Petticoats and Dresses

[Brenda Freeman]

I have always enjoyed the look of petticoats and a pretty dress and of course french maid uniforms and petticoats. I think it goes way back to watching movies with dancers and women in wonderful costumes I longed to look like. I do enjoy a nice dress and heels too. Wondering how may enjoy fun costume dress up when time allows?

[CONSUELO]

My transvestism emerged and matured in a time when lovely slips and beautiful flowing dresses were more or less the norm. So, I love to dress that way and find those slips or petticoats to be outstanding works of decorative art.

There is a program on PBS called FATHER BROWN. It is a series of stories about a priest who is also a successful sleuth who solves murder cases. Light hearted stuff but well acted and in it there is a female character who dresses in 1950's styles with lovely flowing dresser/ frocks and in some scenes she appears in beautiful slips. I just watch it from time to time as I enjoy the fashions. I also loved to watch the character Mary in Dowton Abbey dress as she wore some really fabulous lingerie. By way of contrast, Victoria's Secret seems very boring.

So, I am with you. Dressing in slips/petticoats, dresses/frocks and heels and always with stockings not pantyhose is a favorite activity of mine.

[shellybme]

I had a cute french maid outfit. The petticoat really completed the look along with rumba panties. The only time I actually enjoyed cleaning the house. lol

[Rachael Leigh]

I use to enjoy it a lot, but not as much now. I guess I've grown and now I enjoy being one who dresses to blend when I go out. Those kinds of clothes have such limits where I would never wear in public.
Still love those cute styles though

[Stephanie47]

I think there is a need to qualify terminology. The general dictionary definition of petticoat is a slip. I am totally hooked on slips/ I love slips. I love vintage slips with lots of lace at the bodice and hem. I love the colors of days gone by; pastels, reds and pinks at Valentine's Day or Christmas; browns, greens..fall colors. Anyone for Elizabeth Taylor in "Cat on a Hot in Roof?"

Some restrict 'petticoat' to an undergarment which is worn under the dress or skirt which 'poofs' it out, a multi layer of stiff fabric. Girls of the 1950's wore petticoats under their Poodle Dog skirts. Now petticoats seem to be restricted to French Maid outfits. Or retro attire for dancing.

I have several petticoats with multiple layers of fabric which 'poof out' dresses which have a large sweep at the hem.

[St Lisa]

Yeah when I hear petticoat I think of the poof kind not just a simple slip. And I don't own one but surely want to (they're quite cheap too). I'm very attracted to that 50s style of dresses both on GGs and to wear for myself.

Lol the wikipedia entry on petticoats (which is pretty interesting) mentions that they're popular with crossdressers.

[Donna June]

I have a few petticoats and love 'em. Mainly for fun and taking pics, not for regular dressing. I remember, years ago, being in the Adirondack Mountains, Lake Placid, NY. We were going hiking and stopped at a restaurant first. There was something called the "Flaming Leaves Square Dance Festival" happening at the time. All the ladies were walking across the street in their nice dresses and poufy pettis. All of a sudden I didn't feel like hiking, wish I could've went with them and dressed like them. ...Consuelo, I love the Father Brown series. The Dr. Blake Mysteries too.

[docrobbysherry]

This dress came with a fluffy petticoat built into it. However, it stopped at my knees. To create this wide bottom look I wore a hoop skirt, (Hopefully u know what those r?), with 2 very long petticoats over it. The petticoats r so long that I had to wear 4"+ heels to keep everything off the floor!:heehee:

272644

[AllieBellema]

Most of my favorite outfits involve me wearing a petticoat (or a hoop skirt), so I do love them. Was lucky enough to get gifted one from a friend, who knows I like to dress up, with one that I've worn with my poodle skirt! I'm hoping to add to my petticoat collection soon too as I got my eye on a really poofy one!

[NicoleScott]

I don't know if I ordered the wrong one or they sent the wrong one, but I received a black petticoat with the English Maid outfit with apron from Glamour Boutique. I wanted white, so I ordered it and kept the black one. From the first time and since, I wore both petticoats with the dress. So full, I love it. I don't clean house wearing the outfit (even though I bought a feather duster as a prop for pics) and I don't role play with anyone, I just love the look, feel, snd sounds. I made a lace headband to complete the outfit.

[Aunt Kelly]

I don't know if I ordered the wrong one or they sent the wrong one, but I received a black petticoat with the English Maid outfit with apron from Glamour Boutique. I wanted white, so I ordered it and kept the black one. From the first time and since, I wore both petticoats with the dress. So full, I love it.
So nobody's going to say it? Fine, I will... When do we get to see a picture, Nicole? :)

[anna kate]

I think what you are talking about is called a "Crinoline". I have a pink one I wear under my Poodle Skirt. Love the look and feel.

