1940s bustle-back skirt Pattern(s): EvaDress5569 Fabric: red plaid suiting (wool/synthetic blend, I think) Construction Notes: This skirt looks complicated, but it's really not -- the hardest part is getting the pleats to line up correctly. The back skirt piece is the most weirdly shaped skirt pattern piece I've ever seen. :) The "bustle" is just a rectangle of fabric, gathered and attached on one side of the skirt, which then snaps on the other side. A zipper in back is hidden by the bustle. Miscellaneous Ramblings: I've been wanting to try Evadress 5569 for about a year now, so recently I finally bought it. I was inspired to use a red plaid by this fashion sketch of an Elsa Schiaparelli bustle skirt from 1948. I love this pattern -- from the front it looks like a regular pencil skirt, and then you turn around and lo! all these amazing details! You could even omit the bustle and just make a skirt with drape-y pleats in the back. Despite how it looks from the front, the skirt is quite full, with plenty of room for walking. back