Panniers Dress: The 18th-Century Hip Silhouette and 7 Modern Rasario Pieces

A panniers dress is a dress shaped by side hoops at the hips, so the skirt is wide at the sides and flat at the front and back; panniers came into fashion around 1710, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. For autumn winter 2026/27, Rasario has revived the silhouette in 7 pieces, from a $4,240 laced satin corset to a $6,710 velvet maxi, all part of the edit of maxi dresses and corset tops at Coveti. For the rest of the collection, read our guide to Rasario Fall Winter 2026.

What are panniers?

Panniers are an under-structure worn beneath a skirt to push it out at the hips. The Fashion History Timeline of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York defines them as a structure that “created a shape wide at the sides and flat at the front and back.” The result is a silhouette that looks oblong from the front and narrow from the side.

The name comes from the French word for basket. The same FIT entry, citing the costume historian J. Anderson Black, says the garments were named after the side-slung baskets carried by donkeys, a resemblance that satirists of the time noticed. The word is sometimes spelled paniers, and in England in the 18th century the usual term was hoop.

What were they made of?

The surviving pannier at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, dated to about 1750, is made of linen and cane. The Met records hoops of cane and metal, and later whalebone. FIT notes that the stiffening was whalebone and cane, and that some panniers had hinges so the sides could fold up when the wearer passed through a doorway and stepped into a carriage.

A short history of the panniers dress

Early 18th century

The Met dates the arrival of panniers as a fashion to around 1710. The earliest versions shaped the skirt into a dome. Over the following decades the hoops spread to the sides and flattened at the front and back.

Court dress at its widest

The most extreme widths belonged to court dress. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London holds a white silk court mantua made in England between 1740 and 1745, embroidered with silk and silver thread. Its petticoat is shaped to take narrow side hoops five feet wide at their widest, and the museum’s gallery label notes that the skirt made it necessary for the wearer to go sideways through doors. The V&A suggests the dress may have been made for a bride’s first appearance at court as a married woman.

The Met dates the largest proportions to the 1740s and 1750s, when very cumbersome dresses were worn to formal occasions. In England, the Met adds, hoops were still required at court by order of Queen Charlotte into the early 1800s, when they looked odd under the high waistlines of the period.

Later 18th century

Panniers were not only for court. FIT notes they were worn under court mantuas and also under later 18th-century styles, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art holds an English linen and cane hoop petticoat dated 1750 to 1780. The Met also describes a more practical version made of two separate bag-like hoops tied at the waist; slits in the petticoat and dress let the wearer reach inside and use them as pockets.

The 19th and 20th century meaning

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, FIT notes, the word pannier described something different: a skirt and overskirt draped over the hips, with no hoop underneath. That softer meaning is closer to how most designers use the word today.

Historical pannier versus modern pannier detail

How are designers reviving the pannier silhouette now?

Today’s pannier is a reference, not a reconstruction. Instead of a cage under the skirt, the volume is built into the garment itself: a stiffened peplum that stands away from the hip, a sculpted panel stitched to a bodice, a draped satin flare. The waist stays narrow and the flare sits higher, so the shape reads as corsetry with emphasis at the hip rather than a full 18th-century skirt.

That approach suits Rasario. Forbes described the house signature as the corset combined with frills and bows, and sculpted corset bodices, lacing, draping, velvet and satin run through its current collections. Corsets with panniers are one of the named codes of Fall Winter 2026/27, next to velvet, sculptural satin bows and back lacing.

Rasario’s 7 pannier pieces at Coveti

Laced Satin Corset with Panniers and Bows, $4,240

This is the most direct take on the idea: a laced satin corset top with pannier shaping at the hip and bows. It comes in two colours, the Laced Satin Corset with Panniers and Bows in White and the Laced Satin Corset with Panniers and Bows in Black. Worn with a slim skirt, it gives the pannier outline without the volume of a full gown. Our guide to satin corset tops has more on fit.

