I have no idea what naval seafaring wives might have worn (there is precious little information about them), but it seemed like a regular dress would not be the best idea and my imagination went wild from there.
While Captain Croft and Sophia had landed together at Portsmouth and that is where she left him as his soon to be former ship was undergoing repairs while she proceeded to collect first Mirabella in London and then Anne in Somersetshire, he had not remained in Portsmouth. Instead, he was ordered to Plymouth to examine what would be his assigned flagship when he was formally promoted to admiral. The letter he left for her at the inn had, in addition to telling her he had no further information about the Laconia's next assignment, informed her of his departure thither and which friend to write to most easily reach him. Naturally, Sophia had written her husband immediately on receiving his missive and expected a prompt reply.
While in Portsmouth the ladies used their available time well. The morning after they arrived, Sophia showed Anne a curious dress from her trunk. Sophia explained that she had more or less invented it, in a series of experiments with her own clothing as she sought to sew a dress that would allow for modesty, for a woman to dress herself, and for the movement necessary on a shifting boat. The front wrapped and buttoned on the sides under the arms and was looser to allow for ease of movement. The skirts were less full and shorter than Anne was used to but had something like breeches stitched into them, which Sophia explained closely resembled the kind of breeches the crew wore as part of their slops. When the front of the dress was opened, the front of what she termed the underbreaches opened as well. Sophia showed them a handkerchief that had a button hole which allowed her to attach it onto one of the buttons under the arm and a small pocket that could be buttoned on the other side.
Sophia explained her reasoning behind the dress design. "Men aboard a ship wear looser clothing as they have to stand with their feet well spaced to maintain stability and looser clothing allows a woman to do the same. Sometimes a sudden swell might cause you to list for a moment to one side or another and if your skirts are too long, you might trip upon them and fall. Additionally, if you do fall, this dress design will help you to remain modest in such a circumstance. As the skirt itself is less full, it helps you to move more easily through tight spaces with less risk of it catching upon any rough wood. However, should your skirt catch and rip, the underbreeches will keep you from being exposed. Too, if the ship you are on happens to be attacked and any enemy has a nefarious purpose toward you, or a drunken crewman tries to become too familiar, say by trying to reach under your skirts, this dress will help protect your person from violence and exposure until one of the crew can assist you." She added, "While it is more difficult to use the necessary in such a dress, I believed it is well worth it for the modesty and protection thereby gained."
When Anne asked the purpose of the buttons on the inside of the underbreeches, Sophia explained matter of factly, "It is to attach cloths for one's monthlies. On a ship you cannot lie abed during the worst of it."
Anne and Mirabella watched in fascination as Sophia demonstrated how thick layers of flannel stitched onto a rectangular piece of cloth that matched the dress had button holes which matched up to the front and back of the breaches so that the cloth could be attached to it.
"What a wonder that is!" Mirabella exclaimed. "How clever you are!Why this very thing would make life so much easier, I am longing for such a dress myself, though I have no real need for a dress specifically adapted to life on the sea."
Sophia seemed pleased to have an opportunity to share her design with others who could appreciate it. "I began to imagine the attachment of the cloth for my monthlies from seeing how hammocks are attached, draping in the middle, and then I thought, what if a hammock was anchored in two spots on each end to hold it open. It could then curve around a woman's body and hold everything inside. There has been no one to share this with as there are precious few navy wives that accompany their husbands to sea."
Sophia explained that the dress she showed them had undergone various permutations to reach its current state and she was not sure even now it was in its final form. She told them, "What is fashionable for ladies is seldom practical. Of course I have conventional proper dresses for when we are ashore or are entertaining important guests on our ship and I like those dresses well enough, but they are not suited for ordinary life upon a ship."
She told Anne and Mirabella that they might wish to make additional modifications to the design to fit their own needs more exactly. "For example Anne, you might wish to attach a belt with buttons which you could attach pouches containing medical supplies."
As Anne had no experience with being at sea, she quickly resolved that she would defer to whatever Sophia deemed best, but might make modifications later once she tried the garments out for herself. Although Mirabella stated she had no reason to think she would ever be at sea, except perhaps if she might have the opportunity to be conveyed to see her son Edgar, it was evident that she had a longing to procuring one of these garments for herself, but had quickly decided it was of no use as she had not the funds and it would be frivolous to have one made in any event.
"Additionally," Mirabella said in a voice thick with emotion, "I cannot but think my family if they saw me in such a dress would use it as another excuse to make me their toad licker."
