How did they dress?

[Northern Lass]

I am fascinated by how they dressed in days gone by.

Does anyone know what the typical Clothes worn were like for the Black Country area?

Did they have daywear, best wear and how did they wash it all? and how often

Shoes what were they like?

[Carol]

I've seen some old pictures of men working in quarries in Rowley Regis wearing what looks like string tied below the knee of their trousers. This was to stop rats running up their trousers.
The women folk of Lenches factory used to wear brown paper tied to their legs below the knees to stop being splashed with chemicals .

[Jackienock]

Have you ever noticed the hats of the cartoon couple Enoch and Eli in the Black Country Bugle.



I started work in Cradley Heath in 1949. One day I saw a strange character entering a hostelry, wearing a hat exactly like that, worn tipped forward. Not exactly a bowler but almost.
He wore a 'grandad' shirt with a white muffler and cream moleskin trousers. Even in those days it made me stare. It appeared to be an almost traditional dress of the old chain makers, though to be fair I didn't see many like that. Every time I read the Bugle I think of that character and wonder if the artist actually knew the men that dressed like that.

Jackienock

[Annie]

I am fascinated by how they dressed in days gone by.
Does anyone know what the typical Clothes worn were like for the Black Country area?
Did they have daywear, best wear and how did they wash it all? and how often
Shoes what were they like?

I'm interested in knowing things like that , my mam said her mam died while doing the washing she used a tub a rubbing board and that was 1916, mam also said when they called at their grans she always lifted the girls dresses to make sure they had clean and mended under wear.

Annie

[nessa]

I have a Sunday best smock my 3x great grandfather Noah Allport wore for church on Sunday's, he was afarmer and the smocking patterns across the shoulders and the chest are exquisit, the material seems to be a heavy linen the buttons are made of bone. It was made by his wife Emma truely a work of love.

Nessa

[Northern Lass]

I have a Sunday best smock my 3x great grandfather Noah Allport wore for church on Sunday's, he was afarmer and the smocking patterns across the shoulders and the chest are exquisit, the material seems to be a heavy linen the buttons are made of bone. It was made by his wife Emma truely a work of love.

Nessa

That sounds wonderful Nessa any chance of a photo that we can add to our Gallery and to Black Country Connections?

[mallosa]

I have a Sunday best smock my 3x great grandfather Noah Allport wore for church on Sunday's, he was afarmer and the smocking patterns across the shoulders and the chest are exquisit, the material seems to be a heavy linen the buttons are made of bone. It was made by his wife Emma truely a work of love.

Nessa

That sounds wonderful Nessa any chance of a photo that we can add to our Gallery and to Black Country Connections?

You read my mind Jan What do you think Nessa?