The popular gigot, or leg o’ mutton sleeves continued to grow in size from 1890 until they reached ridiculous proportions by 1898.  After reaching gargantuan dimensions, there was nowhere to go but down- and they did.  The new Edwardian era changed the emphasis entirely from huge sleeve, hourglass figure, and wide -bottomed skirts to a slim silhouette, monobosom, the “S” shaped curved silhouette and by 1911, a pencil slim hobble skirt which barely allowed a lady room to walk at the bottom.  All of that was topped off by monstrous cartwheel hats which were recently glorified in the Cameron film, Titanic.

An advertisement for starch, 1898, the leg o’muttons last gasp

 (blogger’s collection)