{"product_id":"storyville","title":"Rare M one piece CENTENARY BRAND HORROCKSES CLOTH 1910-1914 Split Crotch \"corset cover and drawers in one\" or \"combination chemise and drawers.\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is a wonderful example of Edwardian lingerie, and that little woven tag is the key to dating it. Size M this actually fits me with room to spare I'm a 8-10 Excellent condition.SLit crotch so open at the crotch I'll add more images\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSo with the open drawers visible, this piece sits firmly as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1891-1912, most likely 1900-1910\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and it's a more collectible early form than a closed version.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat split is not damage and it's not a later fetish style. Before about 1910-1914 almost all women's drawers were made open like that. They were worn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eunder\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e the corset and garters so you couldn't pull them down to use a chamber pot. The overlap of the wide legs kept it modest under a long skirt.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat the tag means\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe tag reads \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eESTD 1791 CENTENARY BRAND HORROCKSES CLOTH\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e with the little seamstress figure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHorrockses was not the dressmaker, they were the cotton mill that made the cloth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe business was founded by John Horrocks who built his first mill spinning cotton on Dale Street in Preston in 1791. By the late 19th century it had grown to become the biggest manufacturer in the town and was famous for quality cotton sheets and longcloths.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn 1887 the firm merged with Crewdson, Crosses and Co. and to mark its 100th anniversary they created the \"Centenary Brand\" in 1891. So any garment with this label has to be after 1891. The company was originally established by John Horrocks as a textile manufacturer in 1791, and that 1791 date is the company's founding, not the garment's date.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat woven picture of a woman sewing is their trademark for longcloth that was finished to a standard fine enough for underwear and bridal trousseaus. Quality cotton sets from their mills in Preston were often kept unopened as trousseau items.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHorrockses later became famous for something else, they launched a hugely successful fashion line in 1946 that dressed Queen Elizabeth II, but your piece is from the earlier, cotton cloth era.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat the garment is\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat you have is a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCombination Suit\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, also catalogued at the time as \"corset cover and drawers in one\" or \"combination chemise and drawers.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe museum description for this exact type is: Lady's white lawn and lace all-in-one combination undergarment. The handmade underwear is a combined chemise and bloomers. It has four buttons in the front and is trimmed with lace on the neckline.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYours is a textbook example:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e_ \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eForm:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e sleeveless bodice with deep V yoke, button front, fitted with side pin tucks, and knee length knicker legs gathered into eyelet ruffles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e_ \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFabric:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e fine white cotton lawn, which is Horrockses longcloth\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTrim:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Broderie Anglaise eyelet insertion and edging, plus the baby pink silk ribbon run through beading, very typical 1905 to 1912\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDating and historical context\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis style replaced two separate pieces, the chemise and the open drawers, with one.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdwardian women often wore combination underwear instead of a separate chemise and drawers to reduce the bulk at the waist. A 1911 manual put it plainly: \"Combinations combine the slip bodice and drawers type, and are certainly more economical than two separate garments.\"\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThat mattered because the Edwardian silhouette was all about a tiny waist and a smooth, close fitting skirt over an S-bend corset. Two waistbands created lumps. One did not.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBased on the Centenary label and the cut, yours is most likely \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1900 to 1912, with the sweetest spot around 1905 to 1910\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The wide eyelet yoke, the low V with ribbon bow, and the bloused knicker bottoms with frills are peak Edwardian lingerie dress.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese were worn directly next to the skin under the corset, so they were washable workhorses, but also a place for a woman to show needlework skill and femininity where only she would see it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhy collectors love this piece\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eOriginal cloth label intact:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Most lost their tags, and Horrockses woven tags are collectible in themselves\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e2.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eUncut and unaltered:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e with the original buttons, eyelet, and that pink ribbon, The ribbon looks replaced to me\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e3.\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e  \u003c\/span\u003eTransitional history:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e it shows the move from Victorian separate drawers to the modern slip and later the teddy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAll sales final over-seas please ask questions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BoudoirQueen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43700685275225,"sku":null,"price":255.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1922\/9503\/files\/Screenshot2026-07-22at9.42.51AM.png?v=1784738674","url":"https:\/\/boudoirqueen.myshopify.com\/products\/storyville","provider":"BoudoirQueen","version":"1.0","type":"link"}