The Bustle

The Bustle

The Bustle first came around in the mid 19th century just after the crinoline went out of fashion.

A wire frame supports many layers of underskirts & a hooped up over skirt.

These are some examples of a bustle, ranging from the middle one - a expensive model for the posher lot - to the rather humble make on the right - a smaller bustle for the less important -. On the right is a bustle made of cloth instead of wire, which makes for a more comfy ( if smaller ) bustle.

Here is a drawing of a high class lady wearing a large bustled skirt.

You could often tell how high up the lady was, by how big her bustle was. 

i.e the bigger the bustle, the higher up she was.

The bustle finally went out of fashion in 1905 when the long corset came in.

The era of big bums was over.