Anne resolved to herself that post-haste when she had some time alone with Sophia, she would raise the issue of whether they might not together find some way to improve Mirabella's condition in the future. She could not understand how anyone could treat kindhearted Mirabella so cruelly.
That afternoon, the three ladies visited the milliner to select fabrics for Anne's dresses, aprons, bonnets and flannels. Sophia resolved also that she wanted two new dresses of the design herself. The ladies spent much time perusing blues and indigos as Sophia said these colors would fade less from sunlight and salt water and still be attractive when they faded. "Not only is a faded dress less attractive, but a lighter color when faded might expose one more than it should," she explained. However they also purchased a length of dark yellow cloth as she expected it would simply fade to a lighter yellow.
When Anne worried they were purchasing too much fabric for each dress, Sophia explained that it was best for them to be cut on the bias thus requiring more cloth but the remaining extra pieces could be made into soft cloth bonnets which would be ideal for seafaring life.
Sophia told Anne, "Fabric bonnets are best as they easily be packed away when not in use and they will help shade your eyes and face from the sun without being too hot or heavy."
Anne smiled a little at this, believing it might help her fulfill her promise to her father to not let her face get too much sun. She cared little how much sun she got so long as her appearance was still pleasing to Frederick. Though perhaps Sophia looked a bit older than her years from all the weathering she had received, the lines she had seemed more associated with happiness than frustration or grief. Anne though she would welcome lines on her own face if a byproduct of happiness.
"Too, the extra cloth is a good backing for the flannels I showed you," here Sophia gave a little smile which confirmed the presence of small lines around her mouth and eyes. "Additionally, the excess cloth can be used in many practical ways. I have thought that if I ever had children I might sew baby clothes from the extra bits, but instead I sewed a quilt. And one time I used fabric for bandaging the crew."
In addition to the fabric for the dresses, Sophia also picked out a long length of thick white oilcloth. Anne was familiar with the fabric as it was commonly used for luggage, but she would have never thought of using it for an apron.
Sophia explained, "As you wish to work helping to care for sick and injured men, aprons are ideal for you as they can be changed more easily than a dress and can prevent staining to your dress. Oilcloth should not stain easily. White material is best for them as any stains will fade on them with exposure to sunlight. Perhaps the aprons should have pouches attached, rather than the dresses."
When Anne tried to purchase the fabric that she had selected (while Mrs. Russell surely did not intend this purchase as the something pretty she should buy herself, it was at least a proper use for the funds), Sophia insisted upon paying, explaining that Frederick had sent her with money to be used to outfit Anne properly for a ship in any manner Sophia deemed best. It seemed strange to Anne to have her future husband, who did not know she had accepted him, be buying her clothing at this juncture. However, she was practical enough to recognize that procuring garments in expectations of her future life was not so odd.
Anne smiled inwardly when she noticed also Sophia purchasing the fabric that Mirabella liked the best in a deep indigo hue. She would not dream of spoiling a surprise, but she suspected that Sophia had bought it so she could have a dress made for Mirabella as well.
The ladies then went to the home of a local dressmaker that Sophia had used before, who was a naval wife, to commission the dresses, bonnets and aprons (along with the cloths for monthlies as though they were simple enough for anyone to make, it was best that the buttonholes match up well with the buttons sewn on each dress). Sophia quickly sketched for Mrs. Voss the design she had in mind for each item. Sophia explained it was only really a reminder for Mrs. Voss who had made similar dresses and bonnets for her in the past, but might not remember exactly what they had done before as it had been two years. While the apron design was new, it was not so different than other aprons and the dressmaker suggested that pouches could be built in by adding another layer of cloth and stiching it into squares that were finished and opened at the top.
After the designs were agreed upon, Sophia insisted that each of them be measured and their measurements recorded. She then paid Mrs. Voss a hefty sum, ensuring that the first of the dresses would be complete in a week as the dressmaker would have the money to hire extra women and still make a tidy profit.
After they were back at the inn, Sophia confided that she had known that dressmaker for years. "Mrs. Voss's husband has never risen past second lieutenant. He is too fond of drink and carousing and too free to spend money he should be sending home to her. Generally she has nothing good to say about him as she has to take care of her family almost entirely by herself. She would be well to be rid of him forever, but every time he is home all is forgiven and he almost always manages to get her with child. Of course he is long-gone before she births each one. She will hire other navy wives who need income and make sure their tasks are within their abilities. Thus by making such purchases we help to support our own."
