Antique French woman UNDERWEAR lace NIGHTSHIRT linen cotton TYE & DYE c1900

Nightshirts are classic pieces of French trousseau from the late 19th century. Made of cotton or linen, they are usually handmade, hand embroidered with tiny or larger cross stitch monogram. The classic details of the nightshirts are cutouts of ease on sleeves and bottom of the shirt, lace trim, scalloped edges, gathers on sleeves. For the older nightshirts in linen, they have square neckline that close with adjustable ties on the chest. A delight to wear day or night.

Antique linen is a living material, if you treasure it, it will reward you a hundred times. A lot of antique textiles are so robust and wonderfully easy to wash and maintain. The fibres of these exceptional fabrics were grown without any use of chemical, these textiles are organic. No need to use chemicals to wash antique textiles, a good simple natural soap such as the savon de Marseille is fine for every kind of linen. The textiles can be machine washed on warm. The warmer ithey will be washed, the softer and floppier they will turn. Again, no need to use a softener, a dash of white vinegar or a spoon of baking soda are perfect to maintain these wonderful textiles. Dry them on the line if possible, expose them under sun light to brighten the natural white.

The textiles I propose show signs of times, marks that are a moving, precious treasure which attests a bygone era. I will always try to describe them as accuratly as possible, giving many details, measurements and pictures to show the reality of the linen. Estimating the age of a fabric is not scientific but rather archeologic, many signs are useful, such as the stitches, the embroideries, the sewing, the colour, the texture, even the smell of the fabrics can help. Sometimes, the auctionneers or the owners give me precious information about the origin of the trousseau, monograms, name of the ancestors. Experience is also crucial to feel and judge the fiber content, the age, the origin or the use of the textile. I will strive to describe the textiles in the most complete way, using my honest judgement, having spent many years manipulating them.

Please note my textiles come from a smoke free house. When they are freshly laundered, the textiles have been washed with natural organic soap and sun dried on line . I recently started selling my treasures, new items will be on sale very often, so please keep your eyes peeled!

Items are sent carefully wrapped in silk paper. I am happy to ship worldwide and will mail your parcel with tracking within 2 business days after your purchase. I use the french international shipping service with insurance that takes around 5 days to fly to the United States or Japan with zero custom charges. I will send you information just after the parcel has been sent. I politely ask that all items should be paid within 5 days. I'm making every effort to provide you with high quality linens. However, in case of real problem with your purchase , I will refund you once you have returned the goods in their initial condition (your shipping needs to include tracking). Please note that your shipping fees will not be refunded.