[Ansteorra] hoop petticoat

[Stefan li Rous]

Thank you for the comments, Aethelyan.

It hadn't occurred to me that the hoops could be done in a spiral  
pattern or even with a more flexible material like rope. The  
discussions I'd seen before were all about the boned hoops and  
possible modern substitutions. And how to wash them. One of the  
substitutions discussed was the metal bands used to strap boxes and  
such for shipping. But since they rust, this makes the outfit  
difficult to wash.

On Jan 30, 2008, at 7:57 AM, Elisabeth B. Zakes wrote:

> Depends on the period, of course, but they are not dissimilar to the
> Victorian structure except in shape and materials. I have seen  
> stiffened and
> twisted rope in a spiral, "bone" hoops, and twisted rope in circular
> channels. The nice advantage to the latter is that if you use the  
> right type
> of rope, it does its job, yet is still soft enough to go through a  
> narrow
> doorway without difficulty ... and you can WASH IT! :) The major  
> difference
> from Renaissance to Victorian is that the Renaissance farthingale  
> aimed for
> a conical shape with straight sides, and the Victorians wanted a  
> rounded,
> bell-like shape -- the shape you would get if you inverted a nicely  
> rounded
> bowl.

How are the Spanish farthingales done, the ones that look like you  
are standing inside a round, flat table? I assume they aren't stiff  
enough to set your drink down on, although that could be handy.:-)

>
> To sit gracefully, find the hoop that is just below your backside,  
> and lift
> it slightly as you sit so that it rests on the chair behind you.  
> (This works
> best in a chair without arms, by the way.)

It might make an interesting study to see if this affected the type  
of furniture used during the time periods that hoops were in vogue.

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
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