Bustle

Art Historical Context

Step into the opulent world 1880s fashion with *Bustle*, a cotton undergarment from the Metropolitan of Art's Costume Institute Dating to 1880–85, this piece—likely American or European—exemplifies the era's dramatic silhouettes, where women enhanced their figures with padded supports to create a pronounced posterior curve. Crafted from everyday cotton, it highlights the practical yet transformative role of textiles in everyday luxury. During the late Victorian period,les like this one redefined femininity, countering the earlier hoop skirts of the 1860s with a more rear-focused fullness that...