Сhemise, Shift and Smock

The chemise (also called a shift or smock) was one of the main garments worn in Europe from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century. A chemise was the basic item of underwear for both men and women.

When we look at depictions of people in Western art after Antiquity, we often see people wearing chemises, although they are usually hidden from view. Sometimes the edge of a sleeve, the hem, or the neckline is visible; sometimes nothing can be seen, but the chemise is still there. Most garments were worn over the chemise. A common mistake in films is showing a corset worn directly on the naked body, whereas historically it was usually worn over a chemise.

There were different types of chemises: everyday, night, festive, or wedding chemises. Depending on a person’s wealth, the same chemise might be used for several purposes. Chemises were usually not sewn by tailors but by seamstresses (de. Weißnäherin) or by women within the household (wives or mothers). Girls often sewed chemises for themselves as part of their dowry.

Chemises developed from earlier tunic-like garments. Their cut varied depending on period, region, and social class, but a common feature was a simple T-shaped construction. Chemises were usually made from linen and later also from fine cotton. They could be decorated with embroidery, lace, or decorative stitching. The color was usually white or off-white.

Until about the 12th century, men’s and women’s shifts were quite similar, but later men’s shifts gradually became shorter. The modern men’s shirt developed from the medieval shirt or shift. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the range of women’s underwear expanded and new garments such as combinations, brassieres, and slips appeared.

The chemise is also an important part of many traditional costumes. For example, among Slavic peoples, smocks were often decorated with embroidery that had symbolic or protective meanings.