hobble skirt
Noun: A woman's skirt that is very narrow around the ankles or below the knees, severely restricting the wearer's stride. It was a brief fashion trend in the early 1910s.
The term "hobble skirt" is used specifically to describe this historical garment. It functions as a countable noun.
Examples: * The fashion illustration depicted a woman in a stylish but impractical hobble skirt. * Museum exhibits on Edwardian fashion often include a hobble skirt to show the extremes of style. * Walking in a hobble skirt required a short, mincing step.
- The skirt is named for the verb "to hobble," meaning to walk awkwardly or with difficulty, which directly describes the effect of wearing it.
- It is frequently discussed in historical contexts concerning women's fashion and social change in the early 20th century.
- Hobble (verb): To walk in an awkward way, typically because of pain or damage to the legs or feet. This is the root word from which the skirt gets its name.
- Pencil skirt (noun): A modern, close-fitting skirt that is narrow but typically allows more freedom of movement than a historical hobble skirt. It is a related but distinct style.
- Fetter skirt: A less common synonym that also emphasizes the restrictive nature of the garment.
- Narrow skirt: A general descriptive term, but it lacks the specific historical and restrictive connotations of "hobble skirt."
The "hobble skirt" represents a specific, short-lived historical fashion item. Its primary meaning is literal, describing the physical garment. It is often used figuratively or critically to symbolize the restrictive nature of past fashion standards or social constraints on women's mobility and freedom.
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a long skirt very narrow below the knees, worn between 1910 and 1914