[Genny B]

The Crinoline Slips and Petticoats are starting to come back into style. it seems adding them to dresses from a certan seller is very popular. Can't remember the exact name, LuRa or something like that...

Genny B

[docrobbysherry]

Thank u for the correction, Anna! My Cinderella dress above, came with crinoline attached. The items I added were petticoats.:thumbsup:

[Crissy Kay]

Petticoats are the reason I got into cross dressing in the first place. After all this time, I still enjoy wearing them.

[lingerieLiz]

I'm old enough to remember when they were common for girls to wear petticoats. My sisters wore them. Getting ready for my first date I wore one. Then I changed to guy mode. I inherited my sister's petticoats as fashions changed. Went to a drive in movie dressed and wearing a couple of them to a beach party contest. I've posted about it. My mother stored them for years until she told me to take them home. Had them for years, but gave them to a friends daughter.

I usually wore a regular slip under them because they could be scratchy.

[HollyGreene]

Although I started wearing my sister's clothes at quite an early age, it wasn't until I went to university (away from home, room of my own) that my CDing really took off. (I also met a girl there who let me wear her clothes)
That was back in the 1980s when waist slips were really still quite common. I loved the feel of them under a skirt or dress and really went for the ones trimmed around the bottom edge with lace. To this day I still have 3 waist slips that I bought or was given in the 1980s and they are still in excellent condition.

[CarlaWestin]

I got a fabulous petticoat with my first french maid dress. I wear it with lots of my other skirts for that extra little poof effect. Try one under a skater skirt.

[Jessica May]

Definitely love the feel of them. I love some of the costume attire. Is really fun to wear. I have my eye on a certain princess dress which my wife joked if have a daughter in the future we could have princess tea time. I couldn't say no to that!

[Judy-Somthing]

The thing I don't like about them is how much room they take up.
My two wedding gowns take up as much space as thirty dresses.

[Crissy Kay]

Judy-S does hit on the one thing I do dislike about them. Even though I only have a few petties, I have to mash them up to fit the totes under my bed, and boxes in my closet so no one else sees them. I guess that all goes along with being a closet cd.

[Ally 2112]

I also have a few pettis and crinolines with the dresses to go with them .Lately they have been my favorites so pooooofy lol

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi Brenda:hugs:, A petticoat is something that I would like to have, Not sure why I don't already have one...:daydreaming:...

[Zoe Lapin]

ABSOLUTELY!! It's amazing how such a simple garment makes such a huge difference to your overall shape-it gives you an entirely new perspective of yourself. I'm 6'5" with a slim femme build, I always wanted to be curvier, voluptuous, what I personally found a more femme build from my natural. The first time I completed an outfit with a few layers of petticoat underneath and I knew I was forever sold. It changed the way I walked, sat, moved about-it was everything I all wanted to feel in my true self. Also, working in the burlesque scene with folks of all body types and gender identities that embraced the petti was just that much more affirming. A few layers of magic is really what it took, for me at least. They're fun, timeless, and just overall really great! 272962

[sometimes_miss]

I have several elaborate, fancy maid's uniforms, with lots of lace, and can wear them with or without the many layered petticoats that I have to match them. The ones I own are all short, as I don't enjoy wearing long dresses or skirts. The one in my avatar is representitive of the type, though most don't have the high neck collar, so I wear a white leather, black velvet, or other color matching collar with the dress. 272974

I have three dresses of the style called 'gothic lolita' which I had made by vendors on ebay. I have this one in white, 272973
A similar one in black, and one in black with red and white trim.
I also have several cheerleader uniforms, some schoolgirl uniforms (white top/plaid skirts), ONE formal long gown,

272975

The only thing missing is a wedding gown, but I don't think that's going to happen. I simply don't have the courage to go to David's bridal and get fitted for one.

[Julie Mehn]

i love dreessing up as a maid is one of my favorites things to do

[chris80]

Brought up in the 50's, the time of full skirts and paper nylon crinoline petticoats which rustled delightfully. I still have a couple of originals but at waist 32 they are now too small to wear. I have three petticoats that are nylon organza which fill out a skirt but are not as scratchy or hose damaging as stiff nylon tulle.

[ReallyLauren]

I'm not all that big on petticoats but I love a nice tulle skirt. So femme..

