How did Victorian women go to toilet? A remake!

[@hazeluzzell]

1940’s UK. Working class. Newspaper torn into squares. I know, it was my job to tear it up.. We had an ‘outhouse’ toilet in the back yard, so at night, we children had a chamber pot under the bed. I remember my ‘all in one’ pyjamas had a buttoned square panel at the back. When I was 10 we went to Australia, so still an outhouse,, or dunny (sp) . I was 14 before i had access to an indoor bathroom/toilet. In the interests of transparency, I am now. 80.

[@katherinemorelle7115]

I know that you can still see outhouses (dunnies) on the properties of older houses here in Australia, especially in the country. The idea of them terrified me as a child- snakes and spiders LOVE a dunny! And we also call the indoor toilets dunnies too, even though it originally referred to outhouses. But those wooden outhouses would be filled with spiders (red backs love hanging about in wood), and the song about finding a red back on the dunny seat is no joke! Same with the snakes- it’s a lovely safe place for them to curl up, so one would have to be very careful indeed! No thank you! I’m very glad we have indoor plumbing these days!

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

@@katherinemorelle7115 .... ‘til the day a green frog slaps you on the backside! Yes, that did happen with my indoor toilet...

[@suekennedy1595]

I am 57 and we only had an outhouse until I was 12

[@annak1371]

I had a similar experience living in Maine in the 1970. I'm 49 now.

[@Moon-xi8co]

God bless you sir in this difficult time of covid-19 🙏

[@07Sethy]

I didn't even read the title, I just clicked because the ensemble is *chef's kiss*

[@KestralSabre]

It really is! So gorgeous

[@christinamarchal8713]

Saaame 😂

[@lvl76darkelf]

Yeeesss seriusly

[@stannieholt8766]

Very aesthetic, with those rich jewel tones and quasi-medieval design. I wonder if it’s a tea gown.

[@skirtedgalleons]

"Picking flowers" will be my new euphemism for peeing. Thanks for this. These details of living are so interesting. I feel like getting into the nitty gritty of how exactly people functioned makes history come alive.

[@galgulator]

Funny as it may seem, there was (is still?) an euphemism for peeing outdoor in XIX century Poland "Picking mushrooms" LOL

[@bluegrassgal7856]

@@galgulator giggle.

[@tiffinyboulet8694]

Talking about reusing old clothes reminds me of my great-grandma. She would remake an old dress into a shirt/dress for one of the children or great-grandpa. Then when it was too used for that, it would be taken apart and made into a tea cozy, hot pads, pieces for a quilt, rag rugs... And she kept the buttons/zippers/hook & eyes. I have her 'button box's. I've found many treasures there!

[@OofusTwillip]

I have a sewing book from WWII, that includes instructions for turning a man's trouser suit into a woman's skirt suit. This was a very useful skill when clothing and fabric were rationed, and the men of the household were away at war, leaving closets full of suits behind.

[@Hevynly1]

That tea gown is absolutely gorgeous!! I couldn't stop looking at it! Beautifully made!

[@dorothywillis1]

As someone who lived through the crinoline fashion of the 1950s I have personal experience with managing lots of skirts. Although our skirts were not as long, coming to about shin-length, there were plenty of petticoats. (At one time I wore seven! My excuse is I was in 7th grade at the time and kids are like that.) I developed a technique for keeping my skirts clean and out of the way that worked very well. I would take hold of the innermost skirt on either side, using both hands, and use it to form a sort of bag to contain the back portion of the outer petticoats and skirts. This kept the fabric out of the way and clean. When I was ready to wipe I would hold both ends with my left hand, leaving my right hand free. If I were using a public restroom I wouldn't drop the skirts back in place completely until I was out of the stall. It's difficult to describe, but it worked well. I have shown the technique to several bridesmaids at weddings and it worked for them.

[@user-qv4ni9hd8m]

Thank you so much for sharing this! So very interesting! You were a very smart young girl! ❤

[@dorothywillis1]

@@user-qv4ni9hd8m Thank you for your kind words!

[@bluegrassgal7856]

@@user-qv4ni9hd8m I'm reading this now..from many * I shared also. We survived..n we share. Feel sad for "am I a girl or boy"? era today.

[@sandranevins2144]

Dear Isabella, thanks for the up date. Living with my grandmother taught me a lot. When ladies had their menses those "rags' were discretely hung on the clothes line. The ' out door privey ' had a bucket of ashes by the door. After you did your business, you put a large scoop down the hole. It helped somewhat with odors.

