The garment known as the petticoat was once the very engine of women's fashion, a structural necessity without which the skirts of the 1850s would have collapsed into shapeless drapes. In the mid-19th century, a woman's silhouette was not created by the dress itself but by the layers of cotton, silk, or tulle hidden beneath it. These undergarments were not merely for modesty or warmth but were engineered to create volume, often requiring multiple layers to achieve the desired bell shape. Without these stiffened skirts, the fashionable gowns of the era would have lacked the dramatic flair that defined the period. The petticoat was the invisible architect of history, holding up the social and aesthetic expectations of centuries of women.
From Visible Coat to Hidden Layer
In the 14th century, the word petticoat derived from Middle English terms meaning a small coat, and it was originally designed to be seen. Both men and women wore these undercoats, which were often padded or quilted for warmth during the cooler months, serving as an under-doublet from the mid-15th century until the 17th century. By 1585, the practice of wearing petticoats as undergarments was well established in England, yet the garment remained a visible part of the ensemble. In the 18th century, petticoats were integral components of gowns in Europe and America, considered part of the exterior garment meant to be displayed. They were fashioned from matching or contrasting textiles, sometimes highly embroidered, and worn by all classes of women. The hem length varied with fashion, and many featured slits or holes to allow access to pockets hidden within the layers. The style known as the polonaise revealed much of the petticoat intentionally, blurring the line between underwear and outerwear.The Victorian Silhouette and Industrial Shift
By the Victorian era, petticoats had cemented their role as undergarments used to give bulk and shape to the skirts worn over them. In the mid-19th century, these garments were worn over hoops known as crinolines, creating the iconic bell shape of the 1860s. Popular white cotton petticoats from that decade regularly featured lace and broderie anglaise decorative borders, signaling a shift toward ornamentation even in underlayers. As the bustle became popular in the 1870s, petticoats developed flounces toward the back to cater to this new understructure, while continuing to be worn in layers through the decade. Colored petticoats came into fashion by the 1890s, with many made from silk and featuring decorative frills to the bottom edge. In the early 20th century, petticoats were circular with flounces and buttons, allowing women to attach additional flounces to the garment. Bloomers were touted as a replacement for petticoats when working, championed by fashion reformers who sought to liberate women from restrictive clothing.