In 1952, in a quaint town nestled between rolling hills, a young girl named Betty was celebrating her 17th birthday. The small living room of her family’s modest home was filled with the warm chatter of loved ones and the smell of her mother’s famous apple pie. Betty’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she unwrapped her gifts.
The last gift was from her mother, who handed it to her with a knowing smile…. Betty thought back to a suspicious encounter she saw between her mother and her good friend Mrs Richardson, who makes a lot of Betty’s clothes. Starting to connect the dots, Betty carefully peeled away the brown wrapping paper to reveal a beautiful, fluffy fabric, whiter than freshly fallen snow and adorned with delicate lace.
“Oh Mother! A petticoat! It’s perfect!” Betty exclaimed, jumping off the floor and hugging her mother tightly. “Did Mrs Richardson make this?” Betty asked, already knowing the answer “Yes! How did you know?” Betty’s mother chuckled and said “Mrs Richardson has truly out done herself this time!”
That evening, Betty dressed for the dance. She slipped into her favourite, slightly worn navy circle skirt and top to match, now enhanced by the contrasting voluminous petticoat. As she twirled in front of the mirror, the skirt flared out, making her feel like a princess.
She met her best friends Eliza, Jill and Jean at the local dance hall, her heart brimming with excitement. The bustling energy filled the room as they all took to the floor, and Betty felt her spirits lift even higher. As the roaring rhythm of the jive started, Betty began twirling and spinning with infectious joy, her new petticoat cascaded like waves in the ocean drawing the attention of the whole dance floor. The delicate layers swirled around her like a cloud, catching the light with an ever graceful arc. The night was filled with laughter, music , and the exhilarating freedom of youth, making it a birthday Betty would always cherish.
History of Petticoats
100 years earlier women layered cotton, horse hair , and rope-lined hoop skirts! Netting was a newer invention. It was lighter, more airy and required less layers. However, it was itchy and likely to flatten after wearing a few times. In order to prevent this you have to keep the fabric stiff. This discomfort is what women tell me they remember the most about petticoats in the 1950s.
Magazines rolled out advice on how to stiffen your fabric like starching crinolines with liquid and or spray starch. Pressing while damp was another. Ironing wax paper over net was a creative use of home supplies . Using shellac over blotter was extreme but worked well.
Petticoats did and still do come in several lengths. The shortest was the knee length skirt, designed to end about two inches above the edge of the skirt. To have a petticoat show beneath a skirt or dress was a fashion faux pax.
If this were to happen your best friend might say “It’s snowing down south,” a polite old phrase indicating a visible petticoat.
The other popular length was the tea length for longer mid shin length skirts.
At Jailhouse Frock, we carry a gorgeous range of vintage style soft petticoats that instantly transport any of your skirts and dresses into the 1950s.
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