Perk up your spring wardrobe with a petticoat

Knickers is nearly five years old now, and I’m rather embarrassed to say that it’s taken me this long to give some love to an unsung hero in the world of undergarmets: the petticoat.

Also called a crinoline or a tulle underskirt, petticoats are those tiered or structured bits of tulle or organza that kept skirts full and flouncy during the fifties – and many other eras – and they are a simple way to add instant glamour to any dress. Got a casual dress that you want to perk up for a night out? Add a petticoat. Got a cute skirt that needs a different look? Add a coloured petticoat and let it peek out the bottom. You don’t even need to hide the petticoat – with the lingerie-as-outerwear trend exploding in the fashion industry, you could take your cue from this ASOS Black Label crinoline skirt and wear it on the outside, too!

Here are some of our favourite petticoats available right now:

Anthropologie Eyelet Petticoat

We love this petticoat for its sweet simplicity — a single layer of cotton will keep you cool in the summer months, but will still give your favourite summer dresses that extra pop when you need it. With the beautiful eyelet design along the bottom tier of the petticoat, we think this is one slip you won’t mind to have peeking out from under your dress! Available from Anthropologie for £32.50 or $48.

Honeypie Boutique Petticoats

If you’re looking for something a bit more dramatic, try Honeypie Boutique and their affordable collection of multi-coloured petticoats. Honeypie specialises in 50′s style dresses for weddings and special occasions, but their petticoats will be just as useful for women who want to re-invent a few old outfits. The 2-tiered tulle petticoats are available in four colours and are an affordable £30 each — if you want more layers or a custom colour, you can also place a custom order to Honeypie. If you’re in the US and want to order locally, check out Etsy seller porshespalace, who sells and makes a wide variety of gorgeous petticoats and who can also do custom orders.

Mini Crinoline Skirt at Etsy

If all of this is a little too frou-frou for you, check out this sleek and simple mini-crinoline from Etsy seller TatterdemalionDesign ($200). It’s beautifully modern and would look great as outerwear, but will serve just as well to create a great shape under a killer black dress. A gorgeous pick for our corset-loving vixens, you can order this crinoline with plastic or steel boning.

Make your own petticoat

Petticoats (especially non-bridal ones) aren’t the easiest thing to find, and if you’re handy with a sewing machine you can always make one yourself. Here’s a video tutorial that can get you started on making a lovely modern crinoline. Who knows, maybe we can inspire a few lingerie designers to come up with their own crinoline interpretations for their next collection!