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The petticoat is a girl's undergarment worn under a skirt or dress. The term pettiskirt is also used, but not as commonly. I'm not sure of the derivation of the term. I would guess the petti means small and thus a small coat. The term first appeared in the English language in the late-14th century. The basic meaning is an underskirt, but is often used to mean one that is cut full using a decorative fabric and trimmed with lace and or ruffles. The term is so assiciated with girls and women that it has offensive connotations when used to describe men. There were both half and full petticoats. The half petticoat were made like a skirt without a boddice. There might be button holes in the waistband which button to a garter or waist suit. Full petticoats were made with boddices. piece.
The petticoat is a girl's undergarment worn under a skirt or dress. The term pettiskirt is also used, but not as commonly. I'm not sure of the derivation of the term. I would guess the petti means small and thus a small coat. The term first appeared in the English language in the late-14th century. The basic meaning is an underskirt.
We believe that petticoats essentially followed the connvention of outfitting boys in dresses. We do not have a lot of chronological information on petticoats as they were generally covered up by the dresses boys wore. We note a few images, however, where the boy's dress does not cover up the petticoat worn underneath. An example is an unidentified American boy, probably in the 1850s.
Petticoat is often used to mean an underskirt that is cut full.
There were both half and full petticoats. The half petticoat were made like a skirt without a boddice. There might be button holes in the waistband which button to a garter or waist suit. Full petticoats were made with boddices. piece.
Petticoats are often made using a decorative fabric and trimmed with lace and or ruffles.
The term is so associated with girls and women that it has offensive connotations when used to describe men.
ntry/ger/gar/skirted/gbg-skirted.html">Germany, Italy and other countries.
Petticoats in the 19th century were often worn along with patalettes. Little boys in the early 19th Century often wore pantalettes like their sisters. Some boys wore them with skeleton suits and the lace of the pantalettes were visible at the ankles of their long trousers. Pantalettes became more important as dresses got shorter as it was considered in appropriate until mid-century for even children to have bare legs. Gradually the length of pantalettes were shrtened and they were worn only slightly longer than the dress. Pantalettes became less common in the 1870s, but were worn by some boys into the 1890s.
While essentially a girl's garment. They were worn by yopunger boys not yet breeched. It is usually not possible to tell, but we note quite a few portraits of unbreeched boys wearing dresses, skirts, tunics, and kilt suits who are clearly wearing petticoats and sometimes pantalettes as well. They were not normally worn with tunics or Highland kilt outfits. This was common in the 19th century, but less so after the turn of the 20th century. As this petticoat is a small child's size, it could have been worn by a younger boy. Unlike dresses, I know of no petticoats that were made especially for boys. Rather it was seen as a child's garment, suitabler for girls and small boys.
We note a decorative child's half pettivopat made in the United States late 19th century. The dealer describes it as, "This is really a lovely Victorian child's petticoat/slip of white cotton with crocheted lace and deep tucking around the bottom.It is from the late 1800s. It is for a younger child. The length from the waist to the bottom of the lace is 14". The lace border measures 4"."
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