The Hood Museum of Art's new exhibit, "Crinolines, Bustles, and Tight-Lacing: Creating the Artificial Silhouette," traces women's fashions from the nineteenth century to the early 1900s.
The emphasis of the unusual exhibit is on the changing silhouettes created by the underwear and support structures of the time period.
The exhibit, displayed in the Harrison gallery, consists of 12 mannequins in various poses depending on their clothing. Some are fully dressed in the style of the time while others wear only corsets, bustles and other forms of intricate underwear.
The mannequins are placed side by side in the small gallery, displaying even the subtle ways in which women's fashion changed throughout the 19th century. Each of the mannequins represents a different decade. The first is from the 1820s when the style of the artificial silhouette re-emerged in American women's fashion.
Initially, comfort was essential in the design of clothing, but eventually beauty took precedence. The exhibition focuses on the creation of the "ideal" figure by using cage crinolines, wire bustles, and steel-bonded corsets, the mainstays of the artificial silhouette.
The exhibit also explores the history of women's undergarments, which were very often restrictive and caused various health problems. Corsets curved the spine, displaced the ribs and deformed internal organs, which led to respiratory as well as reproductive complications.
In addition to the health risks caused by fashionable clothing, petticoats and crinolines were also considered dangerous for their susceptibility to fire.
As the nineteenth century went on, fashion became more complicated for women. Elaborate braiding came into play and more petticoats were used to enhance skirt width and make the waist look smaller.
At first, the artificial silhouette was created by adding padding and other reinforcement to underwear. Beginning mostly in the 1840s, exterior garments were also padded to enhance the false figure already created by the interior garments.
When it was found that the use of the heavy petticoats placed undue strain on the lower back, the hoop skirt came into use. Although much lighter than the petticoats, they had the habit of flying up in the wearer's face if she was not careful when sitting. Gusts of wind were also a source of potential danger.
Women with flatter chests wore padding. In the last two decades of the century, bust improvers and bosom forms were used to build more fashionable bustlines.
The "Gibson Girl" who appeared in books, cartoons and magazine stories became the personification of the perfect woman. "Tall, beautiful, intelligent, and athletic, and a bit haughty, with a wasp-waist, curvaceous figure, and mounds of exquisitely arranged hair, the Gibson Girl captured the imaginations of men and women alike," the notes said.
Curves began to go out of fashion around 1908. Corsets changed to make women look more slender and slim-hipped. Advertisements offered corsets for waist sizes 20 to 36, and for the petite to the full-figured.
Most of the items in the exhibit came as gifts from friends and alumni of Dartmouth College. Some also come as gifts from the Drama Department Costume Shop.
Crinolines, Bustles, and Tight-lacing: Creating the Artificial Silhouette was organized by Margaret Spicer, Adjunct Curator of Costumes at the Hood Museum of Art and Professor of Drama. The exhibit will show until July 18.
