What is a bib?

Knitted wardrobe items - sweaters, pullovers, sweater dresses, hats - are popular again. Large and loosely knitted items, as well as unusual clothing accessories, are especially valued. The latter definitely includes a shirtfront.

What is this item?

English fashionistas of the 19th century called it nothing more than “fastened elegance.” In fact it's decorative “bib”, detachable or sewn to a shirt, chemise or dress. Can be worn underneath or on top - depending on the specific removable model. Other common names for this item are modesty and chemisette.

A little history

The history of the prototype shirt-front dates back to the 16th century. It was invented in Venice. The need for a “bib” arose after dresses with a very deep neckline were at the peak of fashion. However, the item of clothing familiar to us appeared only 2 centuries later, in the 18th century. Then it was worn exclusively by women. It became part of the male image a century later. The main wave of popularity came in the 19th century.She retreated only at the beginning of the 20th.

Important! Fashion in the case of chest inserts is cyclical. About every 25-30 years they become a trend again.

They sewed shirtfronts for specific purposes. There was a strict division: these models are suitable for going out, and those are only for home wear. Items from different categories differed in the quantity and quality of decorative elements, color, material.

This is the way of the bib in Europe. In Russia, on the contrary, the “bib” first became part of the men’s wardrobe, and only then, over time, moved into the women’s wardrobe. In the very first years, only aristocrats could afford it: they ordered special white shirts from tailors, which had a decorative insert-patch running from the neck down.

With the wave of democratization of society, the accessory quickly spread among other segments of the population. True, they had to be content not with the canonical version of the shirtfront, but with its more affordable version, sewn from calico.

Important! Initially, the Russian shirtfront was not removable. This type was distributed exclusively among servicemen, and it was called “Gavrilka”. A little later, the sewn prototype gave way to the fastened part. In Europe, the detachable chest insert was called “plastron”.

The domestic way is also different in that our men did not wear elongated false shirtfronts, only short or solid ones (coming with the shirt). Women, on the contrary, could afford to wear a model of any length over the dress.

Purpose

In Russia removable decorative shirt-fronts and cuffs made it possible to significantly save on appearance. People did not wash the entire shirt, but only its individual attached elements.Having 2 shirtfronts at your disposal, you could put them on one by one, and thereby comply with the rule of etiquette, according to which you cannot wear the same top for 2 days in a row.

Among aristocrats, the chest insert performed the duties of draping the chest: it beautifully covered the neckline, but not completely. Some wore it as a replacement for a wide tie, others - to focus attention on the neckline. For still others, a removable shirtfront became an opportunity to bypass the strict dress code during extreme heat: in this vein, it was worn not over, but instead of a shirt or blouse.

Important! A special shirtfront that can be worn on a naked body instead of a shirt is called a modesti.

What types of neck bibs are there?

1. Knitted. They have nothing in common with the finest accessory, which was decorated with frills, folds and masterly embroidery. This is a woolen and practical element of the wardrobe, not so much performing a decorative function as replacing a scarf, and sometimes a hat. It is actively used by mothers of preschool children who find it difficult to get ready to go outside in the off-season and winter.
2. Made from footer, fleece, velvet. Similar to the previous model. The only difference is the material and the fact that some of them are connected to the hood. This is an imitation of the top of a sweatshirt, bomber jacket or bodysuit.
3. Fastened. Shirts of this kind are not solid, they have a clasp.
4. Dickies imitating a snood and a collar. They do not lie flat on the shoulders like a typical chemisette, but are more like a scarf-collar.
5. Modesty. It differs in that it is worn on a naked body, and not on another item of clothing.
6. Chemisette. An elongated cape model that could completely cover the back, arms, and also go down below the middle of the torso.
7. Double models for mother and child. Solution for slingomas.

Important! It is not necessary to take off a knitted chemisette indoors.This is not considered a violation of decency standards, because this “bib” is classified in the same category as shawls.

How and with what do you wear fashionable modern shirtfronts?

Openwork options that imitate multi-layer ties are worn:

• with open dresses held on the chest;
• over shirts and dresses without a neckline.

But it’s not them that are at the peak of fashion, but knitted items. They are worn together with sweaters (tone-on-tone or contrasting), pullovers and jumpers. In this set, the shirtfront serves as a collar or a long and wide cape (depending on the specific type). It is also used to create a typical image of a French woman. This look is complemented with a beret and tight-fitting trousers.

A woolen “bib” with a neck is also worn with a shirt (usually as part of a set of a hat and mittens or with a jacket and blazer). Some manage to use it with evening dresses. However in this case, the shirtfront should be well and intricately knitted, richly or interestingly decorated.