The ladies also visited a cobbler for the purpose of having boots made for Anne which would be especially suited to life at sea. The leather would be thicker and prepared with a water resistant coating, allow extra stability in rough seas and would cover the ankles she would otherwise be exposing in her shorter skirts.
Two days later, the ladies returned to Mrs. Voss's home for Anne and Sophia's first fittings on a dress for each of them on dresses that were only basted. Sophia insisted that Mirabella try on Anne's dress. While the fit was not quite right and it was quite unfinished, Mirabella smiled when viewing herself thus attired in Mrs. Voss's small looking glass.
When they were dressed again in their usual dresses, Sophia bid the other ladies visit Mrs. Voss's nearest neighbor, a naval widow named Mrs. Trout, whose cat had recently birthed, who was not able to go out easily for company as she was lame. Sophia said, "I cannot be around cats because they make me sneeze something awful, but that is no reason you ought not see the little darlings as I know you love them dearly Mirabella. I shall spend a few more minutes with Mrs. Voss and collect you when I am finished."
Anne was happy to comply (though she felt it a grave impropriety on her part to call on a stranger even if they could claim to be acquainted with her near neighbor), anticipating Sophia was finalizing arrangements for a dress for Mirabella. Anne wondered if Mirabella suspected anything, but soon concluded that Mirabella's mind was entirely on the kittens as she was muttering to herself, "I wonder how old they are and if the mother cat will object to us holding them."
Mrs. Trout was indeed happy to see them even though they had not been formally introduced. Mrs. Trout welcomed them as if they were long lost family and before they knew it they were both seated on her fur covered sofa holding tiny kittens whose eyes were barely opened. It fell on Anne to talk with Mrs. Trout as Mirabella stroked, caressed and cuddled the orange ball of fuzz while speaking to it as if it was a baby.
"Oh, it does my heart good to see someone who loves cats as I do," Mrs. Trout told Anne as they both watched Mirabella with the kitten. "I know that most think cats are only worthwhile to catch vermin, but I have found they make delightful companions, especially for one such as me who can hardly get around." She gestured to the crutch beside her. "At least I am not entirely useless as Mrs. Voss gives me some sewing to do. Do you think she might want to keep one when they are old enough to leave their mother? I hardly have room for more."
Mirabella, who Anne believed was entirely oblivious to the conversation of Mrs. Trout, so enamored was she by the kitten, shook her head and gave a little sigh. "I thank you for thinking of me, Mrs. Trout, but I know not how much longer we will be in Portsmouth and my family will not let me keep a cat within their home. They have no use for cats and I daresay less use for me, but cannot put me out."
Neither Anne nor Mrs. Trout seemed to know how to reply, and Mirabella soon filled the silence saying, "It is not right for me to complain so. I am certainly enjoying my visit, Mrs. Trout, though I daresay my conversational skills have been lacking, it has just been so long since I have been able to pet a cat and longer still since the cat I once had was a kitten."
Mrs. Trout told her, "That is quite all right, dearie. Mrs. Holmes, while you are in Portsmouth you are welcome to call anytime and share my cats with me."
Mirabella gave a tremulous smile, "I thank you for your kind consideration, Mrs. Trout."
Five days after the dresses were ordered, Anne and Sophia had a final fitting of their first dresses and saw that other dresses were in partially complete. Sophia began to get restless as she anticipated it would not be overly long until Anne was fully outfitted for naval life and yet Sophia still did not know where she needed to convey Anne. No further word had been received from Admiral Croft after the first letter Sophia found at the inn upon their arrival. Additionally, Sophia's other sources in Portsmouth as of yet had not been able to find out anything further about where the Laconia was bound.
Sophia was considering whether they should proceed to Plymouth after the items they were waiting to have made up were completed. She had expected to have further word from her husband by now and had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach that perhaps something was amiss. She knew her husband would not depart from England's shores without sending word and more likely trying to collect her, whether or not she had yet met with success in reuniting Frederick and Anne.
Thus it was with great joy that Sophia rushed to the door of their inn rooms when she heard a distinctive knock that afternoon. Anne and Mirabella looked at each other with some curiosity, but it was soon satisfied for it was none other than Captain Croft at the door (at least that was what Anne concluded as she could not imagine that there was any other man whom Sophia would be kissing and embracing with more intimacy then Anne had ever seen two people exchange. Anne was so very glad for them to be reunited, but she felt an ache that her arms were still empty and her lips were unkissed. She only hoped that Captain Croft would have word of where Frederick was bound.