Fashion

Did You Know…Why Women Wore Bustles?

Everyone loves to look like a true lady. Yes, even in the 1800s. So what is a bustle? A bustle is a type of underclothing, aimed at making the women’s body look like a tailored figure. In other words, it’s that thing in the back of your dress that gives volume to your behind and hugs your waist. It’s that fitted skirt that women used to wear under another long skirt, supporting the overwhelming back drapery and giving the behind a very puffy appearance. Consider it an older version of the modern pads that make the derriere look bigger!

So what really is the secret behind it all? It couldn’t just be a random form of fashion, could it now? It appears to be that bustles were an answer to the “hoop” problem, which is technically the ginormous skirt that amplified the size of the dress. Women couldn’t move freely, so fashion moved the volume to the back, giving birth to the infamous “bustle”. The verdict? The bustle was considered sultry, a perfect answer for the much-needed hour-glass figure and a fabulous way to make women’s behinds look bigger and fuller!

But hey, we’re loving their creativity! And as Coco Chanel once said: “Fashion is architecture: it is a matter of proportions”.

 

Cindy Menassa



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