[@tashikamala6917]

In case anyone is interested in what the german Ad says at 05:55 (the one from the 1880s, that is edited into the corner): New Odorless Closets with automatic scattering device, Germanys R-Pat. Nr 19428. Instant selfdesinfection of the excrements after each sitting, exactly measured and therefore not useless wasted sprinkling powder. The sprinkling appliance is in the Closetbox (not like in other closets, and those of older construction, in the lid), which prevents the contamination of the closetseat. Easy transportable, comfortable emptying. In the Bedroom, especially infront of sick beds, without disturbance. Lightpolished 30M*, with armrest 36M* [it then says "Price-Courant Franco" which I don't know what that is supposed to mean] Louis Hirschberg, Jägerstr 22, Berlin. *Mark, the German currency from 1871 ro 1923

[@tashikamala6917]

Update: I found out that the "Preis-Courant Franco" basically means that transportation (aka shipping) is free.

[@DawnOldham]

Thank you! I was wondering!

[@im_an_oyster]

If anyone is interested, Abby Cox here on youtube has done a whole video about how women of the past dealt with periods and she actually tried one of the methods while on her period.

[@lindacunningham5480]

I really enjoyed that episode. I was taken back by some of the menstrual option they had

[@shiwangi__7087]

Link please

[@AnniCarlsson]

@@shiwangi__7087 sertch abby cow 18th century and it should pop up

[@sho_wil236]

@@shiwangi__7087 kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4eVhZqtn8-bhac

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

This might be how the tradition of female relatives going to the bathroom together, they needed to help each other with buttons, holding things up and out of the way.

[@tessat338]

Accounts of the Lizzie Borden murder trial provide rare contemporary reports of Victorian-era waste and hygiene practices. On August 4, 1892, in Fall River Massachusetts, USA , wealthy but unpopular banker Andrew Borden and his second wife, Abby Borden were found violently ax-murdered in separate rooms of the house, Andrew in the front parlor and Abby in the upstairs guest room. Andrew had been struck 10 or 11 times and Abby was struck by 17 blows! Andrew's 32 year-old daughter, Lizzie Borden was accused of the crime. Despite Andrew's wealth, the house did not have indoor plumbing. Police stationed around the house the night after the murders reported that Lizzie made two trips to the basement, once taking down a "slop pail". It also came out at trial that Lizzie was menstruating at the time of the murders, which gave her an excuse for having bloody rags in the slop pail in the basement. Lizzie burned a relatively new dress in the kitchen stove a few days after the murders. She claimed it was because she has brushed it against fresh paint earlier that summer. Despite her documented dislike of her step-mother, family tension about Andrew's disposition of property, a good deal of suspicious behavior on Lizzie's part and a lack of other suspects who had access to the locked house at the time of the murders, she was acquitted by the all-male jury. It is thought that they couldn't believe that a genteel, church-going lady was capable of such violent murders. Lizzie never confessed, and also had very good lawyers and the police investigating the crime did not build an air-tight case, allowing room for reasonable doubt. It could also be that the jury didn't want to inquire too closely about the icky details of Lizzie's menstrual period hygiene.

[@LucianCorrvinus]

Can't raise them from the dead and retry them .if there was reasonable doubt, their was. And circumstantial evidence takes a backseat to evidence of other. kinds. So the best one can do is offer up the two or more possible theories objectively. Oh you can have an opinion ..but being so far removed the time period and its context it's all supposition ..

[@roxannhawley3583]

WOW, thank you! Fascinating facts about how cultural moraes can influence justice!

[@muneerakhair]

I was raised as a Mennonite, which is a shake and a shiver away from being Amish. A great deal was not talked about until you were "aged" enough, usually around 12 or 13 as a very underage girl. We used a rag, literally made for menses which was dark, soft, and hooked easily on a belt that went around the legs kind of like a harness that held the rag in place. Since a woman was considered to be unclean during menses, I wore dark clothes and an apron that was longer and covered the back too usually black in color. When menstruating, women washed their own rags in a pot kept just for boiling water to soak the rag and the harness and both were kept in the ladies room to dry overnight in the summer and be placed on the ember bedwarmer in winter. Young girls had to keep a pair of harnesses one dry and one wet, and often change them during the day and if possible often into the night. A thick pad like brushed wool that was soft was what kept a girl from staining the bed and it was always black. Cleaning them required a lye mixture that is also the way all soaps were made to wash it to prevent stench. Also a pot that looked like a flower watering pot was in the outhouse and filled by the last person in there or kept by the door in cold icy months. Very interesting that there was split drawers as I was only introduced to the ones that just let your bum not covered requiring a proper sitting on a usually godawful cold ring of metal that protected you from falling into the latrine as that had happened to a boy I knew and he was so ashamed that no one talked about it after it happened. Thank you for your answers to questions we ask about the uncomfortable topic...in more ways than one...of doing one's toilet.

