Bustle

The lady's dress in this 1880s fashion plate is supported by a bustle.

Bustles were originally worn (in the period from 1825 to 1867) under the skirt in back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging down, especially if the fabric was heavy. Heavy fabric tended to pull the back of a skirt down and flatten it, so a petticoated or crinolined skirt would be out of shape from sitting down or just from moving. The bustle later developed into a feature of fashion on its own after the overskirt of the late 1860s was draped up toward the back and some kind of support was needed for the new draped shape. Fullness of some sort was still considered necessary to make the waist look smaller and the bustle eventually replaced the crinoline completely. The bustle was worn in different shapes for most of the 1870s and 1880s with a short period of non-bustled, flat-backed dresses from 1878 to 1882. It reappeared in 1883 and survived into the 1890s and early 1900's as a skirt support was still needed and the stylish shape dictated a curve in the back of the skirt to balance the curve of the bust in front. The bustle had completely disappeared by 1905 as the long corset of the early twentieth century was now successful in shaping the body to protrude behind.