18th century woman’s pocket

Did You know that pockets were not part of women's clothing in the 18th century?


A pocket, in French, is called a poche. It was an accessory that was tied around a woman's waist and worn under her skirt. She would reach into a slit in the skirt to fetch small items, such as a handkerchief.


The picture above is a framed reproduced 18th century woman’s pocket. It was a gift I received from a costumed interpreter when I was a volunteer at the Fortress of Louisbourg. The embroidery design is similar to designes of the 18th century and the stitching was done using techniques of that time period. This lovely piece of work inspired me to include a description of a pocket in the novel. Read Therese’s story to find out how she came to own an embroidered pocket.