Author Topic: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.  (Read 44020 times)

Offline geniecolgan

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #252 on: Thursday 29 November 07 05:29 GMT (UK) »
I have read through the posts and if this has been explained before I am sorry I missed it.

What the heck is a liberty bodice ???

dollylee

A Liberty Bodice was an article of girls underwear to which many of us ladies of a certain age were subjected by our caring mother's on the grounds that "it protected the kidneys" ;D

If was intended for girls 9 - 13, invented in 1908 and was in production until 1974.

Mine was fleecy lined cotton with rubber buttons.

Here's an example of an early Liberty Bodice.
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Offline dollylee

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #253 on: Thursday 29 November 07 06:18 GMT (UK) »
Thank you geniecolgan.

It looks so nice warm I am surprised they weren't worn here in Canada....or perhaps they were and I am just too young to remember  ::) ::)

dollylee

Offline trish251

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #254 on: Thursday 29 November 07 10:13 GMT (UK) »
I'm old enough to remember them  :(  :(  but I don't!  I don't think we had them in Australia (or else I had a "progressive" Mum  8)  )

Trish
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Offline Gadget

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #255 on: Thursday 29 November 07 10:16 GMT (UK) »
Would it have been a bit warm for them there, Trish. I had them from about 4 or 5 in the depths of Wales/Shropshire  :(

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Offline JAP

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #256 on: Thursday 29 November 07 10:54 GMT (UK) »
Just think of the great thermal underwear that exists these days.  But, of course, one doesn't need it in everyday life now because all the buildings (schools, homes, etc) are centrally heated!

Trish,  I've heard of liberty bodices and I think that goes back to my childhood in Victoria, Australia but no idea why (perhaps the girls in old-fashioned books that I used to read wore them?).  I certainly have never seen one and didn't know about the rubber buttons (rubber buttons!!!  wow!!!).  I suspect that, if they were ever on sale in Australia, it would have been too far back for even the oldest of us RootsChatters to remember ...

I do remember that we did wear singlets - and I remember my mother sewing a camphor block into the front of my singlet to protect against colds!  There was also something worse with the same aim - a ghastly orange proprietary product called (as I recall) Thermogene which was also worn on the chest.

And they call them the good old days!

JAP

Offline LizzieW

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #257 on: Thursday 29 November 07 12:10 GMT (UK) »
Quote
I suspect that, if they were ever on sale in Australia, it would have been too far back for even the oldest of us RootsChatters to remember ...

I know Australia is a young country, but not that young.  :D :D

I had to wear a liberty bodice, but never did find out what the spare buttons were for that were attached near our waists.

Lizzie


Offline LizzieW

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #258 on: Thursday 29 November 07 12:14 GMT (UK) »
For the young ones amongst you, we wore Liberty bodices over our woolly vests, then we put on our Vyella shirts, then woollen jumpers.  Oddly, I remember that even so, I was always cold, especially inside and used to pull up my chair right in front of the fire to sit and read Famous Five books.  My gran used to call me a "Lancashire Firewarmer", whatever that was.  ???

Lizzie

Offline JAP

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #259 on: Thursday 29 November 07 12:31 GMT (UK) »
Lizzie, You misunderstand me  :)   All I meant was that liberty bodices might have been around in Australia at some stage - perhaps ca 1900? - but that there probably aren't too many current RootsChatters who were around in Australia back then (despite some of the record-breaking ages on profiles!)  :D

The rubber(!) buttons (apart from those down the front) were - I gather from Googling - for attaching other undergarments or even stockings!  And apparently even little boys wore liberty bodices!

The mind boggles at the whole concept  :)

JAP
PS: Famous Five - oh, surely not  ;D

Offline LizzieW

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Re: The past is a different country. They do things differently there.
« Reply #260 on: Thursday 29 November 07 12:59 GMT (UK) »
I guess liberty bodices were a peculiarly British thing.

Quote
And apparently even little boys wore liberty bodices!

My brother didn't (and he was only 18 months younger than me) it wasn't considered a boy's garment in our house.  I don't know what he wore, maybe an extra vest or something.

What's wrong with the Famous Five ???  When I was young (violins playing), that is what I got for birthday and Christmas presents - and my birthday follows shortly after Christmas.   At least I could read which is more than can be said for today's children. :D :D

Lizzie