What Is a Hoop Skirt?

The hoop skirt reached the height of its popularity in the Civil War era. Propped up by an undergarment made of rigid, concentric circles, the largest hoop skirts were a full six feet across. Getting dressed was a difficult process for the 19th-century woman who wore many layers of undergarments to create the ideal shape for her dresses. Navigating life in the center of a wide hoop skirt posed several challenges.

Petticoats

Prior to the invention of the hoop skirt, women wore many layers of starched petticoats to hold up their dresses. It was common to wear between five and seven petticoats, regardless of how warm it was outside. The multiple layers would fill out a skirt in a graceful bell shape. The wider the skirt, the more petticoats a lady had to wear.

Caged Crinoline

In 1856 W.S. Thomson patented a metal "caged crinoline," another name for a hoop skirt. It replaced the need for many layers of petticoats. The hoop skirt was a series of concentric circles or hoops, made of anything from steel to whalebone, that were held together by sturdy fabric strips. The result was much cooler, because women only wore one petticoat underneath the hoop skirt instead of six or seven. An additional petticoat was worn between the hoop skirt and the outer garment.

Popularity

Women greatly preferred the hoop skirt to multiple layers of petticoats. "Hoops," as they were often called, were much lighter to wear. All women wore them, regardless of class. By the 1860s, styles spread more quickly as transportation by railroad connected communities to one another. Soon, the hoop skirt fashion was seen in small towns as well as big cities.

New Styles

Layers of flounces became popular with the new hoop skirt fashion and were seen until Civil War fabric shortages caused them to disappear. Around 1863, the hoop skirt became elliptical in shape with a fuller skirt in the back that ended in a small train.

Problems

Hoop skirts were not always easy to wear. When sitting down, women had to be very careful not to flip the hoop up and reveal their undergarments. It became necessary to perch on the edge of the seat. It was difficult to get up into a carriage or walk through a narrow passageway. Hoop skirts could also cause a woman to accidentally knock things over as she passed by.

Bustle

Wide hoop skirts were popular throughout the Civil War era. By the 1870s, fashion shifted from the hoop skirt to the bustle. Instead of wide, encircling hoops, the bustle accentuated the rear of the dress. It might be constructed of a steel cage or a stuffed pillow structure that fastened around the waist.