Housewife pillowcase

[CandyLeBonBon]

I've just changed my bedsheets. Putting new bedding on, I've just noticed the name of the inexpensive, plain white pillowcases I bough to cope with the fact that I have three teens who don't care if they mix and match.

Why the fuck are they called 'housewife pillowcases'?

In this day and age? Am I missing something?

@borntobequiet every useful thing you need to know for life is to be found in P O'B's excellent novels.

Siiiighhhhh.

It must be exhausting looking for things to be offended by. Scraping the barrel with this one!

I have some older pillowcases without the flap.

They are longer than the pillows so have about 8-10 inches of extra fabric, embroidered. I am told they looked nice draped over a bolster in the old fashioned way of making beds (but do need ironing).

I also had an old bolster cover that was open at both ends. Presumably that worked the same way, but must it must have been a nuisance when you were shaking them.

Does the concept of Gentleman's Relish upset you too?

The Sainsburys definition of Gentleman's Relish? Or the Viz Profanisaurus definition?

What is wrong with housewife?
Who decided something was wrong with housewives? Unthinking denigration of women. I file it with "mumsy"

Love the story behind the housewife name

It struck me as an odd description for a pillowcase and one that belongs in the 50s. I'm allowed to be curious as to why such a strange name is attributed to a household object. Do men not use pillowcases?

If you don't like the thread, fine, just keep scrolling.

But Thankyou to those who have answered with some historical context! Very interesting

@MaMaD1990

Siiiighhhhh.

It must be exhausting looking for things to be offended by. Scraping the barrel with this one!

In which case you should be pleased that we may have found what the OP was missing and most of the posters are happy to celebrate this simple yet effective invention.

I'm also partial to an occasional ploughman's lunch.

My current pillowcases have a housewife flap AND an "oxford" border! Properly inclusive.
Someone bought us Oxford ones once by mistake which were square and totally the wrong shape.

The frilly bit on a pillowcase is also sometimes called "flange" (I thought it was just an engineering term which sounded a bit dodgy). I prefer to call them Oxfords. Good to discover the origin of the housewife shape - much more practical than my open ones (from the USA).

@CandyLeBonBon

It struck me as an odd description for a pillowcase and one that belongs in the 50s. I'm allowed to be curious as to why such a strange name is attributed to a household object. Do men not use pillowcases?

If you don't like the thread, fine, just keep scrolling.

As a man (I know some love that phrase) I can confirm that I not only use pillowcases to rest my chiselled jaw of a night but... I also have been known to buy, change, wash, dry and put them away. All that naval training wasn't wasted.

This thread has really cheered me up. Not sure why. Thanks op and the clever women of mumsnet.

... and the Housewives' Cooperative.

@ErrolTheDragon

Why the fuck are they called 'housewife pillowcases'?

That may possibly have a more interesting answer than anticipated...

^ Throughout history, specifically during the 19th Century, pillowcases had a simple opening at the end which would make the pillow fall out of the case.
In the 1880s the “Housewives Co-operative” originating in Bolton adapted a standard pillowcase to include an inside flap at the end, this flap would keep the pillowcase in its place. They became known as “Housewife” pillowcases to honour them.^

(I can't find any background on what exactly the Housewives Cooperative was, so this may be an Internet myth)

Yes this must be the reason.!

Two mentions of Patrick O'Brian - I have found my tribe! Now happy from clew to earring. 😁

Who knew that pillowcases could be so interesting! 😁

@ForestDad I hope your chiselled jaw is well rested! I briefly misread your reply as NAVEL training and was about to disappear down another curious rabbit hole! 😂

@DeaconBoo
The square ones are continental pillowcases which can have the oxford frill. Oxford pillowcases are rectangular. I accidentally bought continental once and they are a pain.
(Just read this back. I need to get out more. Discussing pillowcase shapes. What have I become in lockdown )

Discussing pillowcase shapes AND ENJOYING IT! What indeed has become of us in lockdown.

Really interesting thread

I did some research on an obscure part of World War II and found that some troops had a 'housewife' dropped to them along with arms, ammo and food. I had images of a sturdy type in a practical apron, with her dusters flapping as she parachuted in, and was a bit disappointed to find out that it was just a roll of sewing stuff to darn their socks and reattach buttons.

'Oxford housewife wins Nobel Prize'.

Did you know the Nobel prize was won by 8 pillowcases before a woman was even nominated? Trufact.

Did they always used to get called housewife in the shops in the UK? I'm sure I noticed the word suddenly about 5 years ago or something. Did lots of shops used to have just pillowcase and Oxford? Or am I imagining that

What a great origin story for housewife pillowcase. 😊

In the past, housewife pillowcases were just sold as pillowcases, until oxford pillowcases became fashionable (again?).

In honour of the housewives that made them. I prefer Oxford myself. X