Long or Short Chemise?

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Which one do you wear - or both?  Why did you choose it?  What do you like or dislike about it?  Here's why I'm asking.

I have 2 short (hip length) chemises and 4 long ones.  I'm finding in the summer heat at Bristol, even though they are lightweight breathable fabrics, I am getting way too hot.  And with my kidney transplant, I can get too hot in an instant, keel over and pass out.

Even though I have "peasant-ed" down, and wear a plain bodice with no boning in 1 size larger than I usually wear, so it's loose, the chemise, 1 skirt, and bloomers, the longer chemise is just one more layer.

I was thinking of cutting a couple of them down, but hesitate, because once cut, I can't put them back.

So I'd love to hear your input on what you wear and why you like it.  Thanks!    

[isabelladangelo]

What kind of fabric are they?  Honestly, it shouldn't make that much of a difference if the chemise is covering you from the hips down or not.  The fact you say it has no boning makes me wary of any the chemises.  Chemises should never have boning.   Did you mean bodice?

They should be out of tissue linen or an almost sheer cotton.  Anything thicker than that can make you overheat. I've used muslin before for my chemises -which works- but I've found tissue linen is 100X better on hot days.

You might want to look into just bringing a handkerchief with you and wetting that in cold water on hot days.  Place the handkerchief around the back of your neck and let it drape over your shoulder.     

Also, drink water!   Lots of it!   You should go around with a water bottle in hand.  Fill it up every hour.  Don't bother with the sodas and absolutely no alcohol at fair.  That will help to keep you from overheating as well.

I personally wear chemises that are at least below my knee.   Most of mine are linen now and I love them. 

[gem]

I have gads of long ones and two hip-length ones (oh! And also one cropped, short-sleeved one).  The long ones can only be worn with dresses, but the hip length ones can also be worn with leggings or breeches. I think, for me, a chemise is more likely to get too warm if it's too *full,* not if it's too long. Does that make sense? It's your core that will overheat, and too much fabric bunched up around my torso and under my arms seems to make that more likely. I have one made of gauze, with elastic under the bust, that has a much closer fit than any of my others, and it's definitely my coolest. 

As for fabric... with your kidney condition, do you sweat properly (hopefully that's not TMI!)? Lightweight linen and rayon will wick moisture away from your body, making you feel much cooler than silk or cotton. I have a couple of mundane blouses in cotton gauze (which I bought b/c I thought they'd be cool and breezy--see gauze chemise, above), and they are SO HOT, I always end up changing into something else. I think those puckers/crinkles trap air against the body. So if you have cotton gauze chemises you assumed would be lightweight and breathable... they may actually be the culprit!

Only you know what's best for your health, but I wonder if your *outer* garb should be lighter instead (or definitely also!)...?

Good luck!

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

Thanks, ladies, for you input. My fingers typed faster than my brain!  My chemises are not boned, the bodices are.  I'm going back in and fixing it.

IRL, I do not drink soda and very little alcohol, neither at faire.  My drink of choice is water, & if I'm starting to feel like I might become dehydrated, gatorade.  Actually, at faire, I rotate, usually two 32 oz. bottles of water, then one 32 oz bottle of gatorade, not chugged all at once, but a continuous sipping.  Repeat throughout the day as needed.

And my friend made me a beautiful woven towel that last summer spent most of the time wrapped around my neck. Both the drink booths and the FoF Garden were wonderful to give me ice to put in it, as well as first aid.

I do have 2 of the long chemises which are light and airy, the other two are a little heavier, though neither are overly full.  One of the shorter chemises is a Heart's Delight, which is a long sleeved gauze, which I use for pirate garb, never in the hot summer, because of the long knee socks.

Since I have a choice, I might stick to the lighter ones, and wait until the autumn falls to make up my mind, because when it's cold, I like more and more layers.!

Thanks again.   

[Once Debauched]

I own and use both long and short chemises and to be quite honest, if I'm wearing stockings I can't tell the difference.  However, if I'm wearing no stockings and have my skirts hiked up, I wear a short (hip length or slightly longer) chemise and it does keep me cooler,

Your core temperature is what makes you overheat, but your body cools by moving the blood through your arms and legs and releasing heat out the top of your head.  Any of these you can keep from covering up will allow you to remain cooler.  This is one reason I can get away with wearing a lambskin bodice on 90 degree days.  

Another thing you might also look into is the camelbak electrolyte tablets I saw someone mention here on the forums.  I bought a tube of them to try the last weekend of faire this year and I SWEAR by them.  You get the same (if not better) hydrating effect as Gatorade, but without syrupy sweetness.

1 tab per 24 ounces of water and you're good to go - they even break in half for a 16 oz bottled water.  They come in lemon lime (my fav), berry and orange (orange is caffeinated tho).  The flavors are very mild and they dissolve very quickly. They can be purchased at sporting good stores and online.

EDIT: OH!  Another thing you might consider is waist cinchers and totally skip the bodice on super hot days.

[dragongirl]

I have a few of both and I tend to prefer the short chemise since I do more heavy lifting and breakdown of camp in mine.  The shorter one do not restrict my movements as much.  However, when I need to layer for warmth I grab my long ones.

[isabelladangelo]

I have a few of both and I tend to prefer the short chemise since I do more heavy lifting and breakdown of camp in mine.  The shorter one do not restrict my movements as much.  However, when I need to layer for warmth I grab my long ones.

How do the longer ones restrict your movement?   I've always worn long ones when breaking down/setting up camp.   Mine are based mostly on the extant 16th C Italian style.  I have at least a good 90" in the hem of the chemise, if not a lot more given the gores on the side.   Also, since they aren't any longer than your average sundress, my chemises are hardly warm due to length.  It's all about the weight and weave of the material -never the length.   

I did have short chemise once -I loathed how it would ride up.  If I'm wearing pants, I simply wear a shirt.  However, since I only wear pants if I'm wearing 18th Century, I tend to have an 18th C shirt to go with it. 

[LadyFae]

I prefer the shorter (between hip and knee) length chemises with a almost fitted body but extra poofy sleeves.  I had an ankle length chemise that I wore with my Italian inspired maternity gown but it drove me nuts so I chopped it off to thigh length and added an underskirt and sleeves to the maternity gown.  That chemise was also VERY wide and it got to be too much extra fabric bunching up under my bodice so the newest one I made is closer fitting.  I'm quite happy with the results.  =)

[DonaCatalina]

I make my chemises slightly longer than knee length. That way they are long enough to stay down and not do the walkies up towards my waist since they are a very light cotton.