The Story of My Handmade Crinoline Cage

A few years ago, I decided to make my own crinoline cage.

When I started looking online for inspiration, I found mostly inexpensive constructions made from metal and plastic. To be honest, I did not trust them very much. My first thought was: How is anyone supposed to get through a crowded event wearing that without it getting damaged? And another question quickly followed: How do they even fold those flat-pack constructions?

So, as often happens, I decided to make one myself.

My husband came up with an interesting idea: why not use fluorescent light tubes? The suggestion stayed with me, and before long I was drawing plans, calculating measurements, and figuring out how to connect the different hoops with fabric supports.

What seemed like a simple project turned into many days of work.

Covering each tube with fabric was particularly time-consuming. Some parts could be sewn by machine, but much of the work had to be done by hand. Painting the tubes was never really an option. Apart from not being particularly practical, I was concerned that paint might eventually transfer onto the clothing worn over the cage.

Little by little, the crinoline cage took shape.

Today it is used regularly for photography. It has even appeared in professional model shoots. Most often, however, it serves the purpose for which it was originally intended: displaying historical dresses in the silhouette they were designed to have. A gown simply looks different when it is supported by the correct structure underneath.

And what about storage?

Surprisingly, it is not nearly as inconvenient as one might expect. The hoops can simply be stood upright against a wall. I do move them from time to time to prevent any flattening from occurring, but otherwise they require very little attention.

Over the years, people have occasionally asked whether I would sell it.

Unfortunately, that is unlikely to happen. Shipping would be the real challenge. Imagine trying to explain to a transport company that you need special freight for an item that weighs less than a kilogram. The size, rather than the weight, makes it impractical.

Besides, I still use it regularly.

In the near future, I plan to publish a tutorial for anyone who would like to make their own crinoline cage. Because, when you think about it, all you really need are a few fluorescent light tubes, some fabric, a bit of ingenuity, and a great deal of patience.

And that seems considerably more sustainable than ordering a mass-produced version from the other side of the world—one that will most likely arrive folded into a flat pack or squeezed into a parcel small enough to fit through a letterbox.