As we all know, petticoats were a big thing in the 1950s. Large, puffy skirts had to be supported by various methods of pooferry, pufftasmicness, and even occasional hoop-lah.
Here are some various kinds of 50s petticoats, from
Vixen Vintage:
Vixen Vintage did a whole post on the appropriate use of various kinds of petticoats. Very informative - you can
read it here.
Petticoats came in all different colors and fullnesses. You could make your own if you didn't mind hundreds of yards of tulle and net, just follow this handy vintage
TV Guide article:
Shapes varied from being narrow and snug at the waist, to the more bell-shape petticoats. Gay ballooning bouffants, anyone?:
Here's an image showing several structures. Quite interesting! One looks more like an 18th c. pannier, and I believe those are hip pads in the back ....
Here's another fun example of a hoop structure. I want one of these!:
Big floofers are available today for varying price points. You can get a basic, workable petticoat from your average
Halloween shop ($20), and often
eBay will provide a good selection ($30-$40). There are
vintage petticoats to be found on Etsy ($30-$60), or you can have higher-end petticoats made by a shop like
Doris Petticoats, UK ($100).
