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There are two types of bustles, one worn by women and found predominantly between the mid- to late 1800s, and a second type of bustle worn by Native American men as a part of the male dancer's regalia. A women's bustle is a type of framework used to expand the fullness or support the drapery of the back of a woman's dress. Bustles were worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. Heavy fabric tended to pull the back of a skirt down and flatten it. Thus, a woman's petticoated or crinolined skirt would lose its shape during everyday wear (from merely sitting down or moving about). The word "bustle" has become synonymous with the fashion to which the bustle was integral.
History
Transition from crinoline (1867-1872)
Crinolines had a short asymmetric period before they were abandoned in favor of the bustle. One type of crinoline, the crinolette, created a shape very similar to the one produced by a bustle.Early bustle (1869 - 1876)
The bustle later developed into a feature of fashion on its own after the overskirt of the late 1860s was draped up toward the back and some kind of support was needed for the new draped shape. Fullness of some sort was still considered necessary to make the waist look smaller and the bustle eventually replaced the crinoline completely. The bustle was worn in different shapes for most of the 1870s and 1880s with a short period of non-bustled, flat-backed dresses from 1878 to 1882.Late bustle (1883 - 1889)
It reappeared in 1883, and was exaggerated to become a major fashion feature in the mid-1880s. It then survived into the 1890s and early 1900s as a skirt support was still needed and the stylish shape dictated a curve in the back of the skirt to balance the curve of the bust in front. The bustle had completely disappeared by 1905, as the long corset of the early twentieth century was now successful in shaping the body to protrude behind.Fashion
The bustle was a typically Victorian fashion. Although most bustle gowns covered nearly all of a woman, the shape created by the combination of a bustle and corset (accentuating the rump, waist, and bosom) resulted in a highly erotic and idealized conception of femininity.
Bustles and bustle gowns are rarely worn in contemporary society. Notable exceptions occur in the realm of haute couture and bridal fashion. A dress in the bustle style may be worn as a costume. For example, in 1993 Eiko Ishioka won an Academy Award for her costume designs from Bram Stoker's Dracula. The film features several extravagant bustle gowns created for female leads Winona Ryder and Sadie Frost.
Native American bustle
The Native American bustle is a traditional part of a man's regalia worn during a dance exhibition or wachipi (pow wow) and originates from the Plains region of the United States. In its modern form, the men's bustle is typically made of a string of eagle or hawk feathers attached to a backboard. Eagle and hawk feathers are sacred religious objects to Native American people and the possession of eagle and hawk feathers are protected by the eagle feather law (50 CFR 22).
There are several types of bustles, the modern one being in the shape of a U and the other, traditional bustle or "old-style" bustle, being circular. The dancer's style generally dictates the type and number of bustles worn. A typical traditional dancer wears a single bustle while fancy dancers generally wear two bustles, one attached to a belt above the buttocks and another attached to a harness on the back.
Gallery
See also
History of clothing (Western fashion) | Underwear | Victorian era
"Bustle"