Fashionably Hobbled to Death
Hobble skirts were notorious for restricting the ability to walk thanks to a narrow skirt opening, sometimes just 38 inches (1 meter) in diameter. This hampered mobility led to death for some unfortunate wearers. David cites two fatal incidents at the height of the hobble skirt’s fashion reign. In September 1910, a horse broke free at a racetrack and ran through the onlookers.
A woman in a hobble skirt couldn’t move fast enough and was trampled to death. In 1911, a young woman a woman was crossing a bridge over the Erie Canal and stumbled over a lock, sending her careening over a railing where she drowned. Women sustained injury trying to enter or exit vehicles, or from slip-and-falls as women navigated curbs or other hazards.
