You asked: You do I get that "crinoline peek" effect?

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.}

And last, but not least, I want to wish a truly happy, safe, fun filled and fabulous 4th of July to all of my awesome US readers and friends tomorrow. I hope that your celebration is as cheery and beautiful as the fireworks that will be capping off the evening from coast to shining coast!

On the hunt for crinolines (Where do you source yours from?)

There is perhaps no shape to have ever appeared in the annals of fashion history that I love more than a full skirt. This adoration hearkens back to my earliest childhood memories, and no doubt, must have been influenced by everything vintage films set in the past (Gone With The Wind, Meet Me in St. Louis, etc) to Victorian novels, Disney princesses to the covers of bridal magazines.

Though they are often associated with the 1950s, the history of crinolines stretches back considerably further in time. The first versions of what would go on to later become the modern crinoline began to appear in the 1830s (though hooped/stiffened skirts were not breaking fashion world news per se; the farthingale, a hoop skirt that was used during the Renaissance, shared much in common with Victorian crinolines). The earliest crinoline iterations were more like stiff petticoats, however, and were comprised of horsehair woven with linen (the name crinoline itself deriving from the French words for “horsehair” and “flax”).

Within a couple of decades though, crinolines grew wider and began to include other materials (such as steel or whale bone) in their construction. By the 1850s the cage style (hoop) crinoline was in use and helped to eliminate the need for several (often heavy and warm) layers of stiff petticoats previously used by fashionable ladies to extend the width and (visual) circumference of their skirts.



{As this charming photo of a prettily dressed young woman (named Kate Chase) shows, by the mid-nineteenth century, crinolines were imperative to achieve the desired full, wide skirt styles of the day. Wonderful antique image via Belle Epoque 1900’s Flickr stream.}


As the nineteenth century progressed crinolines continued to hold favour, and various styles and widths were created over the decades, dedicated by the dress fads of the day. By the time the Edwardian era had come to pass, elaborate undergarments (such as corsets and bustles) had all but fallen completely out of vogue and it seemed as though anything even remotely resembling a crinoline might be banished to the back burners of history forever.

Fortunately, due in no small part to the popularity of wider skirts (and the return to a very hour glass shaped female form – often achieved with stiff undergarments such as girdles and corselets) that emerged following Dior’s introduction of the “New Look” in 1947, a decidedly 21st century version of the crinoline began to appear.

In nearly all cases (save for some styles that were worn under wedding dresses and other very formal gowns) the crinolines that quickly found favour with ladies of the day were made of layers of materials such as tulle, nylon, satin, and cotton blends. They were generally free of any metal or boning and achieved their volume thanks to multiple layers and/or stiff fabrics; some were very full and wide, others more subtle (such a slip or petticoat with a slightly flared, and sometimes tiered, bottom), but all were designed to provide the wearer’s skirts with a greater degree of flared out fullness.



{Many ladylike, elegant fashions of the late 1940s through to the early 60s called for crinolines to be worn underneath, thus allowing the skirt or dress to flare out in a wide bell shape. Gorgeous vintage image via jeanpachett.com}


Though crinolines would fall out of fashion again by the time the mod era arrived, they have continued to resurface and enjoy a moment in the spotlight occasionally since the fifties (primarily during the fashion frenzied decade that was the 1980s). Today, I would venture to say, most people (who are not vintage fashion devotees) associate crinolines with the Halloween costumes, square dancing outfits and/or prom and wedding dresses.

To my mind there is something inherently and expressly feminine about a full skirt, especially if it leads up to a fitted or belted waist. Over the years I’ve owned many skirts and dresses that had various widths of fullness in the skirt. From modest a-line shirtwaist dresses to full-fledged poodle skirts that really did create a circle skirt when I sat on the floor and spread their fabric out around me. I’ve loved every single one of these garments – and certainly have no plans to stop adding further pieces with full skirts to my wardrobe in the future.

Yet, almost ironically, despite my passion for wide skirts, I’ve never owned a crinoline (or even a slightly flared slip). I pined for one endless as a child to no avail. I’ve stalked thrift stores for well over a decade in the hopes of finding one (I have, but alas they were always the wrong size or too short for my tastes), yet so far come up empty handed in that regard.

Given that I’m in my 25th year of life now, it really does seem like high time that I did something to rectify the serious lack of crinolines in my closet! But where to turn to find these enablers of ample skirt volume?

Of course sites such as etsy and eBay can be good places to start (and certainly I’ve been checking them frequently for crinoline listings lately) and can yield both modern and vintage gems. It seems though that many modern day crinolines are too short for my tastes (it is an absolute must that any crinolines I purchase hit at least below the knee – if not longer – because I almost exclusively wear skirts of a similar length).

While it would probably be a good idea to get some basic colours (black, white, red, etc), hue isn’t the most important factor for me on this hunt. Quality, length, and a reasonable price (into which I factor shipping and any import changes, as well as the sticker price of the garment itself) are the main points I’m keeping mind while shopping for a crinoline (all the while daydreaming as if I were a little girl again about finally being able to give my skirts and dresses that added flare and beauty they’ve always dreamed of).

As such I’ve started scouring the web rather intensely in the hopes of finding sellers who offer longer length crinolines and have uncovered a few sites, such as Unique Vintage, Pettiskirt Style, Sterling and Pearls, and Memphis Vintage.



{Colour chart of the lovely 27 to 29 inch (depending on waist size) nylon net crinolines carried by Pettiskirt Style for $44.00 (US) each.}


It great to know that these online shops exist and I may end up purchasing a crinoline from one or more (provided they ship to Canada) of them, but before I do, I wanted to ask you, my deeply knowledgeable readers, where you like to buy your (new and/or vintage) crinolines from?

I value your impute so much and would love to hear all your thoughts on crinolines and where to buy them.

Many thanks in advance, everyone!