As recently as a century ago, middle-class people in wealthy countries tended to have only two sets of clothes, Sabbath and everyday. Collars, aprons, cuffs, and the like were the items that were laundered. Sheets, stockings, and undergarments, too, I imagine. Laundry was hard to do, even with those new-fangled wringers, so folks avoided it.
But they did wash them, and did so even when you had to take the clothes down to the creek and beat them on stones (seen it). (If I had to guess I'd suspect that the first fabrics were for storage/carrying.)
As recently as a century ago, middle-class people in wealthy countries tended to have only two sets of clothes, Sabbath and everyday. Collars, aprons, cuffs, and the like were the items that were laundered. Sheets, stockings, and undergarments, too, I imagine. Laundry was hard to do, even with those new-fangled wringers, so folks avoided it.
ReplyDeleteBut they did wash them, and did so even when you had to take the clothes down to the creek and beat them on stones (seen it). (If I had to guess I'd suspect that the first fabrics were for storage/carrying.)
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