Flag print shirtwaist, 1900-05
Today we buy T-shirts in red, white, and blue and with stars and stripes for a patriotic event; in 1900, a woman might whip up a blouse such as this one. It was presumably worn in a Fourth of July parade or pageant or other patriotic occasion, perhaps even for the United States Sesquicentennial (125th anniversary) in 1901. The fabric is rather coarse and may not have been intended for clothing, but it is probably not bunting, which tends to be a much looser weave. The construction is basic and suggests it was made with speed rather than care, but such a garment would not need to withstand frequent wearing and washing. Nevertheless, the bodice has been carefully cut to display the design symmetrically and pleasingly.
Lent by Shippensburg University Fashion Archives & Museum.