Pantalettes

Pantalettes

Portrait of a young boy in pantalettes, 1836
Type	Underwear

Girl's costume featuring linen pantalettes, from Godey's Lady's Book, 1855

Pantalettes were leg-covering undergarments worn by women, girls, and very young boys before breeching, primarily during the early to mid-19th century. Designed for comfort and practicality, they often featured an open-crotch construction to facilitate ease of use while also serving a role in preserving modesty—especially when worn under crinolines—by ensuring coverage beneath dresses and gowns. As fashion evolved, their popularity declined, though they remained in use into the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly in conservative communities and traditional dress. By the early 1900s, pantalettes had largely been replaced by open-crotch drawers, which better aligned with changing fashion preferences.

History and design of pantalettes

Le Café de Paris, by Jean Béraud—French can-can dancers wearing pantalettes during the Belle Époque

First introduced in France in the early 19th century, pantalettes quickly gained popularity in Britain and America. They were leg-covering undergarments, sometimes resembling leggings, and could be either a single-piece garment or two separate sections—one for each leg—fastened at the waist with buttons or ties.

Pantalettes and modesty in women's fashion

Ankle-length pantalettes were worn beneath crinolines and hoop skirts in the 19th century to preserve modesty, ensuring that a woman's legs remained covered in the event of movement or exposure. As societal norms emphasised discretion, these undergarments provided an additional layer of protection, particularly when skirts shifted due to wind, movement, or seated positions.

Children's wear and the practice of breeching

Pantalettes for children and young girls were mid-calf to ankle-length and designed to be visible beneath shorter dresses and gowns. Until the mid-19th century, very young boys were commonly dressed in dresses, gowns, and pantalettes—garments more closely associated with girls' clothing—until they were breeched, typically between the ages of 2 and 8, sometimes older. This style of dress for young boys persisted at least until they were toilet-trained, reflecting both practical considerations and changing societal expectations.

Materials and decorative elements

Most often made from white linen, pantalettes were frequently adorned with decorative elements such as tucks, lace, cutwork, or broderie anglaise, reflecting broader clothing traditions of the time.

Hygiene and practicality of the open-crotch design

The open-crotch design was a common feature, intended for hygiene and practicality. It allowed women, girls, and young boys to relieve themselves more easily without needing to pull down their undergarments or remove multiple layers of clothing—an especially useful feature in an era when sanitation facilities were often inconvenient, scarce, or lacked modern efficiency.

Since people primarily relied on chamber pots, outhouses, or communal latrines, facilities often lacked privacy, cleanliness, and convenience. The ability to relieve oneself without fully undressing was crucial for efficiency, modesty, and hygiene. In households with shared sanitation facilities, open-crotch pantalettes allowed wearers to maintain discretion while avoiding prolonged exposure to unsanitary conditions or cold weather, especially in rural areas where outhouses were located outside and far from living spaces. Additionally, limited access to clean water made frequent washing difficult, making undergarments that minimised handling and soiling particularly practical.

Cultural references

An Irish reel bears the title of "The Ladies' Pantalettes".

The US Virgin Islands folk song "Over the Side", records how smuggler and suffragist Ella Gifft used her pantalettes to hide the rum that she was illegally importing there, during the Prohibition era.

In the 1939 film Gone with the Wind Rhett Butler tells Scarlett O'Hara, upon his return from Paris, France, that pantalettes are out of style there.

Gallery

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  A pantalette undergarment with an open-crotch design, exemplifying 19th-century fashion's blend of practicality and modesty, featuring a gathered waist and lace-trimmed cuffs
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  A pantalette undergarment with a distinctive open-crotch design, featuring lightweight fabric and elegant scalloped hems with floral cut-out detailing, blending historical practicality with decorative refinement
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  A pair of open-crotch pantalette undergarments, crafted from lightweight fabric with a straight-leg silhouette, on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
• 
  Vintage white pantalettes with an open-crotch design, featuring a button closure at the waist and floral lace trim at the cuffs, showcasing historical practicality and decorative elegance, 1830s
• 
  The three graces in pantalettes, ca 1800
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  Girl, 1810
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  Illustration of pantalettes by Edith Towner, circa 1937
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  1830
• 
  1850
• 
  1850s
• 
  1866
• 
  1872

See also

• Open drawers
• Open-crotch pants, commonly worn by toddlers throughout mainland China
• Leggings
• Undergarment

References

• C. Willett Cunnington & Phillis Cunnington, The History of Underclothes 1951, Dover. ISBN 0-486-27124-2.

External links

• Historical Boys' Clothing - Pantalettes