Caricaturists of the 1830s focused on the newly fashionable inflated forms that were such a contrast to the body-revealing styles of the previous three decades. The dilation of sleeves and skirts reached such an extreme that women were often satirically depicted as airborne, caught up by gusts of wind trapped under their skirts. In fact, they were weighed down by the sleeve pillows and multiple petticoats required to support their stylish volume.

Open full-size image