Bustle

Unknown

1880s · wool, metal · Costume Institute

The crinolettes that supported the bustled skirts of the 1870s and 1880s took on a more cylindrical form than their predecessors of the 1860s, with a flattened front and increased emphasis over the buttocks. Although they were conceived purely as mechanisms to achieve an aesthetic effect, crinolettes also responded to practical considerations. Some, like the Lobster-Pot crinolette, were designed, like winter petticoats of the period, to keep the wearer warm. This example was constructed of medium-weight wool and sports a button-on hem ruffle.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1880s

Medium

wool, metal

Culture

American

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Lee Simonson, 1938