One of the first mass-produced and most widely adopted fashions, the cage crinoline was worn at all levels of society. Usually worn with corsets, the 19th-century fashion for crinolines emphasized tiny waists as the beauty ideal. When worn underneath a dress, the “hoop skirt” would flare out and an over-petticoat would be placed over the cage to smooth the ridges. Finally, on top of the petticoats and the crinolines was the final layer of a woman’s wardrobe: the dress. This small cage would have been worn by a child. Even children were subjected to the uncomfortable fashion trends of the day.
