Why Wear a Petticoat?

Do you need to wear a petticoat down under? That depends on the clothes you wear. If you are wearing a full skirt, maybe yes. Bridal and Prom gowns are a good example. Does the skirt hang straight down in to folds? Does it form a triangle? Are there accents at the bottom?

To find out what a petticoat will do for you, put the gown on and look in a full length mirror. Walk at your normal pace. What are you seeing? How does it feel? Is the gown’s fullness creating vertical folds of fabric? Are there any accents falling between these folds? Does the skirt’s fullness want to naturally flow between your legs when you walk? If you are unsure, ask for an opinion from someone you trust.

What are You Hiding?

If you purchased a gown, dress or separate skirt with fullness at the hem line, consider wearing the proper under garments to flatter that look.

A bridal or prom gown with any lace, motifs or beading at the hem will be a waste of money if you can not show it off. Accents add weight. The more they weigh the closer to the ground they will hang. Think of a level. If the weight is not distributed evenly, the heavy side goes down.

You need stability to support this weight. By wearing the proper under garments, the weight is evenly distributed. It lifts the hem edge and flows naturally. Choose one before adjusting the hem length. Depending on the style you choose, dictates how much the hem will raise. Try on slips with different fullness to find the right look. If your gown is an inch or so too long, wearing a petticoat may save you the alteration cost of shortening the length. Many bridal shops will sell or rent these.

Guess what else proper undergarments can do? They can visually give the illusion of a smaller waistline. Picture a stick figure. Instead of adding stick legs to it, visualize a triangle were the legs would be. What happen to the figure that took its place?

It disappears. We have no idea what is hiding under that triangle. It could be skinny stick legs, a full hip or flat derriere. We added fullness to the bottom edge of this illusion. It draws the eye out at its fullest point and in at the top – your waistline. The fun part is all the gorgeous accents at the hemline reappear instead of falling between the folds.

Whether you have a full short sassy skirt or a floor length ball gown, wearing a petticoat adds balance to your proportions and keeps everyone else guessing what is underneath.

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