Farthingales, Modern Hoop, Crinolines

Women's Garment Myths

Myth: Farthingales are the same shape as modern hoopskirts or 19th century crinolines.

Farthingales are not the bell shaped hoop skirts of the Victorian age or even modernly, but are cone shaped until mid 1570s, when the French farthingale took a different shape.

The above from left two, middle, then right two:

• Spanish Farthingale without a bum roll (worn by Linda Sparks). Note this has 7 hoops, which Linda recommends using sturdy hoop steel.
• Spanish Farthingale with a bum roll (worn by Linda Sparks). It is under contention if a bum roll was worn, or not worn, with a Spanish farthingale.
• Modern hoop skirt. Note how much wider this is at the bottom than the farthingale. Also note this only has 4 hoops, either of plastic or wire/buckram combo, which is not enough to support the weight of heavy velvets and brocades.
• Civil War Crinoline front view. Note how much wider and more bell shaped this form is.
• Civil War Crinoline side view.

Farthingale and crinoline images retrieved January 29, 2007 from Farthingales. Spanish farthingale: http://farthingales.on.ca/spanish_farthingale.html, Civil War crinoline http://farthingales.on.ca/simplicity_9764.php

Image of modern hoop skirt from TuxedoMan.com: http://www.tuxedoman.com/slips/dd.htm