lawn-sleeves

And up rose a young lord, who stammered unprofundities just below the region of lawn-sleeves to the right; and another with slow step, as if to music, came up the gangway, and spoke at the table; and another after him: and it needed sustained effort to understand what they said; the brain, as it were, would not close upon statement after statement so insignificant.

The Lord of the Sea 1906

So the naked truth, carefully veiled from view in episcopal aprons and lawn-sleeves, was now displayed in all its native charm.

Fifteen Chapters of Autobiography George William Erskine Russell 1886

Lance, who had a strong turn for opening it, found himself face to face with the same tall gray-haired gentleman at whom he had gazed in the rochet and lawn-sleeves.

The Pillars of the House, V1 Charlotte Mary Yonge 1862

Yet on the other hand, it is but justice to say, that, if written with three times _less_ ability, lawn-sleeves would not have given them buoyancy, but, on the contrary, they would have sunk the bishop irrecoverably; whilst the curate, favored by obscurity, would have survived for another chance.

Note Book of an English Opium-Eater Thomas De Quincey 1822

Fourthly, These pillars of the Church, because "the harvest was great, and the labourers few," and because they would ease the bishops from that grievous trouble of laying on hands: were willing to allow that power to all men whatsoever, to prevent that terrible consequence of unchurching those, who thought a hand from under a cloak as effectual as from lawn-sleeves.

The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D. — Volume 09 Contributions to The Tatler, The Examiner, The Spectator, and The Intelligencer Jonathan Swift 1706

a wig as representative of the law, lawn-sleeves in honor of the Church, and divide the rest of his person impartially between the army, the navy, and the doctors.

King John of Jingalo The Story of a Monarch in Difficulties Laurence Housman 1912