Supplies:

Men’s white round or V-necked, short-sleeved undershirt
Scissors
Glue
Needle
2 2/3 yards of tape, string, or ribbon.
Fabric glue or fusible web or a sewing machine or needle and thread (for round necked undershirt only).
Paper clip, safety pin, or large-eyed needle.

Background:

In the 18th century, the shift was a girl's or a woman's most important undergarment. She would wear it below all of her other clothing. (Underpants were not usually worn until the 19th century.) Shifts were also worn to sleep in. The shift was made of white cotton or linen. The sleeves came down just below the elbow, and the hem came to below the knee. A very nice shift would be made of fine cloth, and might have lace or ruffles at the neck. A poor woman's shift would be made of coarser material.

Directions for a very easy shift using the V-necked undershirt:

1. Remove any labels or pockets.

2. At the bottom of the fabric binding of the V-necked collar, snip a small hole on either side. Be sure to cut through only the first layer of cloth.

3. Attach the tape, string, or ribbon to the safety pin or paper clip, or thread it through the needle. Work it through the seam binding of the collar. Gather the collar slightly and tie in a bow.

4. Snip a small hole through one layer of the finished edge of each sleeve. The hole should be on the outside edge of the sleeve.

5. Thread the tape through the hem of the sleeve. Gather the sleeves and tie in a bow.

Directions for an easy shift using the round necked undershirt.

1. Remove any labels or pockets.

2. Cut the collar off of the shirt.

3. Turn down the edge of the neck hole about 1 inch and sew or fabric glue the edge down to create a casing. If glue is used, let it dry thoroughly.

4. Snip a small hole through only the first layer of cloth in the casing at the bottom front of the neck.

5. Attach the tape, string, or ribbon to the safety pin or paper clip, or thread it through the needle. Work it through the seam binding of the collar. Gather the collar slightly and tie in a bow.

6. Snip a small hole through one layer of the finished edge of each sleeve. The hole should be on the outside edge of the sleeve.

7. Thread the tape through the hem of the sleeve. Gather the sleeves and tie in a bow.