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https://books2read.com/Tomorrow-at-Daybreak
It was certainly well
represented at Canada’s very first Dominion Day garden party held on July
1st,1870 in Tomorrow at Daybreak:
“It was a balmy July afternoon, ideal for the community
picnic underway to celebrate the creation of the Dominion of Canada on July
1st, 1867. Dominion Day had now become a public holiday to commemorate
Confederation, albeit twelve years after the fact, and all were in a festive
mood. Women wore their best full-length white muslin dresses, many in the
fashionable princess line. Their elegant straw hats were elaborately festooned
with artificial flowers and ribbons of every colour, and of course there were plenty
of parasols.”
The men in attendance who no doubt appreciated the
beautifully dressed ladies around them, were well-turned out themselves in the
male finery of the day:
“The men were attired in their Sunday best with several
wearing top hats. Pate wasn’t much for stiff and staid apparel. Even if he
could afford to be appropriately tailored, he would still prefer a clean shirt
and sturdy trousers. However, in salute to the occasion he had polished his
boots. And if his hat looked a bit too battered, well so be it. He truly didn’t
care about such things. At twenty-four he was his own man, and prepared to
defend that to anyone who might suggest otherwise.”
It seems muslin was everywhere — represented in both women’s
and men’s fashions, the latter enjoying its versatility in shirt components and
underwear. A fabric that achieved massive popularity, the origin of this
plain-weave cotton textile actually predated the 1800’s. Says icefabrics.com:
“The history of muslin fabric traces back to the Indian subcontinent,
particularly in Dhaka (present-day Bangladesh). During the Mughal Empire,
muslin cloth fabric was highly prized for its exceptional fineness. It was considered
a luxury fabric, worn by royalty and traded across Europe, the Middle East, and
Asia. The delicate weave and lightweight feel earned it global fame, with some
muslins so fine they were referred to as ‘woven air.’”
So because air, woven or otherwise, is for the most part
transparent (when not cloudy or opaque), muslin was considered highly improper
for women’s outer garments by a shocked public according to bbc.com: “In late
18th-Century Europe, a new fashion led to an international scandal. In fact, an
entire social class was accused of appearing in public naked.
“The culprit was Dhaka muslin, a precious fabric imported
from the city of the same name… It was not like the muslin of today. Made via
an elaborate, 16-step process with a rare cotton that only grew along the banks
of the holy Meghna river, the cloth was considered one of the great treasures
of the age. It had a truly global patronage, stretching back thousands of years
– deemed worthy of clothing statues of goddesses in ancient Greece, countless
emperors from distant lands, and generations of local Mughal royalty.”
Muslin was also produced in silk and wool, but cotton
surpassed them all in terms of fashionableness and acceptance by a discerning
public.
“European merchants during the 17th and 18th centuries
imported large quantities of cotton muslin material, fuelling the demand across
fashion houses and noble courts. Sadly, colonial trade restrictions and
industrial shifts reduced traditional muslin production. However, the fabric
retained its popularity because of its affordability and usability in daily
life.” (icefabrics.com)
Then, as now, nobility greatly influenced style in many
parts of the world. It was in the latter 1700’s that Marie Antoinette appeared
in a simple muslin dress that understandably provoked outrage in royal court as
well as in social circles. This little white dress was appalling, but
ultimately transformative:
“Worn without stays or corseting, the dress was a scandal in
its day. Not only was the simplicity of the dress unlike the lavishly beaded
and embroidered gowns then in style, but it was also made of a semi-transparent
cloth that could be somewhat revealing. (gallery.ca)
“Although the dress worn by Marie Antoinette in Vigée Le
Brun’s portrait is voluminous and rather frilly, by the end of the century, the
silhouette had changed considerably, to a more columnar form redolent of
Classical Greece. It was also adapted by the era’s “hipsters” who shocked
polite society with virtually see-through versions of the gown that hugged the
figure.”
