Bustle

ca. 1885

Not on view

During the revival of the bustle, from 1883 to the end of the decade, women wore skirt supports to mold their dresses into the desired shape of the period - small, waisted, flat at front with the skirts swept over a pronounced bustle at the back. The bustle was so large it sometimes sat at a right angle from the wearer's body. This example of a bustle would be worn over the chemise, corset and drawers, with an additional petticoat worn on top to lessen the chances that the hoops might show through the dress fabric. It is interesting to see the sculptural undergarments required to accomplish the shape of the extreme bustle of the 1880s.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Title: Bustle
Date: ca. 1885
Culture: American
Medium: linen, metal
Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Louise M. Coleman, 1949
Object Number: 2009.300.3095
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Powder Horn, Horn (cow), lead, American — Powder Horn
American
18th century

Bustle, Timothy S. Sperry American, linen, metal, American — Bustle
Designer Timothy S. Sperry
ca. 1873

Off to War (Henderson Ledger Artist B), Frank Henderson Native American, Pencil, colored pencil, and ink on paper, Arapaho — Off to War (Henderson Ledger Artist B)
Frank Henderson
ca. 1882

Bustle, linen, metal, American — Bustle
American
1872–74

Man and Two Women (Henderson Ledger Artist B), Frank Henderson Native American, Pencil, colored pencil, and ink on paper, Arapaho — Man and Two Women (Henderson Ledger Artist B)
Frank Henderson
ca. 1882

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.