Bodies and farthingales
are boned structures that
shape a woman's silhouette. A "pair of bodies" smooths out the bust and torso
so clothing lies neatly. A farthingale holds out the skirts. The cone-shaped Spanish
farthingale was popular in the mid-1500s. The French farthingale, which
holds the skirt straight out from the waist, became popular in the 1580s.