In 1914, the hobble skirt was all the rage. To eyes used to seeing women's bodies enveloped in yards of fabric, these skirts were a shocking reminder that women had ankles, legs, and derrières. While ...

Leading the way towards this silhouette, last seen in 1889, is London`s most directional designer, Katherine Hamnett. Her newest skirt has been gathered up, pulled taut at the front and the slack ...

SIR – I was amused to read that Rebecca Hall, the actress starring in the BBC/HBO period drama Parade’s End, attributes the origin of the “hobble” skirt to a desire for “fetishisation of the female by ...