Off-the-Shoulder Satin Corset Top with Sculpted Hip Panniers, $4,710

Two colourways in contrast: the Off-the-Shoulder Satin Corset Top with Sculpted Hip Panniers in Black and Pink and the Off-the-Shoulder Satin Corset Top with Sculpted Hip Panniers in White and Black. The off-the-shoulder neckline balances the width at the hip, so the shoulders and the hips frame a narrow waist. Browse more in corset tops.

Velvet Maxi Dress with Panniers and Puff Sleeves, $6,710

The Velvet Maxi Dress with Panniers and Puff Sleeves in Black is the most historical of the seven, with puff sleeves at the shoulder and panniers at the hip on a floor-length velvet dress. It is a black tie gown for a winter gala. For more on the fabric, see Rasario velvet dresses.

Crystal-Embellished Maxi Dress with Sculptural Pannier Panels, $5,980

Here the pannier becomes a sculptural panel rather than a hoop. The Crystal-Embellished Maxi Dress with Sculptural Pannier Panels in Beige and the Crystal-Embellished Maxi Dress with Sculptural Pannier Panels in Black add crystal embellishment, which makes them the evening choice of the group.

How to wear a panniers dress without looking like costume

Keep the rest of the look modern

The silhouette already carries the history, so everything else should be clean. Skip powdered hair, chokers with cameos and anything with lace frills at the wrist. A sleek bun, a bare neck and a single pair of earrings keep the look in 2026.

Wear pannier tops with slim bottoms

A pannier corset top needs a narrow skirt and wide trousers cut close at the hip, so the volume stays at one point. A satin column skirt is the easiest match; see our satin maxi skirts guide, and browse designer skirts.

Choose plain shoes and a small bag

A pointed pump and a small clutch keep the proportions sharp. A large bag fights with the hip line. Our shoe colour guide covers metallics and black.

Match the piece to the dress code

The velvet and crystal-embellished maxi dresses belong at black tie, a gala and a winter wedding in the evening. The corset tops work for a cocktail party and a Christmas dinner. Read black tie dresses for dress code detail and strapless corset dresses for related shapes.

Mind the seat and the door

Modern pannier details are far narrower than the court hoops in the V&A, but they still add width. Try sitting down in the piece before the event, and pick a dinner chair without arms where possible.

Sizing a pannier piece

Rasario sizing is French, and on the house chart UK size equals FR size minus 30: FR34 is a UK4, FR36 is a UK6. Corset pieces fit closely at the waist, so order by your waist measurement. Many sizes are made to order, and each Coveti product page shows which sizes are ready to ship. See our Rasario size guide and delivery and returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a panniers dress?

A panniers dress is a dress whose skirt is pushed out at the hips by side hoops, making it wide at the sides and flat at the front and back. The style came into fashion around 1710, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Modern versions build the hip volume into the garment instead of using a separate hoop.

Why are they called panniers?

Pannier is the French word for basket. According to the Fashion History Timeline at FIT, the garments were named after the side-slung baskets carried by donkeys. In 18th-century England the more common term was hoop.

How wide were 18th-century panniers?

Widths varied with the occasion, and court dress was the widest. A V&A court mantua made in England between 1740 and 1745 has a petticoat shaped for narrow side hoops five feet wide at their widest. The museum notes the wearer had to go sideways through doors.

Does Rasario make pannier dresses?

Yes. Rasario’s Fall Winter 2026/27 collection has 7 pannier pieces, all stocked at Coveti. They include laced satin corsets with panniers and bows at $4,240, off-the-shoulder corset tops with hip panniers at $4,710, crystal-embellished maxi dresses at $5,980 and a velvet maxi dress with panniers and puff sleeves at $6,710.

How do you wear panniers without looking like a costume?

Keep everything around the silhouette modern: sleek hair, a bare neck, one pair of earrings and plain shoes. Pair pannier corset tops with a slim skirt so the volume sits only at the hip. Save the maxi versions for black tie and evening weddings.