Having some vague Monday morning ponderings about how most of my favourite examples of historical fashion were not washable in the sense we expect clothing to be now, and how our relationship with garment care and wearing has changed vastly.

Particularly thinking about how it was always the underwear that was designed to be *harshly* cleaned, and how it reduced bodily contact with the outer clothing.

Also thinking about how fancy embellisheds were often designed to be removable, so that the rest of the garment could be safely cleaned and the embellishment later reattached.

Ribbonwork, for example, was often stitched to a piece of crin and loosely tacked to the clothing for easier removal.

The opposite was also true: for example, lace trims were often loosely tacked on, and so the lace itself on tricky areas (e.g. cuffs, necklines) could be removed and cleaned separately.

I've noticed lace trims on a corsets are also only loosely tacked in place; the corset could never be washed, but any trims could at least be refreshed or upcycled.

Dress/sweat guards were also fairly commonplace, and the only place I've really seen them survive consistently in is in theatre/opera/ballet costume were regularly cleaning isn't feasible or affordable.

It's interesting how our expectations of how/when to clean clothing have changed. Clothing was always a much more precious commodity, and it was worn with so much more consciousness and care.

So many factors are responsible for that change: synthetic fibres, washing machines, mass manufacturing and fast fashion...

I wonder if we'll ever be able to shift back to quality>quantity, and appropriate garment care>replacements.

It is difficult to make a garment last when the quality is so comparative abysmal (think fabric weave quality, stitch techniques, seam allowance sizes, cuts etc)

Also, stretch clothing! Elastane/lycra makes clothing much more comfortable (especially underwear; most of us could not imagine living with non-stretch underwear, especially bras), easier to fit, and easier for manufacturers to skimp on cut and fabric volume.

However... elastane is going to limit garment lifespans. It eventually degrades, and most of us don't care for it appropriately (think hot washes and tumble dryers).

I'm fascinated by how a chemise from the late 19th century can still be pristine and wearable despite being regularly BOILED with harsh soaps, whereas knickers from a few years ago are shedding their elastic fibres all over the place.