Reconstructed Rebel
1st Lieutenant
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2021
According to great-grandma "Freshen up" was what ladies did before the invention of deodorant. Women used cotton pads, often homemade, that were tied with ribbons into the armpits of their dresses. They carried extra ones in their purses so when the ones they were using were soaked with sweat or started to smell, they excused themselves to wash their unshaved armpits and insert dry pads. Rose water, etc. was useful for splashing under your arm or on the pads to reduce stink. A lady could "freshen" throughout the day. Were dress shields, as these pads were called, used by ladies during the civil war? After all, you could not easily wash some of those elaborate dresses.
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