In hindsight, given today’s predilection for wearing
revealing clothing, Marie’s dress seems modest by comparison. Nevertheless a
trend in the styling of women’s dresses had begun and the mood for muslin
continued unabated. In the 1800’s it was all the rage. That’s not to say that
everyone was running around in see-through dresses, although some were inclined
to do so. By contrast, extravagant muslin gowns were created that stayed true
to the acceptable social mores of the time.
Meet Aunt Nell
Below is a photo of Aunt Nell in her fine white muslin gown,
an image I found identified as such among a collection of old family photos
although sadly I have as yet been unable to place her in the family tree.
Nevertheless I’m sure there’s a great-great attached to her name, as more
dedicated sojourns into genealogy may someday reveal. In any event, in addition
to her lavishly constructed muslin dress, we also have to appreciate her
spectacular rose corsage.
But in considering all those oceans of beautiful white
muslin in the days before modern washing machines and dry cleaners, one can
only imagine the labour-intensive work necessary to keep them in top condition.
And of course in addition to normal maintenance, there would also be the
inevitable stains to contend with. Says Mimimatthews.com: “In the Victorian
era, women’s clothing was just as likely to spot, stain, and soil as it is
today. For fine fabrics, this posed a particular dilemma. Ladies couldn’t simply
throw their printed muslin dresses into a washing machine or send their silk
ball gowns to the dry cleaners. Instead, they relied on their lady’s maids to
keep their clothing clean and in good order. Not only would a competent lady’s
maid know how to sponge and press a gown for wear, she would also know
precisely how to wash a delicate muslin or remove an oil stain from silk.”
Muslin fabric was also available in patterns or prints, and
those items required extra effort according to Mimimatthews.com: “These dresses
could be washed, but if the fabric was patterned or printed, great care had to
be taken to preserve the colors. For this reason, it was inadvisable for a
muslin dress to be washed in hot water. Soap, when applied directly to the
fabric, was equally harmful. Instead, the 1856 edition of Godey’s Lady’s Book
recommends that a lady’s maid:
‘Make a lather by boiling some soap and water together; let
it stand until it is sufficiently cool for use, and previously to putting the
dress into it, throw in a handful of salt.’
“After soaking, the muslin dress would go through a double
rinse in ‘clear cold water’ and salt. The dress was then carefully wrung out
and hung to dry with the folds spread “as open as possible” so that no part of
the dress was lying over another part.”
Muslin’s fundamental composition has not changed over time,
but the “quality, fineness, and source of the cotton fibre have changed
significantly since the 1800s.” It is still an essential fabric, celebrated not
only for its historical prominence but also for its modern applications. From
baby swaddles to haute couture, muslin remains a fabric that is both
traditional and practical — lightweight and breathable in either bleached,
unbleached or organic options. I personally keep a good supply of this fabric on
hand for quilting projects. The various types of muslin available now include
the ultra-lightweight gauze which can be styled into clothing or used by
doctors for wound dressing; sheer and lightweight Swiss muslin that is
typically patterned, plain and lightweight; Mull, which is more of a worker
fabric adding body and structure to garments, and lastly muslin produced in
thick, coarse sheeting.
And Then There’s Dinah
Dinah Gladstone, the bold tart in Tomorrow at Daybreak, was
used to the best of everything and so would have chosen muslin for most of her
garments. However she didn’t much care what they were made of when it came time
to take them off:
“She pulled the blouse over her head, revealing her
lace-covered chemise beneath. He felt a surge of energy charge through him. It
seemed he was in better shape than he thought he was. Leave it to Dinah to fix
what was wrong.
“She unbuttoned her riding skirt and let it pool at her
feet, clad now only in her thin undergarments. She began to dance suggestively
for his entertainment, and he was a rapt audience. How had he come across such
a delectable creature? A woman who stated without apology what she wanted from
life, and offered up her body to him on a silver platter.
“’I wish there was music,’” she called over her shoulder,
laughing her tinkling laugh.
Extending her arms, she swayed to an imaginary tune,
obviously basking in his unblinking stare.
“He took his shirt off…”
