A crinoline was a round frame which women wore under their skirts in the 19th century. a round frame that was worn in the past under a woman's skirt to support it and hold it away from her body (crinolino, from crino + lino )
In the 1840s, a crinoline was a stiff petticoat made of horsehair and thread; by the mid-1850s it had grown to a light, cage-like framework of whalebone, wire or watch-spring steel Unlike the hoop skirt, the crinoline spread to all classes, and was worn by factory girls and even peasants A bit about bones A short course in corsets --> A watch-spring steel crinoline cage Handy tips for corset-wearers
stiff unpliable material used to support or stiffen dress, also given name of steel springs forming a type of cage or hoop used to extend skirt; sometimes used in entire petticoat