A
hobble skirt is a
skirtA skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In European culture, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride, thus earning its name. A knee-long
corsetA corset is a garment worn to mold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
is also used to achieve this effect. A
dressA dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
consisting of such skirt is called a
hobble dress.
History
Although restrictive skirts first appeared in Western fashion in 1880s, the term was first used in reference to a short-lived trend of narrow skirts in around 1910-1913. The
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian fashion designer
Paul PoiretPaul Poiret was a French fashion designer. His contributions to twentieth-century fashion have been likened to Picasso's contributions to twentieth-century art.-Early life and career:...
is sometimes credited with the design, inspired by the widespread Oriental influence on Western culture, but in fact the extreme hobble skirt is an evolution of the narrowing skirt seen in
fashionFashion is the style and custom prevalent at a given time. In its most common usage however, "fashion" describes the popular clothing style. Many fashions are popular in many cultures at any given time. Important is the idea that the course of design and fashion will change more rapidly than the...
since the turn of the century.
The archives of the New York Times between 1910 and the beginning of the First World War contain many detailed accounts of the hobble skirt wearers of the era. It seems that some New York fashion houses may have asked their dressmakers to interpret too literally the slim styles depicted in Paris fashion illustrations. Many women and their admirers subsequently discovered quite accidentally the delights of the geisha-like way of walking which such narrow skirts create, and the hobble skirt, impractical though it was, achieved tremendous popularity.
Although the term is sometimes used in reference to narrow ankle-length skirts in the early 1910s, some skirts of this period, although called hobble skirts, had slits, hidden
pleatA pleat is a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference....
s, and draping that lessened the restriction on a woman's ability to move freely, because in this period women were becoming more active in various activities which would have been impossible to do in a hobbled
hemlineThe hemline is the line formed by the lower edge of a garment, such as a skirt, dress or coat.The hemline is perhaps the most variable style line in fashion, changing shape and ranging in height from hip-high to floor-length...
. The most restricting extant styles from this period, which truly do hobble the wearer, are either evening wear or are found in
wedding dressA wedding dress or wedding gown is clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.- Western culture :...
es when a woman was only required to take small measured steps down the aisle of a church.
Modern history
Long tight skirts reappeared through the century in various forms, particularly in
evening gownAn evening gown is a long, flowing lady's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges in length from tea and ballerina to full-length. Gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk...
s, as well as daytime
pencil skirtA pencil skirt is a skirt with a straight and narrow cut, worn by women. It typically falls to or just below the knee, and is tailored for a close fit. Its name comes from its shape: long and slim.-Style:...
s popular from the 1950s onwards. A more literal interpretation of hobble skirts became a mainstay in
bondageBondage refers to the use of restraints for the sexual pleasure of the parties involved. It may be used in its own right, as in the case of rope bondage and breast bondage, or as part of sexual activity or BDSM activity...
-oriented fetish fashion, often made out of
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
,
PVCPolyvinyl chloride is a plastic.PVC may also refer to:*Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor*Peripheral venous catheter - a small, flexible tube placed into a peripheral vein in order to administer medication or fluids...
, or
latexLatex refers generically to a stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic. Latex as found in nature is a milky sap-like fluid within many plants that coagulates on exposure to air. It is a complex emulsion in which proteins, alkaloids,...
. For example, they were a regular topic in the 1950s
John WillieJohn Alexander Scott Coutts , better known as John Willie, was a pioneering fetish photographer and bondage artist.- Life and work :...
fetish magazineA fetish magazine is a type of magazine originating in the 1960s which is devoted to sexual fetishism. The content is generally aimed at being erotic rather than pornographic...
,
BizarreBizarre is a self-described "alternative" and "non-mainstream" magazine. It is a sister publication to Fortean Times. It has no connection to the fetish publication also known as "Bizarre" published between 1946-1959....
.
Hobble skirts are still present today in
gothGothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes black dyed and crimped hair, bright lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths sometimes wear dark eyeliner and dark...
and BDSM communities, but are also sometimes used as
evening gownAn evening gown is a long, flowing lady's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges in length from tea and ballerina to full-length. Gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk...
s and
wedding dressA wedding dress or wedding gown is clothing worn by a bride during a wedding ceremony. Color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants.- Western culture :...
es and sometimes in other occasions although rarely due to restricting properties. Like other skirts in
western cultureWestern culture refers to cultures of European origin.The term "Western culture" is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and technologies...
they are almost exclusively worn by women.
Advantages
- Some people enjoy the feeling of legs being "hugged" together by the skirt.
- Due to their tightness and close proximity to the body, hobble skirts can make the wearer feel very warm, without having to wear bifurcated legwear.
- May be seen as protecting the wearer's modesty by largely eliminating the chance of unexpected exposure of undergarments.
Disadvantages
- They shorten the wearer's stride.
- They render the wearer unable to run.
- It is impossible to perform activities which require spreading legs or having an object between them, such as cycling
Cycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
.
Movies and television series
- The Addams Family
The Addams Family is a group of fictional characters created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. Earlier Addams had worked in collaboration with his friend Ray Bradbury...
— MorticiaMorticia A. Addams is the fictional matriarch of "The Addams Family", created by cartoonist Charles Addams.Morticia is the wife of Gomez Addams and mother of Wednesday and Pugsley. The character originated in the Charles Addams cartoons for The New Yorker magazine in the 1930s. In the cartoons,...
commonly wears long, black gothic hobble dresses
- Dick Tracy — Breathless Mahoney (Madonna
Madonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance...
) appears in a shiny black skintight gown
- Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series created by Silvio Horta, which premiered on The American Broadcasting Company on September 28, 2006. The series revolves around Betty Suarez, an unglamorous and good-natured girl, and her incongruous job at the ultra-chic New York City...
— in "Icing on the CakeIcing on the Cake is the seventeenth episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired March 15, 2007. The episode was written by Dailyn Rodriguez and directed by Jeff Melman.-Plot:...
" episode AmandaAmanda Tanen is a fictional character in the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is played by Becki Newton. Amanda's character is a combination of Patricia Fernandez and Marcela Valencia, but her appearance is similar to Marcia Villarroel from the Mexican adaptation.-Background:Amanda Tanen is...
(Becki NewtonRebecca Sara "Becki" Newton is an American actress. Newton is currently a regular cast member of Ugly Betty.-Early life:Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Becki Newton was raised in Guilford, Connecticut...
) wears a tight silver rubber hobble dress named the "Amanda".
- What a Way to Go!
What A Way To Go! is a 1964 American comedy film directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly and Dick Van Dyke.-Plot:...
— Louisa May Foster (Shirley MacLaineShirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, dancer, activist, and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
) is seen in shiny red pencil hobble skirt.
Coca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines internationally. The Coca-Cola Company claims that the beverage is sold in more than 200 countries...
- In 1916, Coca-Cola debuted its now famous bottle design, which was not only inspired by the popularity of the hobble skirt but would help consumers differentiate Coca-Cola from competitors.
See also
- Fetish clothing
- Fetish fashion
Fetish fashion is a type of clothing usually created to be extreme or provocative. These styles are not usually worn by the majority of people on any regular basis. They are usually made of materials such as leather, latex, nylon, PVC, spandex and fishnet...
- Gothic fashion
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes black dyed and crimped hair, bright lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths sometimes wear dark eyeliner and dark...
- Pencil skirt
A pencil skirt is a skirt with a straight and narrow cut, worn by women. It typically falls to or just below the knee, and is tailored for a close fit. Its name comes from its shape: long and slim.-Style:...
- Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In European culture, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
External links