[@bluegrassgal7856]

Thank you so much for sharing..I always wondered.."stuff.". I tried to copy to share with my granddaughter...but I couldn't. Probably a disguised blessing? I was in store recently in "that " isle...I was looking for shampoo...oh my word all the "New n improved " ..things. GURL...WE WERE LUCKY! kind of, sorta'...my mom told me nothing. I ..um..a lady..much later than friends. Heard lots of scary stuff. Came home from school & mom put some sort of strap with a hook on it & a pad. Gulp. Earlier I had seen a "thing" drying on shower rod. Oh..that must be "it". I tried it on. Weird...had a pouch on it. Like a kangaroo. Lol...now that I think back...wha tha..that thing don't look right. Then when in hi school..put on that thing. Pulled it up way high. Sitting in choir..shifting left to right..darn hook hurt!!! We survived by God's grace! Glad I'm old. At least we knew we were & are females! I weep for many confused ladies. Thank you again for sharing.

[@bluegrassgal7856]

Oh a question...do you vote? I'm guessing no. Just curious.

[@muneerakhair]

@@bluegrassgal7856 I did both vote and register for the draft at the post office on my 21st birthday when I was completely out.

[@artheaded1]

Short of traveling back in time to try this ourselves first hand, I don't think we can ask for a more thorough demonstration than you've given here.Thank you!

[@My_mid-victorian_crisis]

Abby Cox has a great video on historical periods and research in the 18th century.

[@bonniehyden962]

My Grandparents had a small cotton farm with orchards on the side, here in East Texas. I knew my Great Grandmother who was born in 1888. She told me that when the ladies were out in the fields they would slip off into the woods at the edges of the field, spread their legs apart, grab their skirts to pull them slightly frontwards and backwards, ...and do their #1. My mother tells of trying to do this as a little girl...and >never< being successful: always wetting her dress...and getting a spanking. Yes, I admit to trying the same. While I never told anyone what I tried...I would have been spanked, too. LOL There is definitely a skill that goes with this mode of tending to "personal needs" without the advantage of a chamber pot.

[@bluegrassgal7856]

Just read...I never experienced the dress...my shoe! Dang it!

[@bonniehyden962]

@@bluegrassgal7856 RIGHT?! 😂

[@Magdalenasfears]

Probably TMI, but I basically use a chamber pot (a large plastic jar with a screw on lid) in my semi truck. Only for liquids. I then smuggle it into the truck stop and dump it down the toilet, or find a sewer grate. I also wear bustle skirts and corsets while driving my truck, and have no issue with using my "chamber pot" lol. I have plenty of hand sanitizer and clean the jar with Lysol daily. *If your wondering why I don't just use truck stop bathrooms, it's because there are a lot less places to stop then you think, it takes a minute to park then forever to walk in (if you can find a spot) and if I'm out west in the US I might be parked out in the desert somewhere.

[@ladycerebellum]

For 18th century period management, check out Abby Cox's video! She even tests out using an apron herself. Also women would have had less periods than now with the age of getting your first period probably more like 15-16 back then vs around 12 now, no birth control leading to more pregnancies and time spent breastfeeding, and probably earlier menopause (unsure of the data there)

[@mandalynn1384]

The late age of menarche (average of 15) that occurred during the industrial revolution was largely caused by malnutrition. Today's average age of 12 is actually more normal for humans, as it was the normal prior to the industrial revolution and in cultures other than those of Europe and the US

[@gwendolynbien-aime1536]

As an American, there’s nothing quite like hearing a proper Englishwoman scolding, “You weirdos!!”....properly been schooled😝😝😝😝

[@artheaded1]

Purple Victorian gowns are all the rage this week. A beautiful tea gown here, a skirt with matching day and evening bodices on Abby Cox's channel.

[@kellybryson7754]

This kind of history is always so much more interesting than wars

[@knittingnana2939]

I remember even back in the 1960s we had pads with belts we wore around our waists. The sticky pads that stuck directly to your underwear didnt come around until the 1970s.

[@hazeluzzell]

I remember those, too!

[@oxanatarashchuk4598]

Interesting, I didn't know about that

[@Nedra007]

And after the belt, we had pants with loops in front and behind the crops and the pads had extensions to tie or knot it to the Loops. Did not work very well especially at night. In Germany for a long time one could only buy pads named „Camelia“ at a drugstore, where the package was wrapped in white neutral paper. So nobody could imagine what you bought. 😊 Until the late 70ies the use of tampons was not recommended to girls. Then there was only found Tampax with a paper applicator which I found hygienic. Nowadays in Germany most found Brand is o.b. (it means Ohne Binde) without applicator what I regret.

[@lindacunningham5480]

Im only fifty one but i started my perion in 5th grade. One monrh i started while at school. The nurse gave me a pad and i had no ideah how to use it because i had the self stick kind. I had opened box and out came SAFETY PINS. The pad had long strips at front and back. After a few minute i figured out that i was supposed to pin it in place. That was 1981!

[@lenayanse]

The sticky pads didn't come until the 2000 in my home country (Eastern Europe), can you ever imagine that? I was 13 and I was pretty worried about those horrible pads with belts but thanks for the progress I was fortunate to avoid them.

