To divest yourself of all this and get into paijamas and so to bed: ten minutes.

But when Vivie returned to herself and went about the world of 1909-1910, and merely wished to pass as an inconspicuous, modest woman she had to spend _hours_ in dressing and undressing, and this is what she had to wear and waste so much of her time in adjusting and removing:-- Next the skin, merino combinations, unwieldy garments requiring a contortionist's education to put on without entangling your front and hind limbs.

The "combies" were specially buttoned with an infinitude of small, scarcely visible buttons, which always wanted sewing on and replacing, and were peevish about remaining in the button hole.

Often, too, the "combies" (I really can't keep writing the full name) had to be tied here and there with little white ribbons which preferred getting into a knot (no wonder the average woman has a temper!).

When the "combies" went to the wash, all these ribbonlets had to be taken out, specially washed, specially ironed, and ingeniously threaded back into position.
Next to the combinations, proceeding outwards, came the corset, a most serious affair.