Questions About Day Dresses

[LizzieMaine]

Edit: Lizzie, boudoir cap? Is that one of those pointy ones like Mr. Scrooge? I've always wanted one of those. Or is it a satin cap to keep your set un-mussed? When our heat would be minimal or non-existant in winter I'd wear one of those wool hats with the pom-pom - if I ever have to again, I'm calling it a boudoir cap.

A round satin sleep cap, exactly. The same sort worn by all battle-axe housewives as they hit their hubbies over the head with a rolling pin in 1920s comic strips. Not much insulation value, alas, but it does keep the hair tidy and several friends have advised me of its comedy value.

 

[Lady Day]

Okay, Ive been thinking about this, and I think I got it figured out as far as the house coat/house dress thing...

Id call this a house coat (granted its shorter than knee length, but even if it was longer, Id still call it that). Its cotton flannel, and can be a good cover up or even robe.

Id call this a house *dress* because its lighter (made of cotton) and you can go about the house in it, but you would want something more presentable for out and about.

But, they are both from the same pattern.

HA!
So I guess there is no real guide as to what is what, because Im sure some ladies would think of the gray one as being a house coat as well.

LD

 

[Miss Sis]

Just found this. An early 30s pattern.

Seems the House Dress option does right up down the front with a placket, from what I can see and all the suggested fabrics are cotton.

From what I can gather, a House Coat would seem to indicate a more robe-like garment, either to be worn simply over underwear or perhaps to go over something else a bit like an overall or apron and a House dress is just a functional dress for doing your housework. I agree that you wouldn't want to go outside in your House Robe! It is too informal.

My mother always had something she refered to as a House Coat but that was a robe with buttons to wear whilst doing your hair and make-up before you put your 'Going out' dress on. [huh]

 

[Lady Day]

Talk about versatility. Does that pattern say 'suitable for nurses or a house dress'?

LD

 

[Miss Sis]

Yep! Sure does, Lady D.

It was quite by chance I happened to see that. I wouldn't normally be looking for a Nurse's dress pattern!

 

[Lauren]

I actually have an almost identical pattern and it's called a "Morning Dress". It's pretty much what you'd wear tidying up and getting ready in the morning before company would come over, though I think it's quite cute enough to wear outdoors now-a-days.

 

[Lauren]

Here's an excerpt from How to Dress Well, by Margaret Story, from 1924. Although it's probably a bit early for the periods you might be wondering at, a lot of the fundamentals carried over.
It's a pdf file.
Morning Dress

And here's a short excert from Harmony in Dress from 1933 on home dress.
Home Dress

Both of these are in public domain to my knowledge

As far as I understand it, day dresses are dresses for wearing outside the home. There were cotton, wool, etc, but were often in serviceable styles, but not so serviceable that you'd, say, do the dishes in them. I think of them often as "sportswear", though there are more tailored versions as well. They didn't have the fluffyness of, say, a garden party frock, or the tailored sophistication of an afternoon dress (which by the mid to late 1930s starting loosing favor and started being called "street clothes")
I see a lot of people online selling what are really house dresses (or morning dresses) as day dresses.
I think during WWII was the big shift in this- dressing for occasion was just not so practical, and post WWII, to many people's dismay, I think it "stuck" for many Americans.

 

[Lady Day]

Good reading Lauren, thanks.

LD