[@sayjay198080]

I almost choked to death on my lunch laughing when you called us weirdos. I should know better than to be eating when I start watching with your added commentary. I can't wait to see what we find for you to explain from a historical perspective next. The list of weird subjects (child birth, doctors/medicine for women, even dare I suggest murderous women) you might cover will definitely keep us coming back. Come to think of it I would like to hear more about murderous women while you're making a mourning gown. Maybe next Halloween please?

[@laurag4465]

Back in the 1960s, when I was a little girl, I remember finding my mother's sanitary belt that got into my drawer by accident and she had to explain to me. But by the early 1970s, they had underpants than had a little elastic fore and aft to hold the pad in place. (Crikey, I feel old.) When the self adhesive ones came, it was a revelation!

[@roses8631]

Lol, I remember that! I had no clue what it was when I found it.

[@nancypine9952]

My mother was born in 1916, and when I asked her how she coped with periods, she said they used rags that were later boiled. In the kitchen, since that was the only place where they had a stove.

[@cellgrrl]

My grandmother born in the late 1890's pretty much said the same, they used old rags, that were reused. She didn't sound very happy about it either.

[@becgould3772]

Its why in some places its called being on your rags.

[@rurone]

Possibly TMI but here we go: I was so grateful to have watched your old video when visiting a friend of mine a few years ago. I slept in her very young son's bedroom on the trundle bed. Said son was at the stage where he was frequently sneaking out of his bed at night to bother his parents, who had resorted to locking him in at night (no judgement -- parenting is super demanding and you make the choices that make sense for you). I awoke in the middle of the night in desperate need of the bathroom -- only to remember that the door was locked. I had left my phone charging in the living room, my hosts were asleep, and I couldn't call for help without waking the whole house. Then I saw it -- the potty! The boy in question was also being potty trained, and while I couldn't fit on the seat (it being designed for a very young child) I knew how to use a chamber pot thanks to your video. I went back to bed relieved, and we all had a good laugh about it in the morning.

[@india1422]

I am so grateful for indoor toilets. We have four in my house. At 3.00 am with a storm raging I’m so glad it’s not a dash to the outhouse or freezing in my bedroom as I hover over a chamber pot

[@feidhlim530]

And surprisingly public toilets are a great renovation too. Even though they can be filthy, when you gotta go you gotta go 😅 and that's what the LADIES room is for

[@arvettadelashmit9337]

We used old catalog pages for toilet paper (which we softened in our hands while seated over the hole) in the out-house. Newspaper was used for toilet paper when we had to use the chamber pot inside the house late at night or when we were to sick to go to the out-house. For pads Mom and I used folded rags that we safty pinned into our underpants (when we could not buy Kotex pads that were held in place by a belt). Our soiled Rags and pads were burned to hide the fact that we were "on the rag."

[@zebraskin]

My aunt (first to hit puberty) was taught by my grandma to used old bed sheets torn up and made into a makeshift belt, luckily within her first couple years she got a real deal belt and told my mom about that. They also grew up with an outhouse and my mom hated going out in the dark or when cold so she kept a Mason jar under her bed.

[@BethVictorsson]

I'll never see old pictures of women "picking flowers" the same way again....hehe

[@elizabethsepic8031]

omg I laughed way too hard at that part😂😂😂

[@jfhbfthb5737]

Me too.. 😅😅😅

[@AnniCarlsson]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@alaeniasharpe8881]

It's very akin to what brides do now - just pull everything up by the undermost layer and wrap it around to your front to hold it out of the way - whether by hand or by the cages that were in fashion.

[@SchlichteToven]

When my friend got married her bridesmaids had to go with her to the bathroom to help hold her clothes out of the way. You know something's unpractical when you need help to urinate.

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

thanks for clarifying everything! I never tried a chamber pot but my wedding dress had a hoop skirt under it instead of the more common crinoline, and it was not as difficult to toilet as I'd thought it might be, I just grabbed all the hoops and held them up! My current problem is wearing historical garb and trying to use portapotties at outdoor events without brushing up against icky things left by people with bad aim... and right now when I wear long full skirts or dresses, I just bunch them up and toss the resulting fabric over my shoulder to keep everything out of the way... Full plate armour however... let's just say I time how much water I drink with when I can get out of it again. There is no halfway with my suit.

[@feidhlim530]

You could just wear nappies/diapers to be discreet about "doing your business". They'd be nice and hidden from sight and so practical

[@Fanny-pf7oz]

Yeah that combination with the flap... I don't think I would have liked it if I were a victorian lady. I'd probably have chosen the split drawers or a combination with split drawers. They seem so much more convenient. I'm sure ladies did choose their underpinnings according to preferences then as they do now. The tea gown tho... It's stunning! Their sort of lounge wear at home sure looked nice. These days it's a hoodie and fabric pants or trousers.

[@sycamorevalley8580]

They were split in the front for #1

[@jenniferold-dentremont6698]

It was the comment about pretending to be picking flowers that did me in.

[@e.kupfer8631]

The tea gown is gorgeous. Lovely colors!

