Women are prepared to go to considerable discomfort and even pain to follow the latest fashion. Learn what's under the hoopskirt and bustle and about the hazards of platform shoes.
The hoopskirt first made its appearance in Spanish Court fashion in the 16th century. It was known by several different names in various countries, like Krinoline (Biedermaier in Germany) and panier in France and lasted for nearly three centuries.
The ample silk or brocade fabric which made up the skirt was supported by a rather elaborate structure underneath. The hoops were made from bone or wood, until they were later replaced by steel and horsehair. Paintings by Velázquez show to which extremes the Spanish Court ladies went. The hoopskirt eventually flattened in front and back and expanded at the sides, giving way to an oval shape, which made it often difficult to pass through doors head on. Ladies often had to literally "sidle" to get through a door.
The French variety was called "panier" which got its name from the resemblance to chicken baskets at the market.
One can only imagine the difficulties the ladies must have experienced sitting down, not to mention getting dressed in the first place. Given the decline in body hygiene during some of the time the hoopskirt was in fashion, one doesn't want to think too much about what lay beneath all the outward splendor.
In the middle to late 1800s the bustle followed the hoopskirt. It was an understructure, worn at the back and starting from the waist to keep the fabric of the skirt from dragging on the floor. The purpose of the bustle, as well as of the hoopskirt, was to make the waist look smaller and to enhance the bust.
Like the hoopskirt, the bustle developed excesses, which gave rise to many a satiric cartoon at the time. Again, one can only imagine the difficulties for the ladies to sit down, as well as probably suffering quite a lot of back pain from dragging such a weight around.
Another, quite painful, fashion was the rage during the Renaissance (1500-1600). A high forehead was considered a sign of intelligence which led to plucking the hairline, often to halfway up the scalp. An example can be seen in paintings of Queen Elizabeth I and, of course, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The plucking didn't stop at the hairline: eyebrows were eliminated too.
Platform shoes have been worn in many cultures and during many periods of history. The oldest examples are related to ancient Greek theatre, when the most important figures wore platform shoes to distinguish them and make them more visible to the audience. China also has a tradition of platform shoes, designed to underline the rank of the person wearing them.
They resurfaced in modern day fashion during the 1930s and 1940s, but then faded until the 1990s when they became fashionable again, particularly in the entertainment industry. (ABBA) The British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood reintroduced excessive platforms in the early 1990s, and it was when model Naomi Campbell took her well publicized tumble wearing one of Vivienne's creations on the catwalk that the dangers of losing one's balance or twisting one's ankle became apparent.