Petticoat
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Petticoat
A petticoat is a type of undergarment worn by women beneath a skirt or dress. It is designed to add volume and shape to the skirt, creating a more flattering and feminine silhouette. Petticoats can be made from a variety of materials, including cotton, silk, and tulle, and can range in length from just below the knee to ankle-length. They may also be adorned with lace, embroidery, or other decorative elements. Historically, petticoats have been worn by women of all social classes and have been a staple of women's fashion for centuries. During the 16th and 17th centuries, petticoats were often made from heavy fabrics like wool and were worn for warmth as well as fashion. In the 18th and 19th centuries, petticoats became lighter and more decorative, often featuring ruffles, lace, and other embellishments. In addition to their use as undergarments, petticoats have also been worn as outerwear in certain contexts. For example, in some traditional folk dances, women wear colorful petticoats that are visible beneath their skirts as they twirl and spin. Today, petticoats are less commonly worn as undergarments, but they continue to be popular in certain subcultures, such as vintage and retro fashion. They are also sometimes worn as part of costumes for theatrical productions or historical reenactments.
undergarment, silhouette, volume, decoration, fashion, history, outerwear, vintage, costume
CITATION : "Patrick Lewis. 'Petticoat.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/define/petticoat?E=376858 (Accessed on October 14, 2026)"
Petticoat
Petticoat is a noun that pertains to a type of garment which is worn by women beneath a skirt or dress. Synonyms for this word include skirt, underskirt, half-slip and garment. Antonyms for petticoat are broad terms like clothes or attire, while cognates of the word can include the Dutch word ‘rok’ or the German word ‘Rock’, both of which mean the same. Variants to this word include ‘pettiecoat’, ‘petycoat’ and ‘petycoate’. All of these variants are believed to have a similar source and were used in the English language to refer to the same type of garment.
Etymology origin lexicology lexeme lexical structure morphological variation phonology English language women clothing dress underskirt half-slip garment Dutch German
Petticoat
The term Petticoat is believed to have its origin in the 16th century Middle English peticote which was derived from Old French “petit cote”, meaning small coat. It is of Germanic origin and from the Proto-Germanic *kutjon which itself is derived from a Proto-Indo-European root *keud- meaning to swell. It came to be used to refer to a woman's undergarment worn beneath the skirt for additional warmth or for decoration in the 17th century.
Etymology, Morphology, Petticoat, Historical Evolution, Pragmatics
Petticoat
The term ‘petticoat’ typically refers to a undergarment garment worn by women, usually in the form of a sleeveless skirt that fits closely to the body and extends from the waist to the knees or below. It has long been used as a garment throughout history, and exists in many languages with a range of related terms. For example, in Spanish, it can be translated as ‘falda’, in French as ‘jupe’, in Portuguese as ‘saia’, in German as ‘Rock’, in Italian as ‘Gonna’, in Dutch as ‘rok’, in Polish as ‘spódnica’, in Greek as ‘σακάδι’, in Finnish as ‘hame’, in Swedish as ‘kjol’, in Russian as ‘пижама’, in Romanian as ‘fustă’, in Czech as ‘sukně’, in Bulgarian as ‘поли’, in Hungarian as ‘szoknya’, in Danish as ‘nederdel’, in Slovak as ‘sukňa’, in Lithuanian as ‘sijonas’, in Croatian as ‘suknja’, in Estonian as ‘seelik’ and in Latvian as ‘svārki’.
Petticoat, Falda, Jupe, Saia, Rock, Gonna, Rok, Spódnica, Σακάδι, Hame, Kjol, Пижама, Fustă, Sukne, Поли, Szoknya, Nederdel, Sukňa, Sijonas, Sukija, Seelik, Svārki
Petticoat
Petticoat is an image composition technique used in anime, comics, and manga for drawing characters wearing skirts, dresses and other bottomwear attires. In the petticoat technique, the skirt is drawn with a number of concentric circles that overlap each other, giving the impression of frailty and lightness of the attire. The circles alternate in size, with the smallest circles usually being placed in the center. The skirt is usually drawn in a single color, with a few details added in for texture and visual interest.
Petticoat, anime, manga, comics, drawing technique, skirt, dress, bottomwear, attire, texture, visual interest.
Petticoat on Design+Encyclopedia
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