To champion the return of the "housecoat"?

[LadyTrevelyan]

My Grandma and Auntie B.both removed their coats when getting home and then put on their housecoat - a bit like Mrs Overall. I swore I would never wear such a thing but...

So practical and has pockets to pick up bits and pieces and, also, keeps my shoulders warm. I picked up mine from a charity shop.

I am single and I don't think this is related.

Did the DCs ones in a thin oil cloth Doreen, worked a treat...

Thanks to clicking on all those links - my tailored advertising on my laptop is going to look like my grandma's for weeks now!

I don't have a house coat but I do have house clothes. I change into when I know I'm home for the day. Then I can cook n clean without ruining any good clothes. I'm always amazed at some of my friends who go and clean and bleach the bathroom in their nice clothes that they've been out in all morning. Then they moan that another pair of jeans have been ruined by bleach

gingerboy I have "at-home" clothes and "going-out" clothes too! Always did. I wear an apron to do stuff in the kitchen but not anywhere else. But the apron is giving up its ghost and I'm a tiny bit tempted to replace it with a housecoat after read this thread ...

Everyone in our household wears their dressing gown indoors on top of their clothes as it's freezing. I have a pink silk one in summer and a rather ancient M&S one in winter. Plus I always wear slippers.

Still think a howie coat would fit the practical criteria, natural fibre,high neck,elasticated cuffs and poppers to whip it off quick so you don't answer the door looking like doctor Crippen.
Comes in different colours too.

Okay. In my mind, this is how it works. Here are, in no particular order, A housecoat (very Lana Turner and definitely something I could cope with), an overall like my Grandma used to wear and a dressing gown like the one I had as a kid. Housecoats are very cool. Overalls are practical and dressing gowns are just nasty.

I have a fleece kaftan which I use as a dressing gown. It's a phenomenally vile colour or I'd post a pic of it, but a) it would out me, and b) it is vile.

In my head, i'd be like Myrna Loy in the "Thin Man". (pictured). But would really be like Nora Batty. I so want to be able to swan about in a negligee like Myrna Loy all day.

I would like something more glamorous like. ML's, that I could sling on over underwear after an evening bath and look smart enough to eat dinner. I hate eating evening meals in pjs and dressing gown.

Ditto in the morning. We are prone to having early morning courier deliveries, and I would feel more dressed in a housecoat to answer the door.

Alright, I'm sold on the glam house coat but it will have to go over my dressing gown.

Me and DH were watching teleshopping last night (we're wild), and there was a woman selling the pattern for her housecoat. She was modelling it and showing off the 'embellishments' - she had literally sewn toys onto her pinny... A cuddly squirrel toy and more... It was well weird. I do see the benefit of having many pockets to put stuff in though!

In the 60s or early 70s I had what I called a dressing gown, but it was called a 'housecoat' in the shop. Knee length, buttoned, pockets, quilted pastel-floral nylon.... Funny what we thought was lovely at the time!

Looking back, I think they were a reaction against the trad sort of dressing gown - the kind my dear old granny had had for 60 years and had probably bought in 1903. Warm and 'serviceable', as she would have said - never mind what it looked like.
I remember her being horrified at the sort of underwear I wore. 'Where's the warmth in that?'

I am so messy that I have taken to slipping an old lightweight garment and plastic apron for the evening. On my social housing estate people wander the streets in their onesies

Shoot me now if these are going to be compulsory wearing. Surely nobody would ever have sex again.

www.damart.co.uk/F-10072-dressing-gowns-w/P-245345-quilted-housecoat

PS Do you think the model knows she has wandered outside??? Or perhaps given the target market this is normal for housecoat wearers.

GreenTomato do you have a dinner lady fetish?

I vaguely remember my Mum wearing a pink flowery polyester one in the early 60s. After reading this thread I could be tempted to wear something styled like the Japanese one in Cath Kidston type material but DH would think I'd taken leave of my senses. I think the reasons for wearing them would be different today. Up until the 60s people probably didn't have washing machines (if they did it would be a single tub with a mangle or a twin tub if they were lucky) so clothes had to be kept clean and were washed less frequently. Skirts would most likely be made of wool and have to be dry cleaned or hand washed - another reason for keeping them clean and people also had fewer items of clothing. Also women would be clearing out the ashes from coal fires everyday creating more dust and mess than most of have to contend with today.

It's so easy for us to throw leggings and a top into the washing machine the only reason for wearing a housecoat would be a matter of style - and why not if that floats your boat? Or to keep warm and I think that would call for a dressing gown - fluffy or quilted - rather than a protective housecoat.

If you want to see them in their full everyday glory, go to Russia.

I'd wear one of these quite happily. Not really overalls or housecoat. They look comfy.

I have a shop near me (in fact two) full of housecoats! Not tempted, although I do change into house clothes as soon as I get home - as does DH.

Housecoats, to me, are like the ones OmaC has posted. I believe the pockets are for clothes and bottles of cleaning fluids.

Phlebas I imagine I look as stylish as that in my peignoirs etc, but in reality I'm sure I'm a Nora Batty too. I do also wear pearls and confused DH recently by confessing my desire for a long cigarette holder - I don't even smoke!

I love frilly necks and sleeves

PS MrsTodd I believe that first one is a " robe". I have a similar pink one with bell sleeves that my mother bought me for my honeymoon and I still wear it occasionally. I am banned from cooking over the gas hob in it though.

Those Japanese aprons are very nice, I must say. I have some nice fabric with Russian dolls on which I think would make a lovely apron.

No fetish - but probably a soft spot :D especially if they save old envelopes for kids to draw on and have a jar of milkyway bars split in to blocks, and then cut in half again...