Ultimate Guide to Frame Skirts

by admin

Skirts in modern fashion can come in various lengths, such as maxi and mini. However, in the past centuries, skirts required a large amount of fabric, sometimes several tens of meters. To connect such a large amount of fabric together, a rigid frame was added, leading to the invention of various additional devices for skirts during those times. Fashion and technology have always gone hand in hand, inspiring each other with ideas and innovations. Therefore, the forms of frames for skirts have varied throughout different eras. Since fashion is cyclical, modern designers often return to clothing models from past centuries. It is useful to understand the different types of frame skirts, such as pannier, farthingale, crinoline, and bustle.

frame skirts

The first frame skirt that was invented is called a pannier. It consisted of a round-shaped frame made of metal or wooden hoops, fastened together with ribbons. Petticoats were worn over panniers. To walk with such a skirt, fashionistas of that time had to master the art of swaying and occasionally revealing the lower skirt edge or ankle to grab the attention of curious gentlemen.

pannier

In the following years, skirts started to increase in size due to side inserts while being flattened in the front and back. This gave rise to the farthingale, a frame skirt made with whalebone. The functionality of the farthingale allowed it to fold, which was useful since not all doors were wide enough for ladies with voluminous skirts to pass through. The farthingales were fixed on hinges, and ladies could squeeze them with their elbows when needed.

farthingale

The next stage in the evolution of frame skirts was the invention of the crinoline in the mid-19th century. Unlike the previous skirt models, the name of the designer who invented the crinoline, Charles Frederick Worth, has survived. The crinoline consisted of light metal hoops held together by ribbons, resembling a cage. Worth later improved the crinoline to be flatter in the front and more voluminous in the back, resulting in immense-sized skirts. He also came up with hinges that allowed the hoops to be squeezed and unclenched as needed.

crinoline

The crinoline was eventually replaced by the bustle, also invented by Charles Worth. The bustle was a construction of cushions or a small metal frame in the shape of a mesh, attached to the corset in the lumbar region. This created a fashionable S-shaped silhouette that was popular in the late 19th century.

bustle
frame skirts

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