Advice on Petticoat or no Petticoat??

patriciath

Hi all,

My dress is an A-line all tulle gown and I am trying to decide whether or not to pair it with a petticoat for a little more volume. I am only 5ft" so the sample was much longer than my dress will be, and hemming it may make it a little wider already, but I love the look of a fuller skirt. I am torn! And I am lost when it comes to petticoat shopping. Has anyone ever had their seamstress make them a petticoat? Advice on making an A-line tulle dress look fuller with a petticoat? HELP!

justsie

I think you should wait until your alterations are done (if you have the time for that). A petticoat can be something that is easily added and I think you are right that when they tailor it down to your size it will probably look fuller already. 

Maggie0829

I wouldn't wait until your alterations are complete because once your dress is hemmed and then if a petticoat isadded the dress could then become too short.

My advice would be to try on your dress with a few different size petticoats.  Make sure you stand on something so that your dress doesn't pool around your feet.  This way you will get a sense of how full you really want to go.

WhatawagSBNy

Maggie0829 said:

I wouldn't wait until your alterations are complete because once your dress is hemmed and then if a petticoat isadded the dress could then become too short.

My advice would be to try on your dress with a few different size petticoats.  Make sure you stand on something so that your dress doesn't pool around your feet.  This way you will get a sense of how full you really want to go.

*******
I agree. The extra weight of the too long dress makes the skirt hang a little straighter, but most of the problem is the lack of a petticoat. Get one before you get to the hemming stage. Tiered petticoats that are very slim and fit close to the body down below the hips before the first ruffled tier, ate best with an A line. You want to bell out the skirt from about six inches above the knee down to the hem, only.

Often for shorter people, sales people and store seamstresses will shorten standard petticoats from the top. Pulling it up means it goes out from too high up and gives you hippo hips.

Anyone who can work a sewing machine can make a petticoat, it is that simple. All straight seams, not one curve . For an A line it is like a half slip down to six inches above the knee, and a total of about 3 six to eight inch tiers going down. Each of the three has more length gathered into ruffles than the one above. That is the bell.
Any seamstress can measure you and run one up, custom fit and of your choice of material. Most people want lightweight stiff netting, so extra layers do not get hot. Many people use net for the top and top tiers, then make the bottom Eight inch ruffle of a nice cotton eyelet or synthetic silk, with a plain or scalloped edge. The lower tier is so ruffled it does not need to be stiff net. Nice if you lift your skirt to step into a limo or go up or down stairs, or do a photo session, to have only a pretty or lacy fabric peek out, not crinoline netting.

Like square dancers and chorus line girls. The amount of fabric is so little, a nice one may add five dollars to the petticoat price over net.