market gardeners established their families in Moorabbin Shire and this item shows the skill and craftsmanship of the women of these families .The Marriott family were pioneer market gardeners from 1850 to 1960's in the Moorabbin Brighton areaA lady's hand sewn fine cotton chemise with set in sleeves and concealed buttons along front bodice opening.The waist is elasticised and hand made lacework decorates the front and back with panels of pintucksclothing, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, dressmaking, market gardeners, early settlers, craftwork, bentleigh, lacework

This chemise is an example of the dressmaking and needlework skills of the women of the early settlers families in Moorabbin Shire in the early 20th C Early settlers and market gardeners established their families in Moorabbin Shire c1900 and this item shows the skill and craftsmanship of the women of these families This lady’s white cotton chemise has short sleeves, and drawstring waist . The neckline has cut work and needlework flowers and the cuffs have lace edging. is an example of the dressmaking skills of the women of the early settlers families in Moorabbin Shire in the early 20th C clothing, crochet, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, dressmaking, market gardeners, early settlers, craftwork, lacework, moorabbin shire, bentleigh, mckinnon, hunt ailsa, dairy farms, fruit orchards

This handmade women’s combination undergarment features hand-worked lace panels and trim, and fine pintucks. It is one of seven handmade items of white cotton underwear, all made with beautiful needlework and embroidery skill. The lingerie once belonged to the donor’s great-grandmother’s family, the Paton family of ‘Trefnant’, Yangery, in southwest Victoria. The design of this combination undergarment, or ‘combination’, includes a chemise attached to a pair of drawers or bloomers. The combination is divided, or bifurcated, from the waist to the crutch for easier urinating. This one-piece type of underwear was worn by females from the 1860s and into the early 1900s. The 19th Century garments had front button closures like this one, and those made in the 1900s more often had back closures. Combination underwear was popular because the all-in-one design had far fewer gathers and bulk, making the other clothing look much smoother. The collection of women’s late-19th-century undergarments is an example of clothing that women would include in their wardrobes. The garments add to the study of the evolution of women's fashions and practicality for the early Australian settlers. The fine linen fabric and the careful needlework in these handmade garments and hand-worked lace trims reflect the maker’s dedication to making even serviceable garments beautiful to look at and wear. Women’s white cotton and lace all-In-one combination undergarment. The handmade underwear is a combined chemise and bloomers. It has a front button closure and is trimmed with hand-worked lace panels on the bodice and lace edging around armholes, the neck, and the bottom of the legs. The left and right sides are divided from the waist to the crutch.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, southwest victoria, victorian era, combination undergarment, all-in-one underwear, combination, ‘combinations’, one-piece underwear, one-piece undergarment, chemise and bloomers, combination chemise and bloomers, divided, bifurcated, split, chemise and drawers, women’s underwear, ladies’ underwear, undergarment, women’s clothing, women’s fashion, lingerie, under-structure, 1900s undergarments, 19th-century undergarment, 20th century, handmade clothing, handmade lace, hand-worked lace, paton family, trefnant, yangery, lady's combinations, ladies combinations

The early settlers were self reliant and made their own clothes. This detachable collar shows the dressmaking and craftwork skills of the women A lady's silk chemise with short sleeves and an open V-line neck. The hem, neckline and cuffs are scalloped and over-sewn by hand .clothing, brighton, moorabbin, pioneers, dressmaking, market gardeners, early settlers, craftwork

