My mother used britches to mean knickers.

Britches or breeches are the short, knee length trousers that were worn hundreds of years ago.

Both male and female children wore long hair and dresses until about 3-5 years old. Then the boys were 'breeched', put into short trousers and had their hair cut. The clothes were just a miniature version of what their parents wore. This habit lasted well into the 19th Century, and possibly into the beginning of the 20th.

In Britain, overalls are often a sort of house coat made of a lightweight, washable material. They were worn to prevent the better fabric of the dress from being damaged during house work or other chores. They usually fasten down the front, or sometimes have ties that pass through the front, tying at the back, giving a double breasted front. They are usually in garish colours and vile patterns.

Housecoats in the US seem to be what we would call dressing gowns or bedjackets. Apparently it is illegal in California for a woman to drive whilst wearing a housecoat.

LTS