The crinoline style of clothing was the primary style during the 1830’s and through the 1840’s. This style is a petticoat with a cage frame that was made out of steel hoops and then a skirt over it. Essentially, the style was very large stiff skirts and very fitted tops to make your waist look tiny. When the width of skirts was increased the length was as well which made women seem far more modest about. Basically it was more form fitting on top and then looser, and longer on the bottom which creates a nice shape. The crinoline style was beneficial to the textile industry because of the massive amounts steel wire that needed to be produced. It also created a need for looms and dyes to be improved because of how much fabric was needed for the skirts and because of women’s needs to look presentable. The word crinoline comes from the French; “In the 1840s, the term “crinoline” referred to petticoats made of crin (horsehair) interwoven with hard lin (linen).” This style lasted for a while but in the 1850s towards more of the 1860s the bustle style was more in.
Fukai Akiko, Tamami Suoh, and Miki Iwagami. The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute FASHION A history from the 18th to the 20th Century. Vol. 1. TASCHEN, 2005. Print.
