Broadside entitled 'Answer to Ladies Crinolines'

Commentary

Verse 1 begins: 'Come all you young ladies and listen awhile, / I'll sing you a song that will cause you to smile'. There are no details attached to this publication, although 'answers' were usually published in reply to a letter or text and so can often be found in pairs. The partner of this is, unfortunately, untraceable. There are no publication details given, but this is one of two songs - printed by James Lindsay - on this sheet.

Women's fashions are a popular topic amongst broadside authors, especially criticising or satirising them. Any sort of hooped skirt meant that men had restricted access to a woman's body, which often hindered his amorous intent. A greater concern for moralists was that crinolines and other hooped skirts tended to tip up and show more of the lady's leg than was proper. Farthingales were another fashion which caused outrage.

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