Someone on CPAAG posted this; it's one of those "things you might have wondered but never knew whom to ask" things....
How did Victorian women manage the loo?
(Note: no nudity involved. No actual toilets present)
I suspect, that, ahem, #1 was considerably easier than #2. The "front approach" seems like it would not work so well in that situation.... (and the front approach is also recommended for modern bridal gowns - something else with which I have no experience. IF I were to wind up getting married I would probably wear a simpler skirted suit now, like women in the 40s wore...I'm a little old for that giant princess dress thing now.)
The whole cage crinoline and bustle thing surprises me. I didn't realize how flexible they were. I still don't know how *heavy* they were but they look less arduous to wear than I thought they would be. I don't think I'd mind wearing one so much....
Some of the mechanics with the chamber pot, though....you'd have to have good balance, I think, to manage standing up. (Then again, that's how men usually manage #1. But they're not wearing layers of petticoats and such). Maybe richer women had a servant who helped them? As awful as that sounds?
Also the video shows how women managed to sit down on chairs with bustles and trains, which was something I always wondered about.
(And as someone who usually wears dresses and skirts, the whole "gather up from the hem" thing is familiar).
2 comments:
Ha. I have always wondered.
wow. that was actually a well done video of something I never expected.
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