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Crinolette thumbnail 2
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Crinolette

ca. 1870 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

By 1865 the outline of the fashionable dress changed. The shape at the back of the body grew more exaggerated with a distinctive flattening at the front. Crinolettes, or half-crinolines, marked the mid-point between the cage crinoline and the bustle. They often had extra loops of steel, which acted as a bustle.

Some crinolettes laced like a corset. The wearer used this lacing and internal tapes to adjust the shape of the bustle and the width of petticoat. Gaps in the tape made it possible to remove some of the steels when washing the petticoat.
read Corsets, crinolines and bustles: fashionable Victorian underwear
Object details
Categories
Fashion
Access_to_Images 2003
Europeana Fashion Project
Object type
Crinolette
Materials and techniques
Spring steel hoops, covered in striped cotton, fastened and adjusted with metal eyelets and tapes
Steel
Cotton
Hand Stitched
Physical description
Black and white striped cotton, and covered spring steel; black cotton braid edging. Internal tapes allow for the adjustable shaping of both the bustle and the width of petticoat. Open fronted with scalloped edge.
Dimensions
  • Waist measured inside the garment circumference: 67cm (Note: Measured by Conservation)
  • Waist hem at back length: 98cm (Note: Measured by Conservation)
Gallery label
  • The crinolette By 1870, fashionable skirts had more volume at the back and were gathered into elaborate drapes and folds. This new style required a new foundation garment. The crinolette, also known as a half-crinoline, was flat fronted and provided support at the rear. It was more versatile than the full crinoline because its shape could be modifiedby adjustable internal ties. Crinolette Britain, about 1870 Spring steel and cotton trimmed with cotton braid V&A: T.775C-1913 Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd (16/04/2016-12/03/2017)
  • CRINOLETTE (front left) Spring steel hoops covered in black and white striped cotton British, about 1870 CRINOLETTE (front right) Spring steel frame covered in white cotton British, 1868 By 1865, the shape of the crinoline at the back of the body grew more exaggerated with a distinctive flattening at the front. Crinolettes, or half-crinolines, marked the mid-point between the cage crinoline and the bustle. They were often made with extra loops of steel, which acted as a bustle. Some crinolettes were laced like a corset. This lacing, combined with the tying of internal tapes, enabled the shape of the bustle and the width of petticoat to be adjusted. Gaps in the tape made it possible to remove some of the steels when washing the petticoat. Given by Messrs. Harrods Ltd T. 775C -1913 T.194-1984
Credit line
Given by Messrs Harrods Ltd.
Object history
Given by Messrs. Harrods Ltd



Historical significance: This is an important example of a crinolette as it shows the changing shape of the female silhouette in the 1870s
Summary
By 1865 the outline of the fashionable dress changed. The shape at the back of the body grew more exaggerated with a distinctive flattening at the front. Crinolettes, or half-crinolines, marked the mid-point between the cage crinoline and the bustle. They often had extra loops of steel, which acted as a bustle.



Some crinolettes laced like a corset. The wearer used this lacing and internal tapes to adjust the shape of the bustle and the width of petticoat. Gaps in the tape made it possible to remove some of the steels when washing the petticoat.
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.775C-1913

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Record createdMay 16, 2001
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O58891/crinolette-unknown/
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