farthingale, underskirt expanded by a series of circular hoops that increase in diameter from the waist down to the hem and are sewn into the underskirt to make it rigid. The fashion spread from Spain to the rest of Europe from 1545 onward. The frame could be made of whalebone, wood, or wire. The shape was first domed, coned, or bell-like; later it became more like a tub or drum. The fashion persisted in most European courts until 1620, with variations such as the French farthingale, also known as the wheel, or great, farthingale, which was tilted upward in the back, often with the help of a padded pillow called a “bum roll,” to create the illusion of an elongated torso, and the Italian farthingale, which was a smaller and more delicate version, balanced equally at the hips and frequently worn alone as a skirt.
All these skirts made possible the wider display of patterned silk, taffeta, fustian, or wool with decoration of embroidery, buttons, or jewels. They allowed freedom of movement in dancing but in exaggerated forms were a nuisance in small houses or carriages. Citizens’ wives and countrywomen followed the court fashion in modified form.
The original Spanish farthingale was dark in colour, but elsewhere the fashion became extravagant and gaudy. The frame reappeared in the hooped and panniered dresses of the 18th century and the crinoline and bustle of Victorian times.