This item of underclothing, called a "combination" is one of several linen and clothing items belonging to the deceased estate of Susan Henry OAM (nee Vedmore 1944 - 2021) that was donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Susan's family (Harold and Gladys Vedmore) immigrated to Australia from Wales in 1955 and settled in Warrnambool. Susan was well known in the Warrnambool community for her work supporting children and families across the district - particular those with disabilities, or those who were homeless, unemployed or isolated. Susan was the founding trustee of the "Vedmore Foundation" - a Warrnambool philanthropic trust set up in 2010 to support a range of charitable and not-for-profit causes by providing grant assistance. In 2021, she was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the community. Combination undergarments combined the chemise and drawers into one garment. The combination is divided, or bifurcated, from the waist to the crotch for easier urinating. This one-piece type of underwear was worn by females from the 1860s and into the early 1900s. The 19th Century garments had front button closures like this one, and those made in the 1900s more often had back closures. Combination underwear was popular because the all-in-one design had far fewer gathers and bulk, making the other clothing look much smoother. Their primary use was to protect clothing from perspiration and because they were made with cotton or linen, were easy to wash. This particular item is made with lawn (a very lightweight fabric) and is sleeveless, making it suitable for hot weather. Although they were worn under the corset next to the skin (and therefore not meant to be seen), they were often decorated with lace or embroidery. This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - using machine stitching and lace to personalise and embellish a practical item of clothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulties that women of this era faced with regard to the washing of clothes and household linens.Lady’s white lawn and lace all-In-one combination undergarment. The handmade underwear is a combined chemise and bloomers. It has four buttons in the front and is trimmed with lace on the neckline, armholes, bodice (in a diagonal design) and legs. The left and right sides are divided from the waist to the crutch. The back of the garment is plain with a gathered section at the lower back.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, great ocean road, combinations, lady's combinations, undergarment, lingerie, handsewn, underwear, clothing, victorian era undergarments, lady's garment, susan henry oam, vedmore foundation

This item of underclothing, called a "combination" is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. Combination undergarments combined the chemise and drawers into one garment. The combination is divided, or bifurcated, from the waist to the crutch for easier urinating. This one-piece type of underwear was worn by females from the 1860s and into the early 1900s. The 19th Century garments had front button closures like this one, and those made in the 1900s more often had back closures. Combination underwear was popular because the all-in-one design had far fewer gathers and bulk, making the other clothing look much smoother. Their primary use was to protect clothing from perspiration and because they were made with cotton or linen, were easy to wash. Although they were worn under the corset, next to the skin (and therefore not meant to be seen), they were often decorated with lace and embroidery. Although these combinations are made with a plain cotton fabric, Eliza Towns has incorporated pin tucks, hand embroidery and crocheted lace to embellish her garment. The collection of women’s late-19th-century undergarments is an example of clothing that women would include in their wardrobes. The garments add to the study of the evolution of women's fashions and practicality for the early Australian settlers. The careful needlework in these handmade garments and hand-worked lace trims reflect the maker’s dedication to making even serviceable garments beautiful to look at and wear.Women’s white cotton and lace all-In-one combination undergarment. The handmade underwear is a combined chemise and bloomers. It has three buttons in the front and a handmade drawstring cord around the square neckline. It is trimmed with crocheted lace (with a floral design) on the neckline, sleeves and pants. It had pintucks and feather stitching on the bodice and the left and right sides are divided from the waist to the crutch. The back of the garment is plain with a gathered section at the lower back.flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, maritime museum, maritime village, warrnambool, great ocean road, victorian era, combination undergarment, all-in-one underwear, combination, ‘combinations’, one-piece underwear, one-piece undergarment, chemise and bloomers, combination chemise and bloomers, divided, bifurcated, split, chemise and drawers, women’s underwear, ladies’ underwear, undergarment, women’s clothing, women’s fashion, lingerie, 19th-century undergarment, handmade clothing, handmade lace, crocheted lace, towns family, nhill, eliza towns

Buff coloured invoices ( 5 thereof) issued by Miss Jalland, General Draper, Britannia House, Pall Mall, Bendigo,(first class dressmaking on the premises) to Mrs Guiney, dated May 1916 to May 1917. Written on top of invoice ; Britannia House, Pall Mall,Bendigo. Items purchased range from '1 flannel, collars, chemise, 2 towels, 2 nights, pillow cases and ribbon. See research in Research tab.bendigo, business, miss jalland, general draper

This type of chemise/camisole is believed to be early 19th century. Its original owner is unknown, but it was purchased in the late 1990s by the donor who later moved to Emerald but, at the time, had a 2nd hand decoration shop in Camberwell when she purchased this as part of a group of garments which included bloomers, lace collars and cuffs, camisoles etc - all of which have been donated to the Museum. The donor was informed at the time of purchase that the garments were over 100 years old.This lovely hand-made cotton and lace camisole is typical of a type of undergarment worn by women inside the home in the early 19th century. Hand sewn, sleeveless fine woven cotton, loose-fitting garment detailed with deep cream coloured ribbon lace on armholes. The neckline is square-shaped and has a broad band of ribbon filled beneath lace detailing. The garment has 2 pearl coloured buttons on-top of the shoulders as openings.female, point d'esprit, lynne findlay collection, camisole

