This past February's post, Ten Fantastic Online Sources for Vintage Style Crinolines, proved to be highly popular and garnered a number of follow-up questions regarding buying, sourcing, repairing and wearing crinolines.
Some of them have been answered here in other posts, but I received one query this spring from a lovely reader in Louisiana (which, as a s side note, is a state that I've always felt hugely towards and hope to visit someday) that I don't believe I'd really delved into here before.
Interestingly, I have been asked similar questions before over the years, so it seemed high time I shared my answers to it with all of you, in case others out there were wondering the very same thing.
As today is not only the first Sunday in July, but also July 4th Eve, this isn't going to be an epic sized post by any means. No, instead it's a quick answer to a fun question, which is...
“How do I get that crinoline peek effect?”
This is just how my reader phrased her question and I must say, I adore that term, which no doubt most crinoline (aka, petticoat, aka pettiskirt) wearers will understand the meaning of.
What she's asking is how to I have just a wee bit of my crinoline show in a way that looks complimentary to my outfit and is clearly intentional, not like I'm a new to wearing vintage and/or am going to a 50s themed costume party/fancy dress ball.
Interestingly, many folks are not a fan of this look, in part because it wasn't overly common to see the hem end of a crinoline jutting out from beneath a skirt of dress back in the 1950s, though some people did opt to do so on occasion, especially if the crinoline was lace or otherwise fancily trimmed at the bottom.
Allowing an inch or two of your crinoline to playfully peek out from under your skirt can be a fun look though for sure, and sometimes it seems to enhance an ensemble even more than if the crinoline was completely obscured.
{American movie star Debbie Remolds rocking a beautiful summertime halter dress and strappy Grecian style sandal outfit with just a hint of her voluminous crinoline peaking out - at least while sitting. This is the sort of subtle "visible crini edge" look that those who enjoy this styling trick tend to aim for. Vintage photo source.}
As a general rule, I personally prefer to have my crinolines remain hidden (and try to ensure their length compliments my skirt or dress so that the two fall in an even, flattering manner without creating that dreaded "too-long-hem" look where the last few inches of a skirt or dress just flop over where the crinoline ends).
However, if my crinoline is lace trimmed or if I'm trying to tie its hue into the overall colour palette of my ensemble, then I may let a wee bit peek out on purpose.
If you enjoy having a little bit of your crinoline appear at the bottom of your skirt or hem, be it once in a blue moon, on the daily, or anywhere in between, read on for some simple ways to achieve this fun effect:
-Should you happen to regularly wear dresses and/or skirts of roughly the same length - say 26 or 27 inches long - intentionally purchase crinolines that are 1 - 3 inches longer that (the US online shop Pettiskirt Style, for example, has a fabulous range of different length crinolines).
-Consider hemming some of your dresses and skirts a little to allow existing crinolines to show through at the bottom (I'd suggest just folding and hemming the excess fabric, in case you change your mind at some point and want to let the hem out to its original length again).
-In an absolute pinch, if you just needed to shorten your hem for a day or other brief period of time, you could use a small number of tiny, secure safety pins to temporarily hem it, though it's very likely that at least a little of the metal from such would show up on your skirt or dress if you did so, and it's also possible that the safety pins could damage the garment so proceed with caution there, if you do take that approach.
I'd also recommend ironing the hem flat, but not ironing over the pins themselves, as doing so could also create damage and/or rust if there's steam, water or starch involved, to your garment itself.
-Or conversely, you may wish to add (sew, fabric glue, or even attach with snaps for a removable option) some pretty trim, lace, additional tulle, etc to the bottom of an existing crinoline to length it a touch.
-If the waistband of a skirt allows, roll (fold) it over once or twice to shorten the over all length of the garment.
-And in the same vein, wear your skirts a bit higher up (perhaps with a belt to help the lines of the outfit still flow smoothly, if need be) and thus the crinoline should naturally show at the bottom, if the two were similar in length to begin with.
{If your crinoline - or, for that matter, lace or tulle trimmed slip, another popular mid-century undergarment - is as pretty as these stunning 1950s examples, you may not want to keep its hems hidden in the slightest, especially if the colour(s) or your crini help to tie your outfit together all the more. Vintage image source.}
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Those are my approaches to creating a a spot of "crinoline peek", of which, in the long run, the easiest may to simply try to buy crinolines that are a little longer than some of your favourite skirts and dresses, or alternatively, garments that are a touch shorter than your current crinolines.
Given the vast number of repro, vintage style, rockabilly, gothabilly, and pinup girl style clothing companies that produce garments that hit at or around the knees on many people, the latter approach may be the easier of the two.
Sometimes, of course, you may find that crini + clothing combos you have already line up this way naturally, and thus little to further (garment) hem lengthening may be required. When I intentionally aim to have a little of my crinoline show, this is usually how and why it happens.
Thank you to my reader for this great question! Now two for all of you...Do you have any other tips for helping ensure an intentional bit of your crinoline hem shows, and in general are you a fan of this look or do you prefer to keep your crinis completely under wraps?
{Beautiful vintage Independence Day Gil Elvgren pinup girl – naturally with a bit of slip showing. Image source.}
