What’s it Wednesday? Items from the museum collection. Our item from last week is a Bustle 1870s. Steel and cotton hive-shaped folding bustle. Constructed of eleven steel rings connected by cotton tape with metal eyelets and cotton laces. This bustle has a bustle cover to protect the petticoat from the metal. Fullness of the dress form was changing from the mid-century bell shape to a slimmer frontal look with a fullness in the back. The bustle helped create this look and also aided in creating the illusion of a smaller waist. In the early stages of the fashion for the bustle, the fullness to the back of the skirts was carried quite low and often fanned out to create a train. The transition from the voluminous crinoline enhanced skirts (bell shape) of the 1850s and 1860s can be seen in the loops and gathers of fabric and trimmings worn during this period. The bustle later evolved into a much more pronounced humped shape on the back of the skirt immediately below the waist, with the fabric of the skirts falling quite sharply to the floor, changing the shape of the silhouette. Our item of interest this week is the petticoat. These two examples are c.1875. White cotton with train and designed to wear over a bustle. A 19th century petticoat was a womans light, loose undergarment hanging from the waist, worn under a dress often made with ruffles, pleats, and or lace. It was used for added warmth or to give the skirt or dress the desired fashionable shape. Some types were designed to cover the bustle (see the contraption from last week) and other undergarments; it also protected the outer dress from perspiration. Today’s petticoat unlike its distant cousin, are sometimes worn on the outside of the garments with the intent of being seen..
Posted on: Wed, 21 May 2014 18:35:23 +0000
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