While dresses continue flat and close clinging in front, they are fuller behind, and most fashionable ladies add a ruffled tonoure to the back of the dress to get the required fullness. These tonoures at present consist of a long narrow piece, five inches wide at the top, and widening to nine inches at the bottom, with a series of small flounces. Some are made of crinoline, with whalebone put in casings. It is possible that this small affair may only be the precursor of the large hoop that deformed the human figure eighteen or twenty years ago.

From Peterson’s 1881 April pg.327

Tournures, or as they used to be called, "bustles," are again worn, quite small, to be sure; sometimes, consisting only of a small piece of gathered muslin, placed only in the middle of the back of the skirt, just below the waist. The very flat appearance, that was considered so desirable at the back of the dress, a few years ago, is now looked upon as quite old style, and the small panniers, that are now so popular, all show that dresses are destined to be worn fuller at the back and on the hips, than formerly, however flat they may fall in front. The tournure and panniers have the advantage of making the waist look smaller than the old style. Many new French dresses, now have the bodices cut entirely bias, as was the fashion twenty-five years ago. When these bodices do fit, they fit beautifully; but, at first, that is difficult to achieve.

But there are some few facts which must be borne in mind by those having dresses made up now: The skirt should fall straight and flat in front; either a small tournure must be worn, or the back-drapery should be sufficiently puffed, to give the skirt below the waist a bouffant appearance; all sleeves should be put in high up on the shoulders, making the shoulder-seams quite short, and many persons think that there is no style if the sleeve is not put in full on the top, to stand up above the shoulder – this certainly gives a narrower appearance to a broad-chested woman, but is not so becoming to a very thin one; dresses are made quite high about the neck, at the back, to accommodate the hair, which is now worn so generally high. These few hints followed, dresses may be made as fancy dictates: much or little trimmed, in straight falling or in curved lines, of large or small figured material or of plain goods, of one or two colors, or of one or two materials, open or closed at the neck.

TOURNURE PETTICOAT. The upper part is made of muslin, to which a horsehair tournure is attached; this is kept in place by lacings on the under side. The bottom, which is kilted in front, and which is much trimmed with lace, should be made to button on, so that it may be easily washed. In the place of horsehair, some use stiff-starched muslin or crinoline; but both of these materials soon lose their shape.

Tournures are now indispensable – without the back breadths of the skirt are very much puffed: and even then, small tournures are generally worn.

The Lining of the Underskirt is still made narrow, but there are so many plaited ruffles or folds or draperies on it that it has a much wider look than those worn a year ago. The overdresses are also made fuller, with much draping at the back, to give it the full look now fashionable. But great care should be taken not to exaggerate these back puffings, and to keep them from having a common look.