[@AnidHarker]

Izabela from Prior Attire: known nemesis of buttons of any kind

[@christianaweber6349]

And you did the video with a straight face.

[@ThisChaoticKnight]

As always, a really informative video. I love that I often learn something new when watcing

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

I’ve heard that there were references to ‘period items’ in Elizabeth I’s wardrobe accounts- ‘vallopes’, or ‘wallops’ (linen envelopes packed with absorbent materials; wool waste, rags, moss- whathaveyou) & some buckled belt-like arrangement...

[@screeningmimi]

Good job you showed an actual chamber pot, so that antique collectors know they aren't buying a charming kitchen pot of some sort, or at least know the origins of the pot they intend to plant pansies in and display on the dining table. My sister once purchased some gorgeous silver handles in the U.K. and promptly 'donated' them in a flash when she learned they were coffin handles.

[@TheMurlocKeeper]

Lol! That's hilarious! I personally would have still used them though. :P And yeah...wouldn't it be awkward if someone bought an antique chamber pot and mistook it for a big soup tureen? :P

[@screeningmimi]

@@TheMurlocKeeper OMG! The soup tureen could be the talk of the dinner party - where no one ate a thing. ;- ) My sister was extremely superstitious, hence the reluctance to use the handles. It was funny though.

[@daphnechristensengreenlee4593]

My family used "family cloth" for years. Nicer, "cleaner" feeling than dry paper. Also, sea sponges for tampons...also very pleasant! (Sanitize with a bit of H2O2 in water overnight- or vinegar) The old ways are not gone. Just not discussed. During that whole TP madness recently, i had to roll my eyes....just a little bit.

[@1One2Three5Eight13]

Thank you for suggesting H2O2. I recently had to switch away from menstrual cups, and I've been boiling them now that I can't sun sanitize.

[@button4631]

Watching this and seeing how the layers worked, it makes me laugh at the cluelessness of most historical romance writers and how they would approach access and undressing

[@lady_sir_knight3713]

You could hide a whole man under a crinoline.

[@HosCreates]

@@lady_sir_knight3713 no kidding!

[@AudoricArt]

This dress is BY FAR the most beautiful I've seem you wear! Those sleeves are 🔥🔥🔥

[@laurag4465]

That dressing gown! Those sleeves! The rustling! Fabulous! Like music to my ears... 🎶🎼🎶 Oh. What? This was about going to the toilet? I had to rewind and really concentrate. Bravissima!

[@DawnOldham]

Your tea gown is a work of art!

[@whidbyfamilyvlogs6516]

I love how you can tell who didn't watch the entire video. 😂 So many questions being asked that were addressed at the end

[@themedia1271]

My great aunt was born in 1928. According to her mother and grandmothers it varied from person to person when it came to periods. Some girls used old rags while others used fancy contraptions like pantie holders. They also cleaned their teeth by twiddling down tooth picks and just scraping the residue off their teeth.

[@hazeluzzell]

Soot and salt, my mother told me she used.

[@garlicgirl3149]

I just love this channel. Myom said the same. They used old rags and a jar that was dedicated just for them to soak in a line and water solution or bleach. That part can't remember too well. But soaked none the less. For bathroom they used old rags and leaves and this was the 40s and 50s. I used the sanitary belt. 😝

[@TheGPFilmMaker]

Your channel is such a delight! It was my first introduction to historical costuming as a grown-up and I absolutely love it!

[@RoseBee]

Very interesting video! Funny to see how some things seem to go 'full circle', like cloth pads and sponge tampons being all the hype again... Let's see if split drawers are next year's fashion!

[@bridgetthewench]

After making a pair of split drawers, I wore them as my underwear for a day under a long sundress. I'm quite tempted to make versions with shorter legs to go with my shorter skirts and dresses, because they're quite comfy and convenient! Way more comfortable than any modern underwear I've tried, and I have tried a lot of different styles!

[@Tinuviel788]

Hoping with all my heart you'll do a video about dressing up in this fantastic tea gown. It suits you so much and the photos are stunning...

[@beverlyphillips8572]

Somehow, you managed to do this video...and very professionally I might add, while maintaining your sweet and demure demeanor. I enjoyed it very much!

[@Amy_omer]

Loool I'm Somali who live in the other side of world watching this video about how Victorian ladies were using the toilet 🚽😂😂 but I feel sad for them it must have been difficult for them specially if you have your period 😩😭 I thanks God everyday that I was born in this modern era 🙏🙏

[@karolendvay7561]

My dad fled Hungary in '56 but after I was born and my dad was pardoned I spent my summers with my grandparents and I still remember that we had to use cotton, not the cottonballs btw, when I had my period and use newspaper when going to the toilet. And that was in the late 70s, early 80s...😁🇭🇺❤️🇳🇱

[@susannem3526]

The tea gown is lovely!

[@visasv.429]

The library background 👌👌 10/10

[@Ladypuppy510]

Abby Cox has a vlog on mensuration. She even used a method one period.

