Who Thought Dressing as a Barrel was a Good Idea?

ByCarolyn E. Jacobs

My novel is set in 1917, and my heroine has a certain love-hate relationship with fashion. She loves looking feminine, but she loves digging in the dirt more.

Tonneau sounded more fashionable than barrel, but a barrel by any other name. . . Who determined making your figure look like a barrel was attractive? At least wearing a cloth barrel would make mounting a camel easier than if she had to wear a slim skirt.

One of the trends in 1917 was the tonneau skirt. It’s not as outrageous as a Louis XV, to be sure. I mean, you couldn’t hide a piano under a tonneau. But who thought this style was flattering?

I think this girl had an inkling of how silly she looked, don’t you?

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