Jumping Through Hoops by Cindy Regnier

Ladies, have you ever felt uncomfortable when the occasion requires you to wear a floor length dress? Let’s all be thankful that we live in the here and now instead of the “hoop skirt era.” Though I’ve never worn one, I have to believe they were horribly uncomfortable and awkward, along with all the layers of undergarments and tight-fitting apparel that made your waist seem smaller than it really was. (Remember that scene in Gone With the Wind where Scarlett holds onto the bedpost while insisting Mammy pull tighter? Ouch) So what exactly is a hoop skirt and why did ladies wear them?

A hoop skirt is a women's undergarment worn to hold a full skirt away from the body and into what was termed “a fashionable shape.” In the 16th and 17th century some Spanish nobility wore what was called “farthingales” under their skirts which were rigid and heavy. These contraptions were reinvented into hoop skirts in the 1800s and quickly came to England and America. They originated as a way to hold the skirt away from your legs, which was cooler and reduced the embarrassing possibility of tripping over your own skirts. The first hoops were made from whalebone or metal, but these proved impractical and heavy. Eventually the flattened steel wire became the material of choice for hoop skirts. The wire was sturdy enough to maintain its shape over time but also allowed a certain amount of flexibility. A woman could flatten out her skirts for things like getting into a carriage only to have the skirt return to its original shape when released. This material proved to be lightweight and more comfortable than hoop skirts in the past, so as demand increased, so did the supply. 

At one time, nearly 60,000 yards of steel wire was manufactured each day to create fashionable hoop skirts. Companies like Douglas & Sherwood, A.T. Stewart, and New York’s Osborn & Vincent had large factories and employed hundreds of people.

Hoops got bigger and bigger. At one point some were about six feet wide. I have to wonder how those women did simple things like go through a doorway or dance with a partner. 

Both women and girls wore them as hoops became popular in both England and America, especially in high society during the 1800s. They replaced multiple crinoline petticoats that were used to hold the skirts out. The crinoline was heavy, stiff and tangled with itself, making it quite uncomfortable. With the hoops, women could now reduce their petticoats to one or two and make them from cotton instead of crinoline.

Hoop skirts eventually began to evolve into devices to arrange a long train or create a bustle as fashion demanded decreased skirt size in front with an increase in back. Wow. I have no comment on that thought. Eventually the hoop skirt grew obsolete as women left behind the struggle of figuring out how to walk, sit, or even smile while wearing the contraptions. Today, the most you will see are bridal petticoats to exaggerate the skirt of a wedding gown. What do you think? Would you have worn a hoop skirt if you’d lived in the 1800s?

 Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood. Her experiences with the Flint Hills setting, her natural love for history, farming and animals, along with her interest in genealogical research give her the background and passion to write heart-fluttering historical romance.