Union suit
A union suit is a type of one-piece long underwear. It originated as women's wear during the nineteenth-century United States clothing reform efforts, as an alternative to constricting garments, and soon gained popularity among men as well. The first union suit was patented in 1868 as "emancipation union under flannel." Traditionally made of red flannel with long arms and long legs, it buttoned up the front and had a button-up flap in the rear covering the buttocks (colloquially known as the "access hatch", "drop seat", "fireman's flap", and other names), allowing the wearer to eliminate bodily waste without removing the garment. Depending on the size, some union suits can have a dozen buttons on the front to be fastened through buttonholes from the neck down to the groin area.
This warm and practical garment remained in common use in North America into the 20th century. As its popularity waned it became chiefly working men's wear. It was not uncommon until the mid-1900s for rural men to wear the same union suit continuously all week, or even all winter. Normally, no other type of underwear was worn with it. One of the major events of the spring was the time when the union suits were removed, washed, and put away for the summer.
Union suits are still commercially available, but because of their association with "old fashioned" usage, and presumably "unsophisticated" rural wearers, they are considered comical. The rear flap is also associated with humor, and in film and television the appearance of a union suit, viewed from behind, is a form of mild toilet humor.
Today, some people - both men and women - favor two-piece long underwear, also known as "long johns".
The garment remained in common use in North America into the 20th century. As its popularity waned, it became chiefly working men's wear, increasingly replaced by two-piece long underwear, also known as "long johns". It was not uncommon until the mid-20th century for rural men to wear the same union suit continuously all week, or even all winter. Normally, no other type of underwear was worn with it.
Union suits are still commercially available, but because of their association with "old fashioned" usage, and presumedly "unsophisticated" rural wearers, they are considered comical. The rear flap is also associated with humor, and in film and television the appearance of a union suit, viewed from behind, is a form of mild toilet humor. The 1999 movie adaptation of The Wild Wild West, the TV series Rugrats, and the Family Guy episode "No Meals on Wheels" are among those that used the rear flap on union suits for comical effects.
The union suit makes an appearance in Louisa May Alcott's book Eight Cousins, as a preferred alternative to corsetry under the name 'Liberty Suit'. It also makes a presence in the 2003 film Cold Mountain. The union suit is referred to several times in Laura Ingalls Wilder's books about pioneer life during the mid-to-late 19th century in the United States, and in Harper Lee's book, To Kill A Mockingbird. In the expansion Undead Nightmare for the game Red Dead Redemption, the player begins play wearing a Union Suit and can choose to continue to wear it throughout the game, if desired.
Union suits and drop-seat pajamas
Union suits are similar but not identical to drop-seat pajamas (also known as Dr. Denton's). The main difference is that union suits are worn as underwear while drop-seat pajamas are worn as nightwear. Drop-seat pajamas are often more loosely cut, and some types, especially for babies and toddlers, are footed.
Links
- A Duofold 2-Layer Union Suit (For Men) Another nice image of the Union Suit
- "What's The Flap About Union Suits?" (from eBay)
- All Hail the Union Suit (article from Vintage Skivvies)
- Union Suit As Gay Fetish (Yahoo! Men's Group)
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Union_suit ]
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