The first hoop skirts appeared in England during the 1710s and were cone-shaped and, it seems, not always full-length. Depending on the source, they were introduced to France in 1718 or 1719. Soon their shape changed into a huge dome, spreading equally all around, which gave cause to much amusement (caricaturists) as well as consternation (church).
The dome quickly decreased in size and flattened in front and back, then flattened even more into a broad oval. Around the middle of the century, the panier was divided into two baskets, one over each hip, and still later received pads on top so that it reached the elbows.
Other developments are half-length paniers with flounces round the hem, and a short, wide and boxy panier that only reached to mid-thigh. In the 1780s, paniers vanished altogether and were replaced by pads.
Types of panier include: panier à gueridon (funnel-shaped), panier à coudes, panier janseniste, considérations, criarde, à bourrelets (flaring), à coupole (dome-shaped).
Panier from the middle of the century