This corset cover is one of several linen and clothing items that were made and belonged to Mrs. Eliza Towns and donated to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village. Eliza was born Eliza Gould in 1857 in South Melbourne (Emerald Hill) and in 1879 married Charles Towns. In the early 1880's they moved to Nhill in western Victoria and remained there for the rest of their married life. Charles was a jeweller and later became an accountant and for many years was involved with the Shire Council, the local show committee (A & P Society), the Hospital Committee and the Board of the local newspaper (the Nhill Free Press). They had three children and lived a life that would be regarded as comfortably "middle class". Eliza probably had a treadle sewing machine and would have made many of her own clothes as well as clothes for her children - adding her own handmade embroidered or crocheted decorative trim. This corset cover is an excellent example of an everyday clothing item with the decorative trim favoured by women in the late Victorian era. Eliza Towns has added pintucks, embroidered feather stitch and a highly decorative hand crocheted lace trim to the neckline, sleeves and front of the bodice. Corset covers (sometimes called camisoles) began to appear in women's fashion around 1840 and continued through the late Victorian decades into the Edwardian era. The long chemise was considered too bulky to cover the corset and so the corset cover was developed to be short and light and was worn over the corset and under the bodice of the outer garment. A woman would dress into her chemise and drawers first, followed by her corset and finally her corset cover as a final layer under her dress. Corset covers served several purposes. They provided protection against sweat (and the need to regularly wash the corset), helped smooth the lines of the corset and increased a woman's modesty.This item is an example of the needlework skills of women in the late 19th century - combining machine stitching with hand embroidery and crochet to embellish an item of personal underclothing. It is also significant as an example of a practical solution to the difficulty of hand washing a corset in the Victorian era.A short (waist length) corset cover of fine cotton. Short sleeves fall from a square neckline and are gathered into a wide crocheted lace trim with a band of embroidered feather stitch. The same crocheted lace design and feather stitching are also on the square neckline which is finished with a drawstring ribbon. The bodice has a front opening with five buttons and is bordered on each side with four pintucks. It has a drawstring ribbon at the waist and an extra layer of fine cotton lining has been added to strengthen the corset cover under the arms. The back has two bands of three pintucks running vertically from the neckline to the waist.flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, warrnambool, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, nhill, wimmera, eliza towns, underclothing, corset cover, camisole, machine sewing, hand sewing, crocheted lace, pintucks, feather stitch, embroidery, underwear, victorian era underclothing, victorian era corset cover

In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck and may be permanently attached to the main body of the garment (e.g. by stitching) or detachable. Today's shirt collars descend from the ruffle created by the drawstring at the neck of the medieval chemise, through the Elizabethan ruff and its successors, the whisk collar and falling band. Separate collars exist alongside attached collars since the mid-16th century, usually to allow starching and other fine finishing. Jabots made of lace and hanging loose from the neck were an essential component of upper class, male fashion in the baroque period. During the Edwardian period, and sporadically thereafter, ornamental collars were worn as a form of jewellery. Names for specific styles of collars vary with the vagaries of fashion. Jabots survive in the present days as components of various official costumes, as are those worn by judges and counsel throughout Australian courts and town mayors. 2018 Kingston City Council Mayor Steve Staikos asked CMHS to loan the Former Moorabbin Mayoral Robes and Jabot for display at KCC Office Cheltenham. These Moorabbin Mayoral Robe with Jabot are now displayed along with those of the former City of Chelsea Robe and the former City of Mordialloc Robe at Cheltenham . KCC possesses the original Mayoral Chains of each former Council and they are displayed on each Robe for the annual Opening Meeting of KCC in February. This set of a 'Jabot' style collar and cuffs was part of the ceremonial Mayoral Robes c1960- 94 for the City of Moorabbin 1934-94. This is the last City of Moorabbin Mayoral Robe and was worn by Mayor Ron Brownlees, (prior to amalgamation with the City of Glen Eira and City of Kingston in 1994), and donated to the City of Moorabbin Historical Society in February 2007 by the City of Kingston. The City of Moorabbin developed from the Moorabbin Roads Board of 1862, becoming The Shire of Moorabbin in 1871 and the City of Moorabbin in 1934. November 2018 At the request of the Mayor Cr Steve Staikos this Jabot Collar and Cuffs is now on display with the Mayoral Robes at Kingston City Council Offices Nepean Highway Cheltenham . A detachable , white, nylon, 'Jabot' style, standing collar with a pleated, ruffled, and lace-trimmed frill down the front and 2 matching cuffs that was part of the City of Moorabbin Mayoral Robes c1960 - 94 It has a tear in corner. clothing, collars, ornamental collars, civic robes, mayoral robes, moorabbin, cheltenham, bentleigh, lacework, dressmaking, fashion, formal wear, city of moorabbin. moorabbin shire, moorabbin roads board, brownlees ron, city of glen eira, city of ikngston