[@button4631]

Many of the older ways of handling it are in use again, sea sponge tampons are still in use, I prefer them actually

[@JaneEMcLernon]

Victoria's Secret has *nothing* on late Victorian underthings! I had to use a sanitary belt (elastic) until after 1979 when we could finally get 'stick-on' pads.

[@rhondacrosswhite8048]

I remember the old sanitary pads with the belt. I recall being shocked at the first Modess commercial I ever saw on television. Such immodesty! Such natural bodily functions were NOT talked about.

[@TwilightRosez89]

Watching this, all I can think about is how lovely the sleeves on that first outfit are!

[@wacojones8062]

Women volunteers in Europe during WW I picked up early sterile combat bandages for sanitary use. Also, I have read a book by a lady widowed during the Mexican American war April 25, 1846 - February 2, 1848 who wrote about sitting for around 4 hours each day stitching new dresses together using new commercial patterns were starting to be sold during that period. 2 dresses per year was the average production rate. Plus, all the needed under garments which she did not write about.

[@TheMetatronGirl]

Thank you for indulging our morbid curiosity once again. Be well...love, light, and blessings to you and yours.

[@piewhackit2me]

My mother once found an antique commode potty chamber a beautiful carved wood chair on side of the road in the 60s .She bought it home and turned a regular chair.Had it for years.She put a upholstered embroidered cushion solid wood seat on it

[@The_hectic_hobbyist]

Thank you for making this video. I am planning to endeavour into making combinations and was quite stressed about going number 2 in them . All of the videos that I have watched don't address it and I had never before seen the "butt flap" . This has relieved my anxiety and explained the process.

[@DaejahSally]

I was having the same problem! I was worried about how I could efficiently and comfortably go to the bathroom in combinations. I know butt flaps exist, I had no idea they used them on combinations

[@grannypatches]

That tea gown you're wearing looks so warm and cozy for this time of year. In the days when there was only drafty rooms with no central heat the many layers of clothing were great body insulation. Thank you for sharing.

[@happybusinessmama7074]

"It was a bloody revolution, literally"👏👏👏 she's so smart and she's quite funny too ❤️

[@aliencat11]

The tea dress is gorgeous! And I'm grateful for indoor plumbing. Thank you for your videos and stay well.

[@adriennebradywalker680]

Anyone who has used the privy at a renaissance festival, in full outer garb, but modern undergarments, can relate to this experience, 🤣😂.

[@charitysheppard4549]

We need to all chip in and get Isabella a magic wand for buttons! 😂😂 As a history fan, I love your videos, as it brings the everyday costumes to life. As an American, your lovely RP accent is so charming!

[@xxxxxx-hx3vp]

What about wiping after 'number two' with that huge thing at the back? Geez...Being me, I'd undress completely to avoid getting messy😂

[@reallyseriously7020]

Ladies who could afford to dress this way had servants to dress them and take care of personal needs.

[@lizcademy4809]

Did you see how the whole set of lower body garments folded up in the back? All you had to do was raise them far enough, which is easy. I don't wear historic dress, but I do wear a lot of modern skirts and dresses, including long full ones. I don't remove them ... just lift them up, lower my knickers, an everything is good to go.

[@boo9236]

lol they were never clean at first ​@@reallyseriously7020

[@nikkia9506]

Gorgeous outfit. I tend to wear mostly cotton, so it's easy to forget just how noisy fabrics can be. This was a beautifully stylish reminder.

[@barbarajulianovak2852]

Such an amazing and original accent! I definitely adore this remade version, and would love to see you talk about other issues as well. We see a lot of late Victorian and Georgian things on here, but looking at the process from the 1800s all the way through the Edwardian period is really fascinating, as is the wide range of information, including poor people's clothing and solutions.

[@robinclinansmith2430]

The original version of this vlog popped up random on my watch list, 4 years ago I was amused and entertained and subscribed ever since.

[@wendybutler1681]

Envious of your petticoat collection. Beautiful pieces. I even love the sound the fabric makes.

[@cynthiaward7449]

You need to develop a Patreon support level. Let those os who enjoy your videos regularly support you . Your time and expertise are valuable. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@priorattire]

The Buy me coffee does basically the same and is more suitable fir my purposes

[@Chiweenies]

@@priorattire what are you speaking of?

[@vickysews]

@@Chiweenies There is a link in the description directly under the video, but you have to click on "Show more" to see it.

[@pennylane2304]

How on earth did you make the subject of going to the toilet so adoreable? You are such a treat to watch, and I was totally entranced with you the whole way through! ❤️🇦🇺

[@justforfux]

Me too!

[@DaniGamerWarrior]

Hey, this is great preparation for when that one time traveler comes along and asks you to go with them to meet the greatest poets and inventors of history.

