Crinoline Help!

S

shawnacyy

Registered Guest
So I've come across a couple of gorgeous full skirted fifties dresses, and I need a crinoline for them. I have noticed that when i'm browsing Etsy for fifties full skirted dresses it looks like the crinoline is too short for it because you can distinctly see its outline a few inches above the dresses bottom hem. I think this looks horrible, and I want to avoid it at all costs! So what I am wondering, is what's a proper crinoline to skirt ratio? Do you want your crinoline to be about an inch shorter than the skirt? Less? More? Is there even an etiquette to this or am I being crazy? Ha :)

Any advice on crinolines is very much appreciated, as I know absolutely nothing about them!
 
Your crinoline should be the same length as your skirt, give or take a little - eg, I used to like to see the lace edgy so I would wear mine a little lower but for some ladies, they don't want to see the edging so you wear it a bit higher.

The photos you're talking about are using a crinoline that's far too short for the dress, that's why they get the edging - real '50s dresses are much longer than many of the modern crinolines that are made for square dancing or repro dresses, that are shorter than the original lengths.

A way to avoid the ridge is to slide the crinoline down the mannequin's hips so it's at the right level for the skirt. Of course, this only works if it's a small difference in length.

Nicole
 
From having spoken with women from that era, the only real social faux pas was in letting your crinoline be seen - it was like having your slip or bra strap show, in the days when those were considered faux pas... I have noticed that most dealers 'over-crinolate' their 1950s and early 60s dresses. One crinoline is for shape, two is for making a statement, 3 is a party!
 
Back in the '80s, when I was mad on '50s I used to wear three crinolines under my frocks! Once I went to a party in a Victorian terrace house and my skirt was so big I couldn't fit down the hallway....I had to pull it in at both sides. My crinolines were all original '50s ones so they weren't as boofy as the modern repro styles.

Nicole
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top