Variety of Silhouette in Eighteenth-Century Women's Costumes

Much like their male counterparts, the costumes of the women of the early to mid-eighteenth century exhibited a feeling of Rococo buoyancy. In addition to the light, crisp satins and brocades favored by the men, printed and sprigged cottons gained a following, especially in the colonies of the Western hemisphere. Hooped petticoats grew in size and in some cases became quite wide and oblong in shape. The horizontal shape of these panniers could also be created by a separate boned can or side pocket on either side at the hips.