It is getting way too hot-and pregnancy just makes it worse. I've been doing various things to keep cool-worshipping my AC units, getting used to the sound of a fan at night, and trying to wear cooler clothing.
Of course, whenever I think of the heat I always wonder how people kept cool in the past. I'm not really talking about the lack of AC. I've lived without AC before-in Florida of all places. I know all about that. I'm really referring to the clothing people wore in the past. Women especially wore several layers of clothing-the chemise, stays, and petticoats (or panniers/hoops for more formal occasions-see Felicity's colonial undergarments). Women truly labored under heavy materials.
Eventually though there came a call for lighter, more relaxed clothing styles-Felicity's simple white gown tied with a ribbon and paired with a straw hat evokes this movement. That is what I wanted to discuss today, along with one of the women who made these styles very popular. Arguably, she had the greatest impact on Western fashion during this time.
