Petticoats,Bridal Gowns,Costumes, and Cage Crinolines

Wear a petticoat over your cage crinolines to add fluff and soften your hoop steel cages.Petticoats usually gather at the waist to create the softness and fluff. It has been written that during the Victorian years, the ladies wore up to nine(9) petticoats under their wedding dresses, bridal gowns, period costumes,formal dresses and gowns. When you see Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind, you will note that all of her dresses had a certain airy swaying movement. The movement was the petticoats that fluffed the dresses out.

The function of the hoop steel cage is to raise and shape dresses and gowns that have very wide sweeps or hemline circumferences. Without the hoop steel cage, dresses and gowns with sweeps of 132 inches or more would look like a lot of fabric hanging over the floor. The dresses and gowns spring to life when the proper cage is worn.

Pictures on various websites highlite exellent examples of how the cages and petticoats make the dresses come to life. Check out the Pinterest links below to several dresses and gowns from the Civil War Period and Victorian Era. Can you imagine the dresses without the hoop cages that projects the dresses out. The dress would look like tons of fabric draping off of the ladies without the shaping hoops and bustles. This applies to bustle dresses, bridal gowns and many other garments. They look best when they have the proper shaping undergarments. Great fitting undergarments add value to the outer garments, when worn appropriately. Check the links below to see for yourself. Just imagine these dresses without the support undergarments.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/69102175506527642/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/69102175506526979/
http://www.pinterest.com/showbelles/victorian-steampunk-gothic-dresses-gowns/

Look at the dresses closely. Try to imagine them without the bustle cages and round hoops. These dresses cannot be worn without the proper undergarments. If you need help deciding which undergarment will work for your dresses of any type,  leave a comment, or contact me at www.showbelles.etsy.com. Or contact me at rhondagr@gmail.com.I normally answer within 24 hours or less. Thanks for visiting.
www.showbelles.etsy.com

How to Wear Cage Crinolines with Bridal Gowns Dresses or Costumes

This post will help you to decide if you need an elliptical cage crinoline to wear under your bridal and formals,Victorian,Dickens,Civil War,Marie Antoinette,French Colonial, period historical costumes,dresses and gowns.

• The photo on the left shows the cage crinoline without a bustle pillow pad.
• The photo in the right shows the cage crinoline with the bustle pad.
• The other photo  shows a burgundy black 2 toned shot taffeta bustle skirt with a 3 foot train.The train is projected by the elliptical cage crinoline. Adds lots of drama longer trains.

To wear the cage crinoline with dresses, gowns and costumes that have dropped waist bodices, do not use the bustle pillow pad as shown in left picture above. The waist to hip area will adapt, and flatten out to accomodate the fitted dropped waist bodices. A dropped waist can fall up to 9 inches below the waist.

Right sided picture shows a bustle pad pillow is resting over the back hip area under the cage crinoline. The pad supports the weight of the cage crinoline, and dramatically raises the cage to a higher projection toward the back. If you have a true bustle dress or historical dress ,or wedding dress with a lengthy train at the back, this cage could bring your dress or gown to the magical look that you are expecting.

The burgundy and black 2 toned shot taffeta skirt on the bottom left is a bustle skirt made to wear with the elliptical cage crinoline. The front is more tapered to the body, and the back projects outwardly and dramatically to show off your beautiful dress trains. The sides project out and gradually flow into the dramatic train supporter at the back.This cage crinoline is excellent for wedding and bridal gowns with this type of pattern construction. This cage is also excellent for historical period reenactment dresses and gowns.

Our custom made elliptical cage crinoline shown in the photos above is 134" inches circumference at the hem. The cage crinoline has 6 rows of hoop steel to support the weight of heavy skirts. The hoops can be pulled in to make the cage smaller and more tapered.

Need another type of cage crinoline, bustle cage or panniers cage? We custom make a a wide range of bustles cages, cage crinolines, Colonial Rococo Marie Antoinette panniers and more. These cage foundations will bring out the magnificence in your dresses,gowns, and costumes. Our dress foundations are custom made to fit your size and dresses, gowns, costumes. Links to our cage crinolines, bustle cages, and panniers are below.

www.showbelles.etsy.com

www.showbelles.bonanza.com

www.stores.ebay.com/Show-Belles-Costumes-and-Clothes