Research Detour: In Pursuit of Object Biographies Through Signs of Wear
A lot of my research involves pulling garments from archives that may or may not prove useful: this white cotton playsuit is one of those items. I requested to see it based on its catalog description, thinking it might contain some shapewear or compressive properties. It does not.
However, it does have some details I find compelling. In addition to being utterly adorable, Eve (the amazing FRC archivist) and I both agreed that the skirt was just a little weird looking. She confessed that, at first, she'd wondered if it was a capelet because of the dramatic flare and button placement; however, it has internal buttonholes on the waistband where a bodice or child's corset would be attached.
When I opened the skirt up to check for these buttonholes, though, I noticed something else: a hole on the button placket. Upon closer inspection, there is actually a column of consistently spaced worn spots, each one a couple of centimetres away from every button. Here is a close-up below:
It looks like this skirt was actually designed and originally made a few centimetres smaller, and the buttons were moved to accommodate a growing child. As an informal test of this hypothesis, I folded the placket to approximate what I suspected was the original button placement. Funnily enough, Eve and I agreed that the skirt looks a lot more proportionate.
Obviously, this is just speculation -- but it is speculation based on object evidence. It's also an example of my favourite thing about object study: hints of a biography literally worn into the fabric.
I can imagine a weary mother hastily seam-ripping buttons in hopes of squeezing just a few more wears out of this skirt before her toddler outgrows it for good. The small hole would be insignificant against the petticoats and stockings of Victorian childhood. Even so, did the snag frustrate her? Did she even notice? Was it even visible at the time, or has it worn on over the years?
Today, I'm thinking about the people that wore these clothes, asking myself questions about who they might've been -- and what marks they left behind.
Citation:
White Cotton Ribbed 2-Piece Boy’s Outfit, Bodice and Skirt. 1800s. Textile. Toronto Metropolitan University, Fashion Research Collection. Catalog No. 2014.07.352 AB.
