Fashion by the Letter: B is for Bustle

I think there’s a constant tug of war on who dominates my fashion tastes.  Currently the word “steampunk” has been headlining my Ebay and Etsy searches.

According to Ye Olde Wikipedia, A bustle is a type of framework used to expand the fullness or support the drapery of the back of a woman’s dress, occurring predominantly in the mid-to-late 19th century.

Personally, being a less than gifted person in the rear region, I’m a fan of the bustle on long skirts. Course, I’m also a fan of the burlesque era, another word making it’s way into my fashion vocabulary, and the shorter ones are cute. Although shorter, I’m having a harder time thinking about how I can meld this into my everyday closet.

I think this is a great dress up and out on the town look, especially for fall when the little black dress is not only losing it’s shine from overuse in the spring, but doesn’t give me that warm, fuzzy & fabulous feeling for when I’m stepping out into a chilly wind!

I personally adore the shock factor from the behind view. From the front this can easily come off as a plain skirt and easily pop the wow factor as you turn around. For me, this gives it a little edge above something more blatantly dressier as I can dress it up or down as I need to and personalize it more to my needs.

It’s a long time ago that it came, but for me, a bustle skirt – in my closet at least – has been a long time comin’.