Lauren

[Scarlett398]

Lexi, that photo of you in that maid's outfit with the black hose and heels is one of the top sexy pics I have ever seen on this forum. And I know sexy when I see it. XOXOXO Scarlett

[Lily Catherine]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy them. Hardly anything I would want to wear daily, but for special occasions maybe - I like designs with a defined shape to them. They do actually fill out a bit of fullness for you regardless of their construction. While wearing a voluminous ball gown does have some appeal to me, it's quite inconvenient to say the least. But under a knee-length A-line skirt, a petticoat might just be the thing to give the skirt a little volume.

[Georgette_USA]

I have a question on this. Seems like the CDs know all the special tricks of feminine finery.

I got two petticoats/crinolines, one short and one longer, to wear under some dresses always around knee length.
I wore one for around Halloween time under one of my black lace Goth style dress. I don't do special costumes. It was stiff and scratchy on my bare legs, I don't wear anything but panties/knickers under my dresses. Does one need to wash or something to make them less scratchy.

Slept over at a friends and decided not to wear it for the taxi trip back to my car. Felt weird, just balled it up to hand carry home.

[CarleyR]

I love petticoats with long pretty dresses (the short maid outfits, not so much). Petticoats with pretty dresses signal femininity and beauty like nothing else. Well, at least to me, probably based on my 1950s upbringing.

[Vikky]

I just love petticoats, crinolines and slips. I have 2 x slips, one black, the other white, and I wear them most of the time when I am dressed or underdressed. Just love the feel of them. Also have a black half-slip, and a short layered slip to go under a rock-a-billy dress. It’s a bit scratchy, but I guess will soften up with use.
Would love to get more, especially a long petticoat such as would go under a long skirt or wedding dress. One day.

Vikky

[CarlaWestin]

I got a fabulous petticoat with my first french maid dress. I wear it with lots of my other skirts for that extra little poof effect. Try one under a skater skirt.

Like this favorite.

273371

[LilSissyStevie]

I have a question on this. Seems like the CDs know all the special tricks of feminine finery.

I got two petticoats/crinolines, one short and one longer, to wear under some dresses always around knee length.
I wore one for around Halloween time under one of my black lace Goth style dress. I don't do special costumes. It was stiff and scratchy on my bare legs, I don't wear anything but panties/knickers under my dresses. Does one need to wash or something to make them less scratchy.

Slept over at a friends and decided not to wear it for the taxi trip back to my car. Felt weird, just balled it up to hand carry home.

What you need is pettipants to protect your legs from the scratchy material. You can get them in all styles, colors and lengths to match your petticoats.

Also most petticoats are very bulky for storage. I save the zippered plastic bags that linens and curtain panels come in and stuff my petticoats in them. It doesn't seem to affect their fullness scrunching them up like that.

[Georgette_USA]

What you need is pettipants to protect your legs from the scratchy material.


Thank You for that idea. Didn't know they still make them. Found an ad for "MaleShapeWear Nylon Pettipants", not too long.

[Aaron Zwidling]

I have a question on this. Seems like the CDs know all the special tricks of feminine finery.

I got two petticoats/crinolines, one short and one longer, to wear under some dresses always around knee length.
I wore one for around Halloween time under one of my black lace Goth style dress. I don't do special costumes. It was stiff and scratchy on my bare legs, I don't wear anything but panties/knickers under my dresses. Does one need to wash or something to make them less scratchy.

Slept over at a friends and decided not to wear it for the taxi trip back to my car. Felt weird, just balled it up to hand carry home.

Actually Georgette it's likely the material used in your petticoats that makes them scratchy. The less expensive ones use a somewhat stiff material to give the proper volume to the petticoats, while the more expensive ones either use a large volume of soft material to give that same fullness or alternating layers of soft and stiff material. The extra material and extra sewing needed because of all that extra material can increase the cost quite a bit. An easy way to which is which is to look at the number of yards of material used to make the petticoats. Given the same fullness and length, more yards means a better petticoat.

[sometimes_miss]

For those looking for this style of petticoat and/or pettipants, for beginning shoppers, Resashay to the rescue. Quite fine products, too. Malco Modes and Sam's both make good products, and, once you know your size, can be found for a fraction of the price on your favorite auction site on the net.
Resashay here:
http://www.resashay.com/

[Crissy Kay]

Thanks for the link sometimes miss.

[Steph65]

I have tried on Petticoats. I ordered one 3 days ago. I have to go in and get fitted properly for it. I don't know why but it was ok when I tried it on. The lady said it fits well but before anything is final she wants it to fit like they are suppose to. Has me worried a little. Then this second hand store they don't mind I try something on in fact the one lady there said she has had a few "dressers" come in and she likes to help with items make sure everything fits well. I think she is more curious than anything. Either way I love the older style dresses. Long skirts are great to wear on really cold days.