On the Sunday Magazine site, I stumbled onto two newspaper articles from 1910 that offer a fascinating look at the origin of the hobble skirt:
"The Hobble" Is The Latest Freak In Woman's Fashions
Queen Mary's War On Hobble Skirts Hard To Win
The latter article refers to Queen Mary infamously banning hobble skirts in her court because wearers of such fashions were unable to properly curtsy to the queen.
Friday, February 10, 2012
RoSa Shoes
RoSa Shoes are known for their stylish high-heeled, pointed toe shoes, but they also show lots of love for hobble skirts. Check out this entry on their blog on why they consider hobble skirts to be the perfect companion for high heels.
But that's not all - you can buy elegant, custom-made hobble skirts (in different lengths and fabrics) on their site.
Finally, don't forget to check out their videos, many of which feature tight skirts.
But that's not all - you can buy elegant, custom-made hobble skirts (in different lengths and fabrics) on their site.
Finally, don't forget to check out their videos, many of which feature tight skirts.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Art of TDKev
TDKev's distinctive art, which you can see at deviantART, as well as on his blog, often features skin-tight dresses and skirts - such as on his latest piece:
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A Short History of Hobble Skirts
[This section imported from the original site.]
In modern Western fashion history, narrow skirts appeared in the early 1880s, combined with the bustle to give the gown a slimmed down look. This change was in effect for only a few years, the skirts having widened somewhat again in the latter 1880s.
The term 'hobble skirt' came into popular use in the early 1910s, when a European fashion trend started by French designer Paul Poiret introduced long skirts that were narrow at the hem, thus 'hobbling' the wearer. Some attribute one of Poiret's inspiration to Mrs. Hart Berg, the first American woman to join the Wright Brothers in air. To keep her skirts from flying out of control while airborne, she tied a rope around them below the knees (Katherine Wright, sister of the flight innovators the Wright brothers, also did the same shortly afterwards).
For a short while, the tighter the skirt, the more fashionable it was. This also brought about accessories such as the hobble garter (you can see one in tbe PBS series The Manor House) designed to limit the wearer's stride so that she would not cause the skirt to rip. This trend died shortly afterwards due to the impracticality of such a garment, particularly with the introduction of cars (the skirts making getting in and out of
one a bit of an adventure).
Long tight skirts would however surface occasionally throughout the century, such as the pencil skirts seen above. Often during fashion shoots the skirts were pinned behind the model to make them appear as tight as possible. Hobble skirts also emerged as a fetish fashion, as seen in the issues of such 1950s fetish publications
like John Willie's Bizarre and later Exotique.
Today, the hobble skirt is still a popular item among fans of fetish fashion, as well as some of the highly fashionable, thanks to modern designers such as Karl Lagerfield. The modern hobble skirts are generally ankle-length and narrow all the way down, often made from materials such as latex and PVC. The long tight silhouette has also remained a popular one among eveningwear and formal attire, both in straight and mermaid (straight to the knees then flaring out) versions.
What's so special about it? Many people find hobble skirts attractive because they restrict the wearer's steps, making leg movements more deliberate, showing off the wearer's lower body while covering it at the same time, much like the corset does for the upper body.
 |
| HOBBLE SKIRT ORIGINS IN THE 1880S |
In modern Western fashion history, narrow skirts appeared in the early 1880s, combined with the bustle to give the gown a slimmed down look. This change was in effect for only a few years, the skirts having widened somewhat again in the latter 1880s.
 |
| HOBBLE SKIRT FASHIONS FROM THE EARLY 1910s |
The term 'hobble skirt' came into popular use in the early 1910s, when a European fashion trend started by French designer Paul Poiret introduced long skirts that were narrow at the hem, thus 'hobbling' the wearer. Some attribute one of Poiret's inspiration to Mrs. Hart Berg, the first American woman to join the Wright Brothers in air. To keep her skirts from flying out of control while airborne, she tied a rope around them below the knees (Katherine Wright, sister of the flight innovators the Wright brothers, also did the same shortly afterwards).
 |
| MRS BERG'S FLYING COSTUME |
For a short while, the tighter the skirt, the more fashionable it was. This also brought about accessories such as the hobble garter (you can see one in tbe PBS series The Manor House) designed to limit the wearer's stride so that she would not cause the skirt to rip. This trend died shortly afterwards due to the impracticality of such a garment, particularly with the introduction of cars (the skirts making getting in and out of
one a bit of an adventure).
 |
| PENCIL SKIRTS OF THE MID CENTURY |
Long tight skirts would however surface occasionally throughout the century, such as the pencil skirts seen above. Often during fashion shoots the skirts were pinned behind the model to make them appear as tight as possible. Hobble skirts also emerged as a fetish fashion, as seen in the issues of such 1950s fetish publications
like John Willie's Bizarre and later Exotique.
 |
| MODERN WEDDING GOWNS (courtesy of THEKNOT.COM) |
Today, the hobble skirt is still a popular item among fans of fetish fashion, as well as some of the highly fashionable, thanks to modern designers such as Karl Lagerfield. The modern hobble skirts are generally ankle-length and narrow all the way down, often made from materials such as latex and PVC. The long tight silhouette has also remained a popular one among eveningwear and formal attire, both in straight and mermaid (straight to the knees then flaring out) versions.
What's so special about it? Many people find hobble skirts attractive because they restrict the wearer's steps, making leg movements more deliberate, showing off the wearer's lower body while covering it at the same time, much like the corset does for the upper body.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Shopping - Peccatus Latex
Monday, August 22, 2011
Runway - Armani Privé Fall 2011
Our next runway spotlight (also via backbuttoned) features Giorgio Armani's haute couture collection for Fall 2011. It features quite a few calf-length (and a couple of full length) rather narrow skirts, which you can see here:
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Runway - Chanel Fall 2011
[Thank you to backbuttoned for the tip.]
Check out Chanel's Fall 2011 haute couture collection. About a third into the show, you'll start seeing quite a few rather stylish outfits featuring slim-fitted skirts, with a flare below the knees. Even the final model wears a bridal outfit with a stride-impeding skirt. Notably, Chanel's current designer is Karl Lagerfield, who is no stranger to the hobble skirt.
Here's an example:
In addition to Chanel's site, you can also see the video via YouTube:
Check out Chanel's Fall 2011 haute couture collection. About a third into the show, you'll start seeing quite a few rather stylish outfits featuring slim-fitted skirts, with a flare below the knees. Even the final model wears a bridal outfit with a stride-impeding skirt. Notably, Chanel's current designer is Karl Lagerfield, who is no stranger to the hobble skirt.
Here's an example:
In addition to Chanel's site, you can also see the video via YouTube:
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