Chemise

[2] A type of undergarment worn close to the skin in order to protect outergarments,[3] though the term chemise has since been commonly considered a women’s garment, during this period (Medieval through to the 15th century), it was also used to describe an item of men’s underclothing.

[4] Further, through the 17th and 18th centuries, linen was considered an essential means of maintaining cleanliness, and therefore, health,[5] a starched white chemise served as an indicator of an individual’s personal hygiene.

[2] In saying this, through the 18th century, chemise continued to be used to refer primarily to an undergarment, the type earlier described as a smock for women, and a shirt for men.

[8] Though simple in design, the early 19th century chemise often featured small decorative elements, such as a lace or ruffled edge.

In Western countries, the chemise as an undergarment fell out of fashion in the early 20th century, and was generally replaced by a brassiere, girdle, and full slip, and panties first came to be worn.

A modern chemise is generally a woman's garment that vaguely resembles the older shirts but is typically more delicate, and usually more revealing.

Chemise, linen, c.1790-1810. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute: 2009.300.392.
A drawing of a chemise, laid flat. (2014)
17th-century Holland: Linen chemise beneath a young woman's everyday domestic bodice; Girl Singing by Frans Hals , about 1628
Marie Antoinette wearing a dress that came to be known as chemise à la reine .
Chemise, cotton, probably American, c.1880s. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute: C.I.51.30.1.