… were given MORE flounces and MORE tiers. It started out as 2 tiers as more of an overskirt with main skirt in the beginning, and then 3 tiers became the norm.
Each tier was tightly gathered at the top, and weighted down with horsehair braid at the bottom so it would lay flat along the one below and not stick out like a bad haircut.
(Sketch: high fashion that women followed, mimicked, and copied from “Godey’s” Lady’s handbook shows the 1855 large 3 tiered style)