Underwear! In 1773....
Okay, so, we have the word 'smallclothes'. Which is defined as either
1: small articles of clothing (as underclothing or handkerchiefs)
2: close-fitting knee breeches worn in the 18th century
The sources tell me the 'underclothes' definition is 'obsolete'. When did it become obsolete?
When did it mean outerwear - knee breeches - as opposed to under wear? Or did it mean two different things at the same time?
I have a man in his underwear/clothes wading around in the water. Would he think of them as 'smallclothes'? Or something else? He's the moderately wealthy son of a moderately wealthy Englishman.
Thank you!
1: small articles of clothing (as underclothing or handkerchiefs)
2: close-fitting knee breeches worn in the 18th century
The sources tell me the 'underclothes' definition is 'obsolete'. When did it become obsolete?
When did it mean outerwear - knee breeches - as opposed to under wear? Or did it mean two different things at the same time?
I have a man in his underwear/clothes wading around in the water. Would he think of them as 'smallclothes'? Or something else? He's the moderately wealthy son of a moderately wealthy Englishman.
Thank you!