Sexy Chemise
The chemise, also called a smock or
shift, is a simple garment worn next to the skin to protect clothing
from sweat and body oils. Chemise is the French term. Italians called it
a "camicia". The English called the same shirt a "smock" and the Irish
called it a "léine" (pronounced LAY-nya).
The chemise seems to have been developed
from the Roman tunica and first became popular in the European Middle
Ages. Women wore shifts or chemises underneath their gowns or robes; men
wore chemises with their trousers or braies, and covered the chemises
with garments such as doublets, robes, etc. In those times, it was
usually the only piece of clothing that was washed regularly.
In Western countries, women's shifts did not fall out of fashion until
the early 20th century, when they were generally replaced by brassieres,
panties, girdles, and slips.
Men's chemises may be said to still survive, as the common shirt.
However, the shirt is now an outer garment, and is often protected from
skin oil and perspiration by an undershirt or T-shirt worn next to the
skin. The chemise also morphed into the smock-frock, a garment worn by
English laborers until the early 20th century. Its loose cut and wide
sleeves were well adapted to heavy labor |
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