Victorian petticoats are typical of the white frilly under things the women of that age used to wear. They are now selling as collectables and one of the most popular are the Victorian petticoats or under skirts as they are also known. These beautiful creations were often hand sewn and made in layers of lacy white cotton stiffened with lace. The ladies of the day kept there bodies well hidden and considered cavorting (if you get my meaning) something dirty but necessary for the procreation of the human race.
Even in the bed room they wore long cotton nightdresses and bloomers. And that was just the men! So it's little wonder therefore that those Victorian petticoats were such a heavy and cumbersome undergarment to wear.The typical dress of the day was a long woollen stockings worn under large baggy cotton bloomers which split down the front. They would be fastened at the waist with a ribbon drawstring tied in a bow. There were no bra's as such and the upper body would be covered in a kind cotton of camisole or "liberty bodice". All these garments would probably then be covered with the long cotton Victorian petticoats or a shift type garment. This would have large shoulder straps and reach below the ankles.
The women would have to literally hitch up her skirts to move around carrying the layers of material above her ankles as she walked. Another odd trend of the day was their fascination with corset or girdles. These heavy restraining garments were used to force the waste into the "hour glass" figure that was the norm of the time.These corsets where usually reinforced with whale bone inserts and tied using extreme force. Sometimes even a kind of hand turned winching mechanism was used to lace up the unfortunate victim. It was not unusual for these corsets to be worn on the outside of their Victorian petticoats.