Fashion of crinolines

At the beginning of the fifties the skirt acquired up to exaggeratedly voluminous form. It formed the most distinctive part of lady´s silhouette. Its shape was determined by bottom ring skirt, crinoline (fig. 16). According to it also the name of this period crinoline became usual for this period. In 1856 lightweight steel rings were used for manufacturing of underskirt for the first time, thanks to which the crinoline gained a distinctive volume. In the fifties the crinoline had cupola-like form. From the sixties at the view from side it was changed and it acquired a triangular silhouette by distinctive prolongation backward (fig. 1, 2). Mass factory production of crinolines made them accessible also to broad classes of population. On the territory of Slovakia it did not penetrate into folk clothing in the country; there it was worn only by intelligentsia: mesdames female pastors and the like. They were popular despite the fact that for their sewing-up it was used-up a lot of material and they hindered in current life fig. 3).

The clothes cut made complete and highlighted the silhouette of constantly favourite subtle trunk modelled by corset and crinoline. Contrary to the previous fashion the cut of sleeves was changed and they were spread-out towards the wrist bit by bit. In the fifties the visit jackets started to wear to the skirt. Initially they have been simple they reached up to waist or on hips they had narrow sleeves; in the front they were high closed and they were fastened with small hooks or buttons. Also in the front open jackets with white blouse or vestlet were worn. The sleeves used to be in funnel-shaped way enlarged (fig. 4).

In comparison with hairdressing in Biedermeier period the hairdos have been substantially simpler. The parting remained and the hairs from both temples were sunk onto shoulders in form of free wavy ringlets. In the day the hairs were interwoven into braids and in form of small wreaths they were wound-around head or they were embedded in nape. They were completed with simple smooth ribbons or flowers. Older women worn also in domestic environment bonnets furthermore they were rather smaller they covered the entire head and they were tied-together both under chin or they have been only freely put. They were sewn of batiste, laces or folded ribbons. The women of higher classes when they went out they put on them yet hats with open brim (fig. 5).

The women and girls have used all clothing accessories known already in previous periods – textile pockets also leather handbags, knitted purses, embroidered handkerchiefs, fans and parasols, fine lace veils, scarves also leather or jersey gloves. Deeply cut-out ballerinas were worn already only in the evening otherwise shoes and the lady´s slippers got low heel.