I’m told that it was hard to heat the indoors back then and the natural fibers made things more breathable. Additionally, the climate was cooler. We now know there was the Little Ice Age which lowered temperatures.
It’s not very well named. The phrase was coined in the late 1930s. It wasn’t a true ice age and it wasn’t global. It lasted from about 1300-1850. Throughout the period there were times when the cold intensified in certain regions, such as 1650, 1770, and 1850. Perhaps, you have heard of the Frost Fairs on the frozen Thames? There’s a variety of theories about its cause and it’s gotten some media attention in recent years as talk about Climate Change. I first learned about it in college. Specifically, its effect on witch trials post-Enlightenment. I’m having a hard time nailing down specifics about how much colder it was back then than now. I guess we’ll just take their word for it…
Yes, I heard of the frozen Thames and the Frost Fairs. Several variations write stories which have “no summer/no crops, etc.” Cause in these stories is the volcano (I forget where.) which erupted and blocked the sun for long times those years.
Rose Fairbanks 
All that heavy clothing! So many of the portraits show such. I cannot see that any of them were really comfortable.
LikeLike
I’m told that it was hard to heat the indoors back then and the natural fibers made things more breathable. Additionally, the climate was cooler. We now know there was the Little Ice Age which lowered temperatures.
LikeLike
Never heard of the Little Ice Age!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s not very well named. The phrase was coined in the late 1930s. It wasn’t a true ice age and it wasn’t global. It lasted from about 1300-1850. Throughout the period there were times when the cold intensified in certain regions, such as 1650, 1770, and 1850. Perhaps, you have heard of the Frost Fairs on the frozen Thames? There’s a variety of theories about its cause and it’s gotten some media attention in recent years as talk about Climate Change. I first learned about it in college. Specifically, its effect on witch trials post-Enlightenment. I’m having a hard time nailing down specifics about how much colder it was back then than now. I guess we’ll just take their word for it…
LikeLike
Yes, I heard of the frozen Thames and the Frost Fairs. Several variations write stories which have “no summer/no crops, etc.” Cause in these stories is the volcano (I forget where.) which erupted and blocked the sun for long times those years.
LikeLiked by 1 person