She's the center of attention, she's got a fantastic figure, and she's incapable of walking out of the room. What more could a girl ask for?
The bell-shaped skirts of the mid-Victorian era were a novel way for women to contrive an extreme silhouette, the hourglass of all hourglasses, so to speak. But as many fashions go, this one developed to a dangerous point.
Stories circulated about women trapped in house fires wearing bell skirts, and the notion of calling on a friend was hampered by the limit of how many skirts could fit in one room. Then there was the relatively mundane dilemma of how one could sit down. Practical? No. But pretty? Yes, I suppose... in a trapped bird kind of way.
Resource: 1000 Dessous by Gilles Neret
The mid-Victorian era fashion trends, particularly bell-shaped skirts, imposed restrictions and limitations on women, making them admired for their beauty but confined by their attire. These trends emphasized the absurdity and risks associated with certain beauty standards, highlighting the sacrifices individuals made in pursuit of beauty or conformity. The bell-shaped skirts transformed women into delicate ornaments, requiring careful navigation and avoiding open flames. The metaphor of a caged bird captures the paradox of beauty within captivity, symbolizing grace and restraint while yearning for freedom. divorce attorneys fairfax va
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