[MR] Atlantia Digest, Vol 114, Issue 17

[Charlotte Johnson]

> When you get right down to it this shouldn't really come as that much of
a surprise.? Without going into too much information there are certain
times in a woman's life when she needs to keep something between certain
parts of her anatomy and any good fabrics she might be wearing or resting
upon.?
>

No need for us to be coy! It's a very valid question.

Likely there was *some* solution. It might have been like this, but it
might not have, and we're just not certain. The finds look exactly like
men's undies of the time and place. It's possible that at this time period
women adopted something just like men's underwear, but 100 years earlier
men's skivvies were much looser and wouldn't do much good. It's also
possible that women had some other solution, belts of some sort, etc.

It's possible, certainly, that these belonged to a woman. But it *is* a
leap.

>As for the bras, well gravity and its effects haven't changed much in the
years since those items were designed, and as certain?parts of the
anatomy?tend to start out perky and droop as age takes over a lady of any
time wishing to maintain a more youthful appearance is going to want to
give things a bit of help.? After all, it was done in Rome...?
> ?

I'm most excited about the "bra" finds. Many people who reenact 14th and
15th centuries use fitted gowns to achieve the look, and earlier might use
breast wrapping, for which we have some documentary evidence. However,
there are some images which don't fit the silhouette proved by the fitted
gowns (and many which do), so it seems like this adds significantly to
current practices.

Cheers,
Mathilde