The Crinoline Inferno

The most voguish dresses of the mid-19th century were not only absurdly voluminous but also highly flammable – and ultimately responsible for the fiery deaths of thousands of women. IAN SIMMONS tells the tragic stories of these literal fashion victims.

If asked to name history’s deadliest item of clothing, you might go for the corset; it constricted organs, restricted breathing, and launched a craze for insanely small wasp waists achieved by tight lacing and the removal of ribs. Or perhaps, if you are of a certain age, you might nominate bondage trousers, which could be truly lethal to try and walk downstairs in. Either way, you’d be wrong: the honour belongs to that stately 19th century favourite, the crinoline. Crinolines may look fusty, overly modest and more than a little twee, but that has more to do with 50 years of television costume dramas than reality. In truth, a number of factors combined in crinolines to make them a ridiculously dangerous death trap for anyone wearing them. During the peak…

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Fortean Times (Digital) - 1 Issue, 452

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