I am looking for a guide on how to move in a hoop skirt.  I will be
wearing an authentic civil war dress with all the underpinnings -
corset, layers of skirts, a 160" hoop, and so on.

I need to find instructions for walking, sitting, navigating stairs
and doors, and dancing - and looking graceful while doing it.

I have already found the simple tips ("lift the front of your skirt
when going up stairs") and I am looking for something with a bit more
detail and helpfulness.

Thank you for taking on my question.

---

Request for Question Clarification by bobbie7-ga on 19 May 2006 21:58 PDT

Dear Loribenton,

I didn?t find all the information you asked for regarding hoop skirts.
 
If you are interested in the partial information that I was able to
locate, you could lower the price of your question accordingly.
 
(You can change the price by going to "My Account," 
selecting "My Unanswered Questions", clicking on the question, and 
then clicking on "Change Question Parameters" to modify the pricing.) 

please let me know and  I will be delighted to post my findings as the
official answer to your question.

Sincerely, 
Bobbie7



?Sitting in a hoop.

Lift hoop and skirts slightly (an inch or two) before sitting down.
This will allow the boning of the hoop to lay on top of the chair
without causing that unsightly frontal raise we all dread.

A lady should never draw attention to herself by her manner of
"swishing" her skirt.

Remember this rule: "Swishing" is farby.

Learning to walk, sit and maneuver in a hoop skirt in such a way as to
look as if you have been doing it all your life. Avoid "handling" your
skirts.

Helpful Hint: It's amazing how shortening the front hem of a skirt an
inch or even a half inch makes all the difference in the world.

While sitting, ladies did not cross their legs, although, they did
cross their ankles on occasion.?
http://web.archive.org/web/20040210020216/http://members.aol.com/gallen9075/ettiquet.htm


----------------------------------


?Have you ever had to sit down in a hoop skirt? You have to pull the
back end up, or you can?t sit at all!?
http://www.yesterdaysisland.com/04_articles/life/murphy.html


----------------------------------


?One has to sit in the center of the hoop, and not on the back, or
else the front of the hoop lifts to reveal one's pantaloons.?

?And what do you do with you hands while wearing a hoop skirt with
full petticoat?  If you hang them down as they naturally fall, you
flatten the sides of the skirt.  I discovered that folding my hands at
my waist seemed the best position for both my gown and myself.   My
reticule, the small drawstring bag I carried, dangled from my bent arm
to lie delicately against the outward expansion of my skirt.?

Excerpt:

?I had the privilege of wearing a hoop skirt, a real hoop skirt,
complete with an actual hoop when I attended the Gone With The Wind
Anniversary Costume Ball in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was an interesting
experience in coping.  Fortunately, I trained at home."

"My home is NOT an a plantation house with wide entranceways, halls
and staircases.  When I tried on my antebellum gown, everything within
six inches of the floor was either dusted or knocked over.  Sitting
was fun.  I quickly discovered one has to sit in the center of the
hoop, and not on the back, or else the front of the hoop lifts to
reveal one's pantaloons.?
  
??And what do you do with you hands while wearing a hoop skirt with
full petticoat?  If you hang them down as they naturally fall, you
flatten the sides of the skirt.  I discovered that folding my hands at
my waist seemed the best position for both my gown and myself.   My
reticule, the small drawstring bag I carried, dangled from my bent arm
to lie delicately against the outward expansion of my skirt. ?

?Dancing at the ball was wonderful.  I was held in the arms of a
uniformed soldier whose costume came complete with white gloves so he
couldn't soil my gown with (horrors!) perspiration.  There was never
any danger of my toes being crushed because the skirt wouldn't let my
partner that close!?

Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.greenlightwrite.com/hoopskirt.htm


-------------------------------------------------


?It takes some practice to learn to wear the hoop skirt.  Don't be too
ambitious on your first outing - even sitting down will require a few
tries.  When you finally add the hoop skirt to your wardrobe, be sure
that you have a petticoat to wear under it.  When that skirt starts
swaying, everything you were born with can be exposed underneath.?
http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/womenswear/petticoats.htm


-----------------------------------------


?Panniers posed challenges to those surrounding the lady as well. For
walking, a gentleman had to stand slightly in front of the lady?s
skirt in order to take her arm. While moving on the dance floor, he
was obliged to dance at arm?s length.?
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/18THMOVE.HTM


-----------------------------------------



Noblewoman at the Opera, 1770's, enters the doorway sideways.
http://www.costumes.org/history/18thcent/women/operabox.jpg

---

Clarification of Question by loribenton-ga on 23 May 2006 14:47 PDT

Thank you - since that is the best answer that appears possible, I'd
appreciate if you would post it.  I'll leave the price the same since
I appreciate the work you put into it.

Thanks to everyone else who posted their thoughts!

Dear Loribenton,  

Thank you for accepting my findings as the official answer to your question.
I am reposting the information below for your convenience.

Sincerley, 
Bobbie7



===================================================


?Sitting in a hoop.

Lift hoop and skirts slightly (an inch or two) before sitting down.
This will allow the boning of the hoop to lay on top of the chair
without causing that unsightly frontal raise we all dread.

A lady should never draw attention to herself by her manner of
"swishing" her skirt.

Remember this rule: "Swishing" is farby.

Learning to walk, sit and maneuver in a hoop skirt in such a way as to
look as if you have been doing it all your life. Avoid "handling" your
skirts.

Helpful Hint: It's amazing how shortening the front hem of a skirt an
inch or even a half inch makes all the difference in the world.

While sitting, ladies did not cross their legs, although, they did
cross their ankles on occasion.?
http://web.archive.org/web/20040210020216/http://members.aol.com/gallen9075/ettiquet.htm


----------------------------------


?Have you ever had to sit down in a hoop skirt? You have to pull the
back end up, or you can?t sit at all!?
http://www.yesterdaysisland.com/04_articles/life/murphy.html


----------------------------------


?One has to sit in the center of the hoop, and not on the back, or
else the front of the hoop lifts to reveal one's pantaloons.?

?And what do you do with you hands while wearing a hoop skirt with
full petticoat?  If you hang them down as they naturally fall, you
flatten the sides of the skirt.  I discovered that folding my hands at
my waist seemed the best position for both my gown and myself.   My
reticule, the small drawstring bag I carried, dangled from my bent arm
to lie delicately against the outward expansion of my skirt.?

Excerpt:

?I had the privilege of wearing a hoop skirt, a real hoop skirt,
complete with an actual hoop when I attended the Gone With The Wind
Anniversary Costume Ball in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was an interesting
experience in coping.  Fortunately, I trained at home."

"My home is NOT an a plantation house with wide entranceways, halls
and staircases.  When I tried on my antebellum gown, everything within
six inches of the floor was either dusted or knocked over.  Sitting
was fun.  I quickly discovered one has to sit in the center of the
hoop, and not on the back, or else the front of the hoop lifts to
reveal one's pantaloons.?
  
??And what do you do with you hands while wearing a hoop skirt with
full petticoat?  If you hang them down as they naturally fall, you
flatten the sides of the skirt.  I discovered that folding my hands at
my waist seemed the best position for both my gown and myself.   My
reticule, the small drawstring bag I carried, dangled from my bent arm
to lie delicately against the outward expansion of my skirt. ?

?Dancing at the ball was wonderful.  I was held in the arms of a
uniformed soldier whose costume came complete with white gloves so he
couldn't soil my gown with (horrors!) perspiration.  There was never
any danger of my toes being crushed because the skirt wouldn't let my
partner that close!?

Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.greenlightwrite.com/hoopskirt.htm


-------------------------------------------------


?It takes some practice to learn to wear the hoop skirt.  Don't be too
ambitious on your first outing - even sitting down will require a few
tries.  When you finally add the hoop skirt to your wardrobe, be sure
that you have a petticoat to wear under it.  When that skirt starts
swaying, everything you were born with can be exposed underneath.?
http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/womenswear/petticoats.htm


-----------------------------------------


?Panniers posed challenges to those surrounding the lady as well. For
walking, a gentleman had to stand slightly in front of the lady?s
skirt in order to take her arm. While moving on the dance floor, he
was obliged to dance at arm?s length.?
http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/18THMOVE.HTM


-----------------------------------------



Noblewoman at the Opera, 1770's, enters the doorway sideways.
http://www.costumes.org/history/18thcent/women/operabox.jpg

thank you.

Fifty years ago in my hometown in the Deep South, hoop skirts were
still worn at high school fraternity and sorority balls.  As I
remember, the graceful way to walk in one is by pausing briefly with
each step to let the skirt swing.  Practice walking with a book on
your head to learn good posture and a more decorum.

Don't know about sitting, the difficulty being that too stiff hoops
will rise up in front (and show your pantaloons).  Narrow doors are to
be avoided, otherwise lift the skirt on the less exposed side. 
Dancing:  in the styles of the Civil War, but 1950s jitterbugging is
also possible.

Watch "Gone with the Wind", and practice in your new skirt at home to
get accustom to "your" new dimensions  - like driving a larger car.

Second thought:  maybe one is supposed to walk pidgeon-toed to make
the skirt swing sideways, accentuating the hip movement.  You will
have to try it out  - I'm a male.

Looking at those hoop skirts in answer to your other question, I
noticed that many had a lot of material at the bottom, perhaps to give
weight to the hem so that tthe skirt moved properly and to keep it
down when seated.  For the same reason, I believe the lowest hoop
should be calf-level, as appears on some photos, with starched
petticoats to add fullness if you want the skirt to widen below the
hoop  (easier with a pattern that is rounder from the waist and can
fall more vertically at the hem.

Here are a couple of sites that may be of interest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinoline
http://demode.tweedlebop.com/crinoline.html
http://www.fashion-era.com/crinolines.htm
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/corset/1830/index.html
http://zimmer.csufresno.edu/~monicaf/crinoline.htm
http://www.farthingales.on.ca/cage_crinoline.html
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/barnard/theater/kirkland/3136/Crinoline%20Gallery/
   Click on the thumbnail photos.  

Here is a source for crinoline material:
http://www.farthingales.on.ca/net.php

http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~ulrich/presentations/vicfashions/Crinolines.htm
http://www.tudorlinks.com/treasury/articles/view185060.html
http://www.fashion-era.com/mid-late_victorian_fashion.htm
http://www.victorianweb.org/art/costume/nunn8.html

Enough!  I got carried away with what the keyword "crinoline" provided.

Here are some fun visual aids. ;-)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/8LMESXJ3RZYM/102-4105004-5056906?%5Fencoding=UTF8
Hoop Skirt -a- Thon! All about hoop skirts

http://www.collegehumor.com/pictures/9524/
The worse part about wearing a hoop skirt? 

http://www.costumes.org/mwbh/100pages/HOOP.HTM
Victorian Costume Movies:  Romantic and Hoop Eras

Lucky that you are thinking of these things ahead of time!!  Having
worn a hoop skirt myself, I can tell you the best thing to do is
practice, probably a lot.  It's heavy, and cumbersome and without a
bit of practice, you will feel "off balance."  I would also suggest a
very comfortable, low heel shoe or boot.  High heels will increase the
feeling of being overbalanced, even if you are accoustomed to wearing
them. If you are able to master sitting modestly you still won't be
comfortable, so you'll probably end up standing a lot.

A "lady" would take very tiny steps, and walk slowly.  You want to
appear to be floating.  Although you see lots of swinging skirts in
the movies, it was really not "proper" to have a lot of skirt
movement. During the period, women also wore corsets with substantial
boning, which made breathing deeply impossible, and also required slow
tiny steps when walking or dancing.  They were likely also the real
reason for all those cases of "the vapors."

If you aren't afraid now :), become as comfortable as possible with
your dress before the big day and have a good time...it's still a lot
of fun to wear one...once.