[@rutbrea8796]

I remember my mom saying she was "indisposed" and stay home while she had her period. Later on I understood what she meant when the expression was used. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@karyannfontaine8757]

My Grandmother and great aunts did explain about the knickers which were split. I thought that was quite clever all except the difficult buttons if one were in a hurry.

[@NohAotori]

In my country, chamber pots were widely used until 1990... I can't take this video very much as history oTL its still being used in many places till present day... Yeah, the leaves, the paper, the after cleaning... The letrine pit... The only difference to my own experience is the sitting and the hands washing... Thanks God for Mr Crapper.

[@chrish6001]

My grandmother told me about going for a walk when she was young. She was with her grandmother and the older lady did exactly as described and just squared in the grass. My grandmother laughed about it when she told me.

[@donato_donato]

About peeing in crinoline I actually heard lots of records of countryside life of old, by witnesses, that granted it was definitely the way of the common women, as long as the skirt remained..long. my gran-gran was one of them. You know, whatever they had to do, be it going to the fields or to the market at the nearby town, they had long distances to cover everyday, on foot. And without public toilets available that was the easiest way. On the go. Of course their skirts were mostly dark dyed, almost always black, so that possible stains were likely to be less noticeable..🙄

[@michaelpatterson2955]

What a fabulous video. You've answered questions that so many have pondered today, including myself (a male). You handled a delicate subject with commendable, Victorian modesty and delicacy, and your voice is truly fascinating. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this! I hope you will make many more videos on the society of the Victorian era.

[@pattymullin8515]

That was actually quite fascinating. A lot of the ways that women used the loo and how they dealt with their cycles made a lot of sense. I never realized that the cages were so pliable and of very little trouble. However, I'm afraid if I had to struggle with the two buttons on the 'drawers' that it would be, well, way too late for me! Yes, I would be in very serious trouble😱. Wonderful video.

[@loser7528]

I want that purple floral jacket so bad, that outfit is beautiful

[@RocLobo358]

I think of being out on a through hike and squatting to try not to pee on my shoes... not being able to see at all would make me nervous but if you wear these gowns every day you have likely learned a technique I guess. It is a tragedy that we don't know more about menstruation in history. In case there was any doubt that history was written by men... *sigh*

[@peggyreinhold886]

Your teagown is stunning. You made me smile watching this new video, I saw the first one, too. When we are at weekends in living history we are, mostly from woman, very often asked how to use the loo with all these long wide, slime or heavy skirts on. And realy in an Natural Form dress it sometimes can be job 😉

[@ClareAngel78]

It reminds me of the king and I when I watched it as a child and saw when she sat on the floor her dress and 1950’s version of a crinoline and her skirt and crinoline didn’t collapse it stayed stiff now that I am older and know better I wonder why they didn’t use a traditional collapsing crinoline

[@suev4143]

Even in relatively modern times, sanitary belts and pads with long tails which hooked into them, were available in the United States up until 1960s and 1970s. Worn inside undergarments, they came with waxed paper bags to discretely dispose of the used pad. They were sometimes an inch thick before use! They disappeared shortly after the adhesive backed pad came into the market, with its new shaping and thinner profile.

[@digitaldgirl4459]

I love your purple morning wrapper. Just gorgeous and thank you for the information that you so graciously delivered.

[@PauliEvansBlack617]

I have always been puzzled as to who thought that women would have just bleed through. As you said no only you would stain your underwear (and your socks!), but also you would be so uncomfortable with wet undergarments the entire day. The video was great! It was also fun seeing the different shapes of the skirts ☺️

[@starthelotus3453]

The flushing toilet actually existed in Ancient Egypt but wasn’t widespread. It was mainly in urban areas and palaces, though.

[@robertagregory7177]

I was in Indonesia 30 years ago and the house I stayed in had a tiled hole in the bathroom floor you “went” in and then just poured water with a scoop and things flushed away. Seemed very simple. I imagine people must be doing this for hundreds of years at least. The house had a well in the courtyard for water that seemed only about 10 feet from the bath room. I hope what went in the toilet stayed away from the well. Happy for modern conveniences.

[@mel3687]

I forget which museum that I visited but they had several authentic 19th century clothing pieces and undergarments that they took pleasure in showing us because the chemise and pantaloons showed considerable wear in the four corners where a sanitary pad or rags were literally pinned to the garments using safety pins during menstruation. I never heard of them using home-made tampons out of sponges, though. That's very interesting!

[@teresarodgers8233]

My great grandmother, Ma, never wore underwear. When outside she would pause slightly separating her feet and pee straight down then walk on. She continued to wear angle length skirts all her live. She was wonderful. I miss her still. Effie Vaughn 1882-1965.

[@dianep6791]

My grandmother only wore underwear (panties) if she was going to "town". They lived in the country and was still sharecropping in the early 1970's.

