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The term 'waist' which is no longer a term commonly used in the sence of a garment. HBC notes that "waist" in the late 19th and early 20th century was used to mean a blouse or shirt. The modern term blouse probably captures the sence best as it was a shirt without tails. HBC has generally considered a 'waist' to be a garment or part of a garment
covering the body from the neck or shoulders to the waistline, which was commonly used in womens' and childrens' clothing. This is probably why it became almost synonamous with 'blouse'. We have discovered, however, that "waist" was
also used to mean a child's undergarment to which other items of apparel were attached by buttons or clasps. This appears to be a term also used for stocking supporters. Sometimes mothers used pins to attach stockings to regular underwear rather than a specialized waist.
The term 'waiost' has been different meanings. Even when restricted to the clothing meanings, there are still quite a few different meanings. Here we are discussing the American meanings. We are less sure how the term was used in Britain. Around the turn-of-the 20th century the term became virtually synonamous with blouse, but has since largely disappeared from the clothing lexicon. We are less sure about British meanings.
Waist was used to mean the part of a one piece garment such as smocks, dresses, and rompers that covered the neck down to the eaisline. It was used primarily in connerction with children's and women's clothing. Perhaps because there were so many meanings for 'waist', the term bodice gsained greater currency for this meaning.
The term 'waist' which is no longer a term commonly used in the sence of a garment. The term "waist" seems to have been used interchangeably with "shirtwaist". HBC notes that "waist" in the late 19th and early 20th century was used to mean a blouse or shirt, often without a collar. They were meant to be used with a detachable collar. Boys might, for example, wear them with an Eton collar. We note dictionaies which define a shirtwaist as "a tailored blouse or shirt worn by women". We are not at all sure that this was the accepted meaning in the late 19th and early 20th century. We do not yet have a lot of information on shirt waists. There is an American shirt waist page.
The modern term blouse probably captures the sence best as it was a shirt without tails, although some waists did not have collars as well. The term blouse originall came from the way the garment bloused or billowed out at waist as aesult iof using a dreaw-string closure. Gradually the waist captured this meaning even though it did not billow out.
HBC has generally considered a 'waist' to be a garment or part of a garment covering the body from the neck or shoulders to the waistline, which was commonly used in womens' and childrens' clothing. As a result waist for a time was used synonamously for blouse. A good examole of this usage was a 1905 sewing pattern.
We have discovered, however, that "waist" was also used to mean a child's undergarment. Here only the context of the reference can be used to detrmine rather the refeence is to a shirt-like garment or a child's under garment. The child's undergarment was a garment to which other items of apparel were attached by buttons or clasps. This appears to be a term also used for stocking supporters. Sometimes mothers used pins to attach stockings to regular underwear rather than a specialized waist.
The most well known industrial accident in American history occurred at the Triange waist Factory in New York. It exposed the dreadful condition that girls anf young women were forced to work under and the lack of even the most basic saftey measures. There were 146 worker who died horibly. As result, laws were passed requiring basic saftey measures. Even more important, it launched a basic change in American politics.
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