Richfield Historical Society

Dress with Bustle

2021 vs. 1893 (Jeans vs. The Bustle Dress)

2021: “Hey, Shannon, let’s head out for a bike ride!” … “Sounds like fun, Joe. Give me five minutes. I just need to throw on a pair of jeans and grab my crossover (handbag)!”
1893: “Hello, Shannon. Would you like to go for a bicycle ride?” … “I’d like to, Joe …” (but, did you ever try to ride a bicycle in a bustle dress?)

What a difference 120+ years makes! In 2021, jeans are a fallback piece of clothing that can be dressed up or down. 2021 Shannon would have no problem riding a bike while wearing jeans. The urban girl Shannon of 1893, however, might find it difficult while wearing her bustle dress.
A bustle was a fashion accessory worn under dresses and skirts to support and add volume to those garments. Bustles were steel-structure cushions filled with straw. The bustle was sewn into the skirt or attached around the woman’s waist. Bustle dressed tended to be frilly. For a bicycle ride, the woman would also wear a tailored, long-sleeved jacket or basque. With this being the proper daytime outfit for the Shannon of 1893, it was nearly impossible to enjoy a bicycle ride.

…or to breathe. The ‘foundations’ for the bustle dress included stockings, chemise, drawers, corset, and petticoats. Corsets were made of layered fabric and stiffened with whalebone, steel, or cane. They restricted a woman’s breathing and movement. They were hot in summer and made it difficult for a woman to put on her shoes!

Women’s clothing styles began to change during the late Victorian era, roughly the the years between 1880 and 1899, also called the ‘mauve decade.’ Partial credit for the shift of women’s bustle dresses to ‘bloomers’ or ‘knickerbockers’, which were loose pantaloons tied at the ankles – a controversial new fashion – can be given to the bicycle. A woman’s ability to comfortably ride a bicycle became a sign of liberation.

Susan B. Anthony (1896) said, “the bicycle has done more for the emancipation of women than anything else in the world.” The bustle dress remained in the fashion scene until the early 20th century.

Photos: Dress with a bustle; Clothing for riding a bike 1880-1899
This article was written by Susan Brushafer, an RHS volunteer. Join the Richfield Historical Society if you enjoy fully researched articles. Three times per year, members receive a Newsletter filled with articles and Society news. To join, click here.