"A chemise, shift, or smock was usually sewn at home, by the women of a household. It was assembled from rectangles and triangles cut from one piece of cloth so as to leave no waste. The poor would wear skimpy chemises pieced from a narrow piece of rough cloth; the rich might have voluminous chemises pieced from thin, smooth fine linen."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemise
Today the term
chemise often refers to women's fashions that vaguely resemble a shift, or under garment, but are usually more delicate and provocative.
Mulberry Muse Marie Antoinette
Lace Chemise available as greeting cards.
From
Vintage Star Beads a gorgeous chemise
