How To Get A Lovely Lady Lump
Petticoats, the ideal undergarment for the ideal woman. Dated all the way back to the Middle Ages, petticoats have been used to create the idea woman figure of the era. It would fabricate an illusion – wider hips, smaller waist, larger butt making them todays spandex. Shapes and sizes but the crinoline stayed on the most recognizable (fig.1)
Originally made with horsehair and whalebone, steel crinolines were the fashion frenzy of the late 1840’s. First patented in England, steel crinolines became an immediate hit. Thousands of them could be produced in one day. This immense supply created an affordable prices meaning all social classes could wear them. Surrounded by cotton and linen, manufacturers used steel created a lighter spring allowing for more freedom to the legs. However, walking was still challenging. In addition to the weight, crinolines had a circumference of about 5 to 6 yards making the ability to walk through doors challenging as well (fig.2).
The crinoline created a bell shape giving illusion to bigger curves and a smaller waist. The pairing of a corset, which was done more often than not, only added to the effect. Crinolines, mostly near the end of the 1850’s would allow the visibility of a woman’s ankle. The idea of an ankle being erotic is laughable in present times, but back in the day, very little of a woman’s body was shown. “Sexuality was severely repressed in the West during the Victorian era. Both sexual behaviour and public discussion of topics related to sexuality were suppressed” (SEXUALITY, 2003) creating a society that revered the slightest showing off of woman attractive.
Granted that some people might proclaim that there is no beauty without pain, I don’t think they thought of how far some people would go to achieve such a goal. Crinoline, as beautiful and desirable they are, were extremely flammable. It is estimated that 3000 women had died between 1950 and 1860 in England alone by crinoline related fires. However, this did not halt the market for the petticoats.
Crinolines then led to crinolettes, also known as the lobster(fig.4). Crinolettes were created through the dying fad of wider thighs. Instead of being wide all around they had a massive dragging back side and thin waist creating a smaller frame which created the Bustle.
Crinolines stay plat part in modern fashion. Fashion companies and designers such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Christian Dior all took inspiration from the crinoline, adjusting it and created their own unique ideal female figure. Updated versions of the crinoline are also found in ball gowns and dresses of our time. Let’s just hope they won’t catch fire.
Work Cited:
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Crinoline.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/crinoline.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Petticoat.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/petticoat.
“Bustle.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 15 Sept. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bustle.
“The Crinoline or Hoop Skirt.” VICTORIANA MAGAZINE, www.victoriana.com/Victorian-Fashion/crinoline.htm.
“Crinoline.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Aug. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinoline.
Delamater, John, et al. “Sexuality.” International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family, edited by James J. Ponzetti Jr., Gale, 2nd edition, 2003. Credo Reference, https://ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galemarriage/sexuality/0?institutionId=6884. Accessed 17 Oct. 2019.
Images:
Figure 1. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/82072
Figure 2. https://collections.mfa.org/objects/117001
Figure 3. www.victoriana.com/Victorian-Fashion/crinoline.htm.