Knickers or pants

Drawers were so called because they had a draw string through the top to tighten or loosen them, before elastic was invented.
I wasn’t allowed to wear navy school knickers next to my skin (perhaps the dye ran?) so always wore white ones underneath.

Ah, the obsession with proofs of virginity.

I actually think my mother had been told that, from her reaction when my sister fell on a garden roller (hope not TMI)

That sounds plausible MA

Wasn't it believed, (or maybe its true?) that horse riding could tear the hymen?

plus, of course, riding astride would be considered most indelicate, with legs wide apart and, remember in previous centuries, especially 19th/early 20th, there were deep held beliefs (by male doctors, in particular) that if a woman got involved in anything from higher education to sport it could damage their reproductive ability. Riding astride would be an obvious no, no.

That’s a thought, AlieOxon, but I think it was more that women always wore long skirts which wouldn’t allow for riding astride. There’s a lot about the history of riding sidesaddle and associated clothing on Wikipedia.

I had a thought recently about knickers - did the silly idea to ride horses sideways come about because ladies didn't wear any several hundred years ago?

I had to think about it , but I'm definitely a knickers girl ,sometimes baggy,sometimes big, sometimes comfy, sometimes not, ! & ?& sometimes those gorgeous knickers just don't fit!!

Isn't it amazing which threads go on for so long. 7 pages on knickers already!

Knickers remind me of PE at school in bottle green ones! Kids would be horrified these days if asked to do PE in their Knickers!!

That reminds me of when I warned DH not to put "my new underwear" in the tumble drier when I'd treated myself to a delicate set. Sure enough the bra was draped over the radiator when I got home, but the knickers had been treated to a long hot tumble. He didn't realise the word underwear included knickers.

The American term “underwear” for pants is spreading and always annoys me . Underwear includes pants, bras, petticoats, camisoles, corsets and everything else worn under your other clothes.
I don’t care what anyone calls their drawers as long as it’s an English word.

farmgran I hope your sewing turns out well. I used to follow Gertie's blog, she has done several online sewing lessons. I found some of them excellent when I was doing more home dressmaking.

Ha Ha aquagran - that's a funny joke. Thank you!

An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman arrived at the pearly gates. St. Peter said “As it is the Christmas season you must each show me something associated with the time of year.” The Englishman fished a lighter out of his pocket, lit it and said “This is a candle!” He was allowed to enter. The Irishman fished in his pocket and found his keys. “These are bells!” He entered the pearly gates.
The Scotsman hesitated for many moments, unsure what to do. Then fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a pair of knickers (or pants) and said.........”These are Carols!”

I definitely do NOT iron my knickers - nor anything else much to be honest!

Regardless of what you call them, do you iron them? I get told off by my daughters for putting my knickers on the ironing pile!

Navy blue knickers , worn for PE . I say pants or draws .

Sorry, that was a joke but I do have some lovely thongs at the back of the drawer. Last knickers I wore were for gym.
I wear bra (very occasionally) and pants (when wearing trousers) but prefer going commando with skirts and dresses. (Underskirts washed daily).
<This post comes under the heading TMI>

Thong.

Sorry- spelling, should be broekies!!!

Brookies!!

I always wear knickers, in case I get run over !

Definitely pants. Men in my house wear boxers or shorts. Knickers sounds horribly old fashioned and my mum used to say it was common. Haha.