Nightgowns and naughtiness is probably the the most accurate phrase to describe some of the goings on of the Victorian age amongst the landed gentry and their underlings. The girls and ladies of the day wore lots of cotton underwear like petticoats and camisoles. The nightgowns in those days would be a practical garment made of heavy cotton or flannel fabric designed more for warmth than it's allure.The restrictive effect of the Victorian nightgowns and the way they hid the naked body was a reflection of their attitudes towards sexuality. Unfortunately in most cases this only added to male curiosity. The thought of a woman's charms hidden beneath all that cool smooth cotton just waiting to be explored made the chase even more thrilling.
Often as not the young chambermaids and servants were pestered by their wealthy employers who wanted to indulge in some nocturnal activities or other. It was almost common place for these poor young girls to have someone slipping beneath the crisp white sheets next to them.By then the flimsy barrier of the long cotton Victorian nightgowns would offer little protection from roving hands. It was not just the men of the house either that took advantage of the innocent. Faced with the threat of unemployment and a poor reference which would almost guarantee starvation they would often comply.
Confronted with this kind of blackmail the poor girls would have no option but to agree to these nightly liaisons. Unfortunately the outcome for them was worse than if they had resisted. Many of them fell pregnant and were cast out anyway, the male perpetrators denying all responsibility for their condition would then move on to the next poor girl. Thank goodness that times have hopefully changed since those master and servant days of yesteryear when a poor girls future lay in the hands of such evil people. Ha well so much for the history of nightgowns.