WOMEN WEARING BUSTLES

WOMEN WEARING BUSTLES

By 1894 the bicycle had become immenselypopular among both sexes, this made it inevitable that some kind of bifurcated

garmen

t should be worn by ladies, since it was impossible to ride a bicycle in a skirt especially

 heavily Laced and with a long trail

Divided skirt was one solution and so were baggy knickerbockers (Pants) called "bloomers". It created quite an excitement but finally women succeeded in wearing the jacket, skirt and shirt

waisters and tailored suit came in vogue

ridiculed, discouraged and scorned by many at the time, but the movement did eventually achieve its aims as women began to lead more active lives and rigid corsets became unfashionable.

IMPORTANT NOTE Bicycle was becoming more a useful mode of commuting among men and women everyday. Special dresses were designed for this purpose in 1878 to 1880. There is little difference between male costume in the 1880s and in the 1890's except for the increasing use of the informal attire. Trousers in the 1890's were of the peg-top variety and dashing young men began to wear them with turn-ups. These still however were looked with disfavour, but one of the English law maker used them in the house of commons in 1893. The bustle worn by women finally disappeared in 1890's. Dresses now were smooth over the hips and made to fit more snugly