Drapes and rugs were cleaned and removed from the home every May for “spring cleaning”, something many of us still do. Light lace or sheers were hung for privacy in the windows and woven natural fiber mats were used as light floor coverings. In fancier rooms, hand painted canvas mats were laid down. Muslin or canvas was used to “slipcover” fine furnishings to protect from soiling and to create cooler aesthetic in the most heavy and darkly decorated rooms. Lace tablecloths replaces heavy embroidered silks and bedding was changed out to sheer cotton, boucle coverlets and net lace overlay.
The summer wardrobe for the ladies would still include a corset and several layers, though very light cotton was used for each layer. During the daytime, cotton, lace, and linen dresses would be appropriate. Evening silks were worn for special events and entertaining. Hats, umbrellas, and fans were the traditional summer accessories. Gentlemen would layer lightly with a cotton shirt and bowties, light summer weight wool replaced heavier wools in suiting. Near the turn of the century, linen and seersucker suiting came into fashion. While seersucker suiting had always been known as a “poor man’s suit”, the Southern gentleman embraced the light fabric for it’s ability to wick moisture away from the body and to cool by trapping air in the “puckered” hand of the garment. The straw skimmer hat replaced the silken or wool derby as a “summer must” for gentlemen. Summer swim wear was, on the other hand, stuffy and very modest. Gentlemen wore “one piece” swimsuits constructed of a tank top and shorts sewn together. Some suits may have been made in two pieces with a belt. Ladies were covered from head to toe including stockings and gloves! These suits were usually linen, but covered most of the body.
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