Campbell, Jill. Natural Masques: Gender and Identity in Fielding's Plays and Novels, p. 21. Stanford University Press. The flounce is ornamented by a deep, bias trimming flounce that is turned under at the top to form a self-heading and shirred on cords at the top’ ( The Delineator, 1896). The great thing is to get the flare and at the same time the fluffy effect that is so fashionable and which is attained easily by all the ruffles’ ( Los Angeles Herald, 1905). I thought about adding ruffles but I liked how the petticoat looked without trimming. So I left it as it is. When the Paris models began to come in it was seen that nearly all the new petticoats and drop skirts had some stiffening set in at the bead of the dust ruffle, while in a few it ascended to the height of the knee. Then some bright mind thought of putting in the petticoat a circular ruffle of very light weight haircloth, and so the puzzle was most satisfactorily solved by the Lily Haircloth Flounce as it is called.

As usual, I made the petticoat as historically correct as possible so all seams of the petticoat are flat-felled; even the cord gaterhed ruffles are attached with flat-felled seams.Support for the gown was essential. Again the paper pattern was an invaluable tool. Many layers of underpinnings were made: a stiff underskirt of cotton calico and steel boning, followed by a lighter petticoat of calico and net were covered with a silk petticoat. The bodice area was covered with cotton knit. Arms were made from silk habutae and cotton calico that were sewn to the cotton knit covering the body of the mannequin. False shift-cuffs were made from cotton lawn and then trimmed with 18th-century lace for display. They were sewn directly on to the arms of the mannequin. The petticoat ‘can be trimmed with ruches of the material’ ( McCalls, 1904). ‘Deep flounces […] are headed with double ruchings […] around the bottom are rows and rows of narrow ruffles’ ( San Francisco Call, 1901). In between the 18th-century use of the garment and its arrival in the V&A, the bodice had been used for 19th-century fancy dress. The adjustments to make it fit a 19th-century body included shortening the sleeves and removing the train. The petticoat had been taken apart entirely and reassembled, using only four of the original nine panels of silk that made up the skirt. The bodice was in seven parts, as was the petticoat. The silk was crumpled and there was evidence of considerable abrasion to the metal threads throughout the entire garment. Hugh Williams (2008), Fifty Things You Need to Know About British History, HarperCollins, pp.302–303, ISBN 978-0-00-727841-1

French Lingerie". The Tipton Daily Tribune. 1965-12-04. p.2 . Retrieved 2018-01-26– via Newspapers.com. Breeching (boys), a historical practice involving the change of dress from petticoat-like garments to trouser-like ones Higgins, Padhraig (2010). A Nation of Politicians: Gender, Patriotism, and Political Culture in Late Eighteenth-Century Ireland. University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN 9780299233334– via Project MUSE. There is no doubt that the flaring effect of the hem will be accentuated by using some methods of increasing the flare’ such as stiff linings or ‘silk covered cable cords […] If neither of these methods is employed, the desired result will be obtained by voluminous ruchings and ruffles along the lower part of the underskirts.’ ( Lewiston Evening Teller, 1904)A stiff interlining of some sort naturally suggested itself, but it was absolutely necessary that this be something light and easy to manage as women in general have at last taken a firm stand against such heavy and cumbrous skirts as were worn when interlinings were last in vogue. Yet to expect the new skirts to hang well with no support but an unlined petticoat was to court a certain disappointment. Sybil Connolly recalled how a red flannel petticoat, worn by a Connemara woman, inspired her first international fashion collection which took place in New York in 1953. [22] [23] She had travelled to Connemara for inspiration, where she saw a woman wearing a traditional red flannel petticoat. She bought a bolt of the same fabric from the local shop and made it into a quilted evening skirt, which was a huge success at the fashion show. [23] One of these skirts is part of the collection at The Hunt Museum. Taffeta petticoats make a rustling sound when you move and this was called “frou-frou” in the Edwardian era. Frou-frou also meant that the petticoat was heavily decorated and very wide around the foot. Rustling frou-frou petticoats were very popular in the early 1900s but came out of style by the end of the Edwardian era.

By the way, a ruffle gathered onto another ruffle was called ‘umbrella ruffle’ in the Edwardian era.

In the 14th century, both men and women wore undercoats called "petticotes". [3] The word "petticoat" came from Middle English pety cote [4] or pety coote, [5] meaning "a small coat/ cote". [6] Petticoat is also sometimes spelled "petty coat". [7] The original petticoat was meant to be seen and was worn with an open gown. [3] The practice of wearing petticoats as undergarments was well established in England by 1585. [8] In French, petticoats were called jupe. [9] The basquina, worn in Spain, was considered a type of petticoat. [10]