corduroy Figure 1.-- Here we see the lining to a pair of English corduroy school shorts. As with most school shorts, the lining was white. The material of the lining here is a 55/50 cotton/polyester blend. The image here is a little misleading. The reason why the lining looks like satin is to do with the light of the scanner being reflected back on itself through the brilliance of the lining.

A variery of garments have traditionally been lined. Generally these are jackets and overcoats as well as other better-made clothes, including pants and skirts. This has varied over time. Better-made pants (trousers), for example were often lined before the 1960s. The material commonly used was once silk or satin. In the 20th century we also notice rayon-based satin-like fabrics. Lining pants is much less common today, except for very expensive suits. One garment that has continued to be lined are school short pants, at least shorts made in or for England or other British empire countries. For school shorts, a cotton fabric is commonly used. We also noted blanded cotton-polyester fabrics.

Satin

Satin was a very coomonly used fabric for lining jackets and overcoats. Since the invention of synthetic fibers like Rayon, a range of blends have been used which look and feel like satin. This once included better-made trousers. I am not sure about 19th and early 20th century trousers worn as part of school uniforms, meaning the uniforms at private schools like English preparatory and public schools. I suspect that they were lined, but have no information to substantiate this.

Silk

Silk was another fabric used to line expensive garments. We think the pattern is much like that of satin.

Cotton

Many English school shorts are lined with cotton fabric. This is an exception to the more general pattern of using satin, satin-like fabrics, and silk. We are not entirely sure why cotton fabrics are the standard fabrics for lining school shorts. There are several obvious factors to consider. We think the most likely are cost and maintenance. Cost is a major factor for school uniforms. Maintenance specifically washing is another very important factor. Boys school shorts unlike jackets and overcoats, haave to be laundered regularly. Our English reader srtesses the problem of urination, but we would say that the overall problem of laundey is probably the major reason cotton is used for school shorts. Satin, silk, and Rayon simply do not hold up to repeated laundry as well. If manufacturers did not think of this at forst, I am sure they heard from the mothers that had to do the lundry. I am not entirely sure how the linings affected the ironing of creases, but this may well have been another factor.

Cotton Blends

English manufacturers also use cotton blends for lininings. We notice 50-50 cotton/polyester belends. I am not sure at this time how these blended fabrics compare to pure cotton fabrics.

Reader Comments

Boys' short trousers wre normally lined in cotton. An English HBC reader writes, "I’ve been giving some thought regarding the colour and fabric of short trousers linings. This used to baffle me for many years, even as boy I was aware that the linings of my short trousers looked different from the linings of my jackets and overcoats. Here are some possible explanations as to why short trousers are lined differently to jackets and skirts. I think its something to do with the nature of the material. At one time many jackets were lined with silk or even satin, but eventually these would be replaced with man-made fibres such as acetate and viscous rayon. These fabrics are fine for the likes of jackets and skirts, but I think the reason why there is a preference to use cotton as a lining for short trousers has something to do with the nasty subject of urination. This is of course a topic that has to be taken into consideration for younger boys. As has been mentioned on HBC, at one time many boys did not wear underpants beneath their short trousers and this would inevitably lead to the lining being stained with urine. Cotton is much easier to wash and iron than acetate or viscous rayon and I’m sure manufacturers of short trousers must have taken this into account when looking for a suitable material to line short trousers with. Another factor could be appearance. Cotton is not as bulky as the other fabrics I’ve mentioned and it is easier to handle. I’m sure it would be difficult to obtain and maintain a decent crease down the legs of the trousers had they been lined with the materials that are used to line jackets and skirts with."

Created: 3:54 PM 2/7/2008
Last updated: 3:54 PM 2/7/2008