Published: 26 Dec 1933 The Age p9 Published title: "ON CHRISTMAS MORNING--BATHING AT ST. KILDA." Published caption: "Yesterday morning everyone who was near the bay seized the opportunity for a cooling dip. St. Kilda foreshore was particularly well patronised, as this picture shows." Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203364944 Description: Large group of swimmers at St Kilda Beach on Christmas morning. Research by project volunteer, Louise McKenzie: Approximately 150 men, women and children grouped in front of the photographer in the shallows of St Kilda Beach on Christmas morning 1933. All are wearing one piece bathing suits, some have bathing caps, some hold beach balls, and one boy has a model boat. They are happy and exuberant. Their swimming attire is traditional and conservative for the time. However at this time the bathing attire was undergoing a substantial change, as Wikipedia’s History of Swimwear attests. The English practice of men swimming in the nude was banned in the United Kingdom in 1860. In the first half of the 19th century the top became knee-length while an ankle-length drawer was added as a bottom. By the second half of the 19th century, in France, the sleeves started to vanish, the bottom became shorter to reach only the knees and the top became hip-length and both became more form fitting. In the West, in the 19th century women wore a bathing gown in the water. These were loose ankle-length full-sleeve chemise-type gown made of wool or flannel, so that modesty or decency was not threatened. They were long dresses of fabrics that would not become transparent when wet, with weights sewn into the hems so that they would not rise up in the water. The men's swim suit, a rather form-fitting wool garment with long sleeves and legs similar to long underwear, was developed and would change little for a century. By the second half of the 19th century, in France, the sleeves started to vanish, the bottom became shorter to reach only the knees and the top became hip-length and both became more form fitting. In the 1900s women wore wool dresses on the beach that were In the Victorian era, Western cultures deplored nudity of any degree, and people took great pains to cover themselves, even bare chested male swimmers at ocean beaches. In the 1910s despite opposition from some groups, the form-fitting style proved popular. It was not long before swimwear started to shrink further. At first arms were exposed and then legs up to mid-thigh. Necklines receded from around the neck down to around the top of the bosom. The development of new fabrics allowed for new varieties of more comfortable and practical swimwear. The name "swim suit" was coined in 1915 by Jantzen Knitting Mills, a sweater manufacturer who launched a swimwear brand named the "Red Diving Girl”. During the 1920s and 1930s, people began to shift from "taking in the water" to "taking in the sun", at bathhouses and spas, and swimsuit designs shifted from functional considerations to incorporate more decorative features. By the 1930s men began to go without shirts for swimming and barechestedness in male swimwear became the norm by the end of the 1940s, including in competitive swimming events. Following a fire in 1925, the nearby St Kilda Baths were reopened in 1931 – with separate “enclosures” for men and women. But here in the Bay just a few years later, everyone is happily enjoying the refreshing seaside event. References: History of Swimwear, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_swimwear Jantzen Red Diving Girl, Oregon History Project, https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/jantzen-red-diving-girl/ European History 1900-1950, St Kilda Historical Society, https://stkildahistory.org.au/about/timeline-1900-1950Photographer notations on slide: "Christmas morning St Kilda Age B9"

Under-bodices were first made of silk, though cotton was the fabric of most underwear from the second half of the century. These bodices were worn to protect against wear and soiling but more often for modesty. Undergarments such as this item were seen as essential to wear under blouses. This item is an example of a handcrafted item and reflects the needlework skills of women in the early 20th centuryA hand made white cotton woman's undergarment (chemisette) - an underbodice. It is of fine cotton with lace insertions at back and front. It has four buttons for the front opening. The bottom is gathered.women's-undergarments chemise bodice