Crinoline - the most extreme fashion of the Victorian era

• The crinoline - the most extreme fashion of the Victorian era

As a woman dressed in a crinoline.

This strange object has become a major element of fashion in the mid-1800s. And the most surprising thing is that it has survived to the present day.

"Never in fashion did not invent nothing sexier. How great it was to appear in the room and take a 1.8 meter ". So said a crinoline fashion designer Vivienne Westwood.

His name was formed from the combination of two words: "crin" - hard material with horsehair and "linen" - clothes. But the immense dome-shaped skirts supported not tough fabric, and the frame in the form of cells with bone or steel hoops. A patent for a metal cage crinoline was given in 1856.

His popularity was so high that some processing plants have become extremely crinoline served market, stamping every day about 3,000 pieces. Satirical magazine "Punch" wrote that occurred "krinolinomaniya". However, the wear it has been extremely difficult and uncomfortable.

Since the late 1850s to the late 1860s in England, about 3000 women died due to fire crinoline, because its owner can not always keep track of the edge of a large skirt. Fashion continued until mid-1860 and then subsided, but occasionally revived, especially after World War II as part of a romantic style New Look, which offered Christian Dior. These days, along with a crinoline is used for very formal occasions, and in particular, for wedding dresses.

We offer a look at the old photos era 1857-1867 years, many of which are on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. They depict the ladies and the most fashionable fashion element of the then - crinoline.

"Wearing a crinoline."

"New regulations for the omnibus." The image of women in crinoline, which is trying to sit in omnibus (form of public transport), presumably 1861.

"Competitor omnibus".

"Perfect wavy strips allow a lady to climb steep stairs, leaning against the table, plop down in the chair, to go to his place in the opera, and take a seat in the car, without causing inconvenience to themselves and others," - wrote in the newspaper "The Lady's "in 1863.