In the late 1800s upper and middle class women fashionable dress included corsets and other restrictive undergarments. Upper class women's fashion dictated coverage of their bodies with long trailing skirts that covered those very sexy ankles, bustles to keeps those skirts from dragging on the ground, layers of petticoats and steel rods that were heavy and limited physical activities so that men had to help women at every turn. Tight-lacing was practiced and believed to cause internal organ damage.