Dirty Laundry: Caring for Clothing in Early Modern Italy

Personal linens were key components of early modern health regimens. When they visibly clean and bright white, linen shirtsleeves, collars cuffs communicated the cleanliness wearer's body, as well state their mind, morals spirit. These functional garments accessories could also be fashionable, especially when decorated with ruffles, lace embroidery. Linens thus hygienic, social, moral financial information, which was generated by reliant upon processes laundry. This article explores some these processes, pertain to shirts, ruffs owned non-elite people living in northern Italian cities. It brings archival, visual material sources together evidence through re-creation caring for clothing show how ‘doing laundry’ imparted social meanings values.