Obsolete Apparel

 So what ever happened to house dresses, those washable cotton garments that needed ironing, never mind a light starch,  that were worn by every housewife when I was a girl? 
My mother and aunts probably didn’t dress them up with necklace and earrings the way June Cleaver did, but if you could see Beaver’s mother full-length, you know the standard kitchen outfit included stockings and heels.

And for that matter, what ever happened to housecoats – those dressed-up floor-length robes you could wear when you didn’t really feel like dressing, and still be decent for answering the door? This pattern could be made either way. I still remember fondly a long green cotton housecoat with little yellow flowers, that zipped all the way up.

And what about playsuits?  They were a sort of one-piece romper for grown-ups, and often came with a matching skirt.   I felt wonderfully dressed-up, the summer I was 14, with a brown-and-white checked gingham playsuit and its button-over skirt. Wish I could find a picture of it.  Wonder what ever happened to it? 

Probably ended up in a braided rug.