[@vanessacarota8843]

Fun fact: in rural Italy, in the north at least, the chamber pot is still used by some elderly families living in very old houses. Because poor rural families couldn't afford bathrooms in until the late 80's or 90's, and when they finally could afford them it was impossible to build them in the house. For example, my grandmother’s house - dating back to 1300 - doesn’t have a bathroom inside because at the time they inherited the house they couldn’t afford to build one, and when they could finally afford it there was no room to build it inside. So they converted the former cow barn into a bathroom. But it is far from the main house, and if during the day you can go there, at night it becomes impossible. Plus the two little bedrooms are on the second floor. So you use the chamber pot at night. And in the morning you get rid of...what you did in the night. I promise that it doesn't smell at all, because there's a top on the chamber pot that keeps it sealed basically

[@pop6997]

Thanks for sharing that :) In Ireland 'out houses' were used right up to the 70's and possibly beyond as indoor plumbed toilets became popular - and if there was an out house, no doubt there was the equivalent chamber pot for the family who wouldn't venture out into the cold at night! The 'chamber pot' probably still lives on in houses with just one downstairs bathroom, especially with children... It's a secret!

[@mujemoabraham6522]

I am wondering , How did they clean themselves ?

[@vanessacarota8843]

@@mujemoabraham6522 my grandparents have toilet paper next to the chamber pots in the bedrooms. But this is for current time. In the past, they used to use old newspapers ☺️

[@mujemoabraham6522]

@@vanessacarota8843 What about before existing of printings \ newspapers ?

[@vanessacarota8843]

@MUJEMO ABRAHAM I just asked: leaves. "And prayers", is saying my grandmother 😜😂 Honestly, she’s from 1934 and my grandfather was from 1914, so they always had a chance to use newspapers, because they already existed at the time. Or any kind of paper they could get their hands on, basically. My great-grandmother, though, used leaves apparently. or pieces of cloth of any kind. I mean, they basically worked with what they had and could find. I'm very happy that I have a bathroom, let's just say that 😅

[@evelinharmannfan7191]

My grandmother told me, that in her youth (she was born in 1908 in the German countryside) she would have cloth menstrual pads with strings attached. These strings were then attached to a belt. I also inherited 2 pairs of drawers like the ones you wear in the video from my greatgrandmother . She was born in the 1860s. One was split like yours. The other one was closed, but had buttons on the side that could be opened easily. It was no problem at all to go to the toilet with it, as I can testify. I used to wear it for years, it was very comfy. 😊There were also strings attached to it that were bound around the waist like a belt.

[@smile-tweetybird1151]

yes, I was raised on a farm in the country (very poor) and I was taught to use the same as you described. I used old soft cloths with safety pins, till we could afford real pads...oh have times have changed.........I never gt any diseases like others got from tampons etc....We also used cloth diapers for babies.....same difference....saved lots of paper waste and money.....💐Love the split drawers---bloomers---panties❤

[@lucylocket5262]

Sir John Harington, who invented the flushing toilet, was an ancestor of Kit Harington, who plays John Snow in Game of the Thrones ;)

[@addyr3750]

Whatever outer coat you're wearing while talking, with the cabe sleeves and I think velvet detailing, I am rabid over. It's amazing. I adore it

[@priorattire]

It is a tea gown. The pattern is available in my first book

[@kellybenko2828]

I tried to pee in the woods once, and peed all over my legs and socks. I would fail at that chamber pot nonsense.

[@oliviaspeciale1455]

I pee in the woods regularly as a hobby hiker and still splash all over my boots unless I'm in the perfect position. Forget about peeing in petticoats while picking flowers.

[@nicolestoughton2986]

Lol. Gotta get that lean juuuust right. 😂😂

[@davehooper4498]

Hilarious so funny

[@justforfux]

@@oliviaspeciale1455 Maybe that's the trick; the position. I wouldn't know exactly though; I am a man. I also read somewhere that if one presses on the spot just above the urethra, it would not splash on one's legs.

[@smsfmastergardeners]

When camping, we would find an area with a slope, so pee went downhill.

[@ElizabethJones-pv3sj]

The difficulty of unbuttoning the drawers reminds me of a comment in the 'Tudor Farm' series when men's doublet (top) and hose (trousers) were laced together so you needed to take everything off for number 2 (there is codpiece access for pee) that essentially amounted to you develop a routine to go in the morning before you get dressed and at night after you get undressed and not in between. Edited to add: the series name is actually Tudor Monastery Farm in case anyone is curious.

[@l.m.2404]

I love all those series, Elizabeth...I like that they are all hands on for a full year in whichever era they are re-enacting. I don't recall Ruth Goodman tackling this issue though, so thumbs up to the Pirouette team.

[@conservativevicki7612]

This was informative, of course, but I was exhausted just watching! So grateful to be a modern woman!

[@magdaciwis5920]

I love your chanel and your accent 😊 I discover it after starting watching Karolina Żebrowska and Bernadette Banner. Big thank you for what you do👍

[@Bzcenci812]

I congratulate you for the ease that you have for describing those difficult subjects with utmost elegance.