Underpinnings and False Silhouettes
I have been thinking a lot about foundation garments lately. Or, more specifically, the idea of false silhouettes and how the under-structure of an outfit can radically change how a garment looks. Petticoats from the mid-twentieth century are quite tame in comparison to the underpinnings that came before, although their function is similar.
Farthingales, hoop skirts, cage crinolines, petticoats, crinolines, panniers, bustles . . . who comes up with this stuff?! Some of them look rather goofy, some are beautiful, and some look like torture devices to a modern individual used to spending the day in stretchy clothing.
Sometimes the shape is conical, circular, bell-shaped, or even oblong. Exaggerate the silhouette in one area, and everything else suddenly looks small in comparison. The Victorian wasp-waisted figure wearing a massive hoop skirt is an extreme example.
But the crinoline and petticoat are really just modified and more “modern” versions.
The dress I am working on has a very bell shaped skirt, so I went for more of a poof from the waist, but there are so many other options.
A petticoat is never going to look as extreme (and is so much easier to fit through a door!), but there are definite similarities.
A little like hip pads under a peplum, n’est-ce pas? Or perhaps a more obvious example would be the Robe de Style of the 1920s.
It really is fascinating to see how one style blends into the next over time, and how “modern” clothing design borrows from historical clothing again and again.
And hey, even some ultra modern designers like the cage crinoline. For most individuals, this look is not suitable for daily activity, but I quite like this underwear as outerwear. My biggest concern would be getting caught on a doorknob.
I have some very fond memories of flouncing about in a hoop skirt. So much fun, right?! And while I am certainly glad that it is not an everyday requirement, I do love me a fluffy petticoat.
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