Victorian crinoline dress

The iconic crinoline - the "cage" crinoline or hoop skirt - which made it's debut in the 1850s, reached the zenith of its real estate in the first years of the next decade. The shape of the thing would gradually shift toward the back during the following few years, before completely disappearing at the beginning of the new decade; the "business at the back" we see so much of here, became the the bustle, the look of the 1870s. Ironically, the cage crinoline's final collapse fairly coincided…

Crinoline to crinolette to bustle

Since we help to host three Civil War balls in the South Carolina Upstate, we often get questions about what a Civil War ball dress looks like. Some folks think all you need is a Big Skirt and presto - an 1860s ball gown! Um, sorry folks - not quite! :) Think of how fashion works today. Can you immediately tell the different between a 1981 wedding dress and a 2011 wedding dress? Of course! But let's a say a Time Traveler from AD 2200 looks at a photo of Princess Diana and Princess Kate side…

During the Victorian era, pink was considered a sweet, feminine color, suitable for the gowns of young ladies in their first season.

From the Museum of Vancouver