Habit ‘Shirt’
Here is the Victorian version of a chemisette, the habit shirt. This was worn with dresses which have a lower neckline, or a partially open front as seen in the last half of the 19th century. And something with this name would have been worn even earlier, although with the early riding habits a full shirt with sleeves was pobably more common, depending on the style of the habit.
This one is made from Verona lawn, a cotton fabric so fine it feels like silk. The buttons are pearl finish, and lace edges the collar. The lace matches that on the removable undersleeves which I wear with my 1860 tartan taffeta dress.
