Petticoats in Lolita Fashion

So, you're interested in lolita fashion. However, you're not really sure how to get the iconic skirt shape that is a must for the fashion. Keep reading for a full guide to the petticoat: how many to wear, the different kinds, where to get them, why to wear them, and more!

Alright, let's start with the basics-the different petticoat shapes. In lolita, there are two main skirt shapes, the bell and the a-line.

~Main Skirt/Petticoat Shapes~

Below is a bell-shaped skirt (Milky Planet OP by Angelic Pretty).

Just like the name says, the skirt is shaped like a bell. Bell-shaped skirts usually flare out from the waist, instead of the hips or bust. The bell shape is very popular in sweet lolita.

Now we have the A-line! (Dream Sky OP by Angelic Pretty)

See how the edges are straight instead of curved? It mimics the shape of the letter A (as you can see). I find that most A-line dresses flare out right under the bust instead of at the waist, but of course there are exceptions. A-line skirts are popular with classic lolita.

There are other skirt shapes as well, but these are the two main ones that are used in lolita to get the iconic silhouette. 

So, you may be asking why you need to know what the skirt's shape is to be able to use the right petticoats. This is so you know what shape of petticoat to use! A-line skirts use a-line pettis, and bell-shaped skirts used bell-shaped pettis. It's super simple!

Below is a bell-shaped petti.

Notice how its shape is identical to the bell-shaped dress? It's super easy to match up skirt shape and petti shape. The same goes for the a-line petticoat. The shape of the petti should match the shape of the skirt.

A huge no-no in any fashion is using the wrong petti-you wouldn't use a bell-shaped skirt under an a-line dress. It won't fill the dress out properly and it just looks.....wrong. So be sure to match the shapes up!

Alright, so now that we've discussed the basic shapes of petticoats, it's time to talk about how to wear them...

~How Many Pettis to Wear~

To properly utilize a petticoat, you need to first know what look you are going for. Are you going for a more casual lolita coordinate? Something over the top? Or just a regular coord? It's important to know, as different amounts of petticoats can be used for coords.

With casual lolita or outfits that are lolita-inspired, you might forego a petticoat entirely. Some dresses have a lining that uses a small amount of tulle for poof, and for casual lolita coordinates, this small poof might be all you need. It isn't required to wear a petticoat with casual lolita, since (as the name implies), the outfit is meant to be more casual and easygoing. Especially if you're planning to travel, walk around a lot, go shopping, etc., casual lolita can be perfect. Extra pettis can weigh you down and get in the way (believe me, I've knocked over plenty of things with my skirts while shopping). Hence, it is perfectly fine to wear one petticoat or merely have the tulle lining of the dress act as a petti (but don't call it lolita-casual lolita is kind of its own category). 

It's also a good idea to have a thinner petticoat, whether for hot summer days or again, for more casual occasions, to have your coord be less bulky.

With regular lolita coordinates, you usually want to wear 1-2 petticoats to achieve the desired shape. I find that, with my bell-shaped lolita dresses, 2 petticoats are usually perfect to get the right amount of poof. Again, this will depend on the specific dress or skirt that you have. Lighter materials like chiffon may not need as many pettis to get poof, while I find that my heavier cotton dresses can need up to 3 pettis to support the fabric.

Again, it's really dependent on the dress, the fabric, and the quality of petticoats you have.

Regarding OTT lolita, most lolis like to go for the maximum amount of poof, using 2-3 petticoats (I've even seen some wear four). Because OTT stands for "over-the-top", it makes sense that lolis would want to go for the biggest skirt possible, stacking pettis to achieve the desired shape.

Remember that this is just a guide, though, and you can wear as many or as few pettis as you like to match what YOU want in your coord. However, if you aren't wearing any pettis at all, be sure to mark your coord as casual or merely lolita-inspired. Without the proper skirt shape, an outfit cannot be considered lolita, as the silhouette of the skirt is (again) one of the iconic features of the fashion.

