It's not a leap to assume that the lower classes couldn't afford the yardage to do proper regular pleats, box pleats or cartridge pleats, and therefore did indeed gather out of necessity. For example, if one only had enough yardage to make a skirt that was 5 inches wider than the hip
Methinks one would be poor indeed to afford only half a skirt from the used garment seller. <g>
Don't forget that _new_ fabric was usually a middle class or better market and there was a thriving trade in used stuffs.
-Kate _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