~Where to buy Pettis~

One question people ask me a lot is where I purchased my petticoats from. I have one petticoat from Classical Puppets (purchased via MyLolitaDress) and a few other pettis from Leg Avenue (purchases through Amazon). The Classical Puppets petticoat that I have (seen here) is a really nice quality, and it has an adorable cotton lace trim. Being of higher quality than the LegAvenue pettis, it uses less scratchy material and looks nicer.

However, the Leg Avenue pettis also do the job, and they are less expensive (they're about half as much as the Classical Puppets petti I have). For people looking to do lolita on a budget, or people who need a petti ASAP, I would recommend Leg Avenue. Their pettis are also excellent for putting under my Classical Puppets pettis to help get extra poof.

Several taobao resellers (including MyLolitaDress) sell petticoats. I would suggest checking out reviews and ratings for the petticoat you're eyeing. I would also suggest staying away from Bodyline petticoats; most lolitas say that they lost their poof quickly.

If you're interested in buying Leg Avenue petticoats or other inexpensive options, I would try Amazon. Leg Avenue sells through Amazon, as do other sellers who offer petticoats. Again, be sure to read reviews to make sure that your purchase will be worth what you pay for it!

I wish I could offer more suggestions but I do not want to recommend any petticoats I haven't personally tried out!

~How I Wear Pettis~

The majority of my dresses have bell-shaped skirts, so what I usually do is wear the Classical Puppets petti on top of any other petticoats I wear. Because it is the petti I have that is the nicest quality, it looks the best if accidentally seen-which is why it covers the other petticoats. My personal experience is that you only really need one nice petti; it's not required to have multiple forty dollar petticoats to get the volume you want. You don't even have to invest in one nice petti if you don't want to! Again, I do suggest it, but it's more personal preference, and it's certainly not required.

I also usually wear tights if I'm stacking pettis. The rougher Leg Avenue petticoats are usually against my legs (my bloomers aren't always long enough to cover all of my leg), and the fabric has a tendency to irritate my skin. If you think the same may happen to you, I would suggest tights or bloomers to help protect your legs from rubbing against the petticoats. 

To get the right shape, I will pull on my skirt or dress, and then shimmy the petticoat so the waistband is right where the dress cinches in before flaring out. With my bell shaped skirts that flair from the waist, I will put the waistband(s) of any pettis I'm wearing and have them sit right on my waist as well to optimize the petti. If your dress flares out from the bust and you have a petti on your waist, it won't look right.

You can put your petti on before your outermost layer(s) if you want, but I usually get them on after depending on how I pull on the dress or skirt. If it can go over my head, pettis first. If I have to step into it, pettis last.

Again, remember to match up colors, and try not to use petticoats that are brightly colored or too long. You don't want your petticoat to be showing at all. It should be completely covered by your dress/skirt.

~Why You Should Wear Pettis~

I have seen a lot of newer lolitas question the need for petticoats, and I'm here to tell you: lolita fashion would not be lolita fashion without the petticoat. The main things that set it apart from similar styles like fairy kei, creepy cute, and pastel goth are the shape of the skirt and the use of historical undergarments (pettis, bloomers, etc). Lolita is an homage to Victorian and Rococo fashion, and part of that history in the fashion is the skirt shape that was popular in those times.

Disregarding the need for petticoats is throwing away one of the biggest parts of the fashion, and something that ties it in with history. One of the requirements for a lolita coordinate (exempting casual) is...PETTIS! 

They make or break a lolita coordinate. So don't forget yours!

~Extras~

• If your skirt is really heavy, you can try a hoopskirt with a petticoat over it to soften the shape of the hoops
• Too many petticoats will put strain on your back and hips/waist
• There are a lot of tutorials on how to make pettis, so if buying one is too expensive, making one is always an option
• Your petti should somewhat match your color scheme-don't use a black petti with a pink dress
• Petticoats have been around since at least 1585 (Wikipedia)
• Rockabilly fashion also regularly uses the petticoat