I remember one of things that made me feel like a ‘proper pinup’ when I was transitioning to my vintage style was finally beginning to add a petticoat under my skirts and dresses. It was something that felt like it needed a small splash of courage because it was just such an unusual under-thing to have in one’s wardrobe as a 20-something in the 2010s, but once I got my first petticoat there was no looking back. Continue reading
It’s one of my favourite times of the year. The nights are slowly beginning to draw in, making snuggling down on the sofa under a blanket one of the better ways to spend an evening, and making hot chocolate seasonally relevant again. Coats and scarves are unpacked from their summer hiding spots at the back of wardrobes or from suitcases in attics. And, my favourite of all, the leaves are changing colours, painting the world with rich reds, burnt oranges, flashes of yellow-gold, an occasional special plum. Along with it rain dampens the barks of trees to a dark brown, and excited Halloween lovers begin to string up all their red, black and ghostly decorations. And along side it all, Malco Modes’s wide selection of fluffy petticoats in all manner of styles and colours allows me to mimic those fall shades with matching autumnal tones.
For most of my pinup life I have been an adamant, ardent and stubborn petticoat wearer. It would not be a rare finding to search back through my history to find double stacked petticoats utilised to get the maximum puff factor for a special outfit. Generally speaking, the notion of going without a petticoat has been both laughable and off-putting to me, like suggesting I spend my life barefoot despite all that I would consequently find myself stepping in. Despite that, I’ve had some experience in recent months going petticoat-free occasionally when this little island of ours suffered through a couple of heatwaves. Having to forego the fluff to minimise my layers during those hot patches, did not, you will not be shocked to hear, convert to the other side. I still am and suspect I forever will be a petticoat lover.
As such, I have a not-insubstantial amount of experience with petticoats. I’ve tried the stiff ones and the soft ones, the scratchy and the puffy, the more expensive and the downright cheap, and through it all my number one choice, the brand to which I keep returning time and again, is Malco Modes. Made in Tennessee for decades and utilising only the best quality materials for their creations, their chiffon petticoats provide the maximum softness and promised volume for your buck. Their Jennifer petticoat, measuring 22-23 inches long, is my standard go-to petticoat for almost every skirt and dress I own. The only times is falls a little short, very literally, is for use with my longer dresses, the 26 inches or longer hems that would display a sad drop-off effect when paired with Jennifer’s shorter length. Well it’s a good thing there’s a Malco Modes solution for problems of that hem-length, and that is Samantha.
Left without a petticoat, right wearing Malco Mode’s Samantha petticoat
Malco Modes is America’s oldest and largest maker of quality petticoats, pettipants and crinolines, having been in business for over 50 years with each piece hand-sewn in their eastern Tennessee facility. Their Jennifer petticoat was my first ever good quality petticoat as a pinup, and a year and a half later it’s still in perfect condition despite regular use. It’s the softest, fluffiest petticoat I’ve ever touched, and I do make a habit of touch testing as many petticoats as I can to compare–you know, not to sound creepy or anything.
The Jennifer is a great everyday petticoat because it’s got medium volume and isn’t too long or too short, meaning it works well for the average pinup. I, though, am a queen of puff. A master of fluff. I love my skirts big and bold and a little bit obnoxious, even. I’ve yearned to try the Malco Modes Michelle petticoat since I first got my Jennifer, recognising it as the superlative among petticoats in circumference, but I’ve been told by the helpful lovelies at Malco Modes that the Michelle is so full it will only fit under skirts with a minimum of 140 inches hem circumference, which excludes a lot of your average repro pieces. Being sensible, I perused the Malco Modes range of fuller pieces and decided the Madeline seemed like an excellent comprise between hem-busting volume and daily pinup practicality. Continue reading
I’ve reviewed a couple of petticoats on the blog before, the Malco Modes Jennifer and Lindy Bop petticoats. There were pros and cons to both, and for that reason I’ve been thinking lately I need to keep an eye out for other brands to review to give you more information on a wider selection of available pettis. In that light, today I’m reviewing the Froo Froo petticoat by Voodoo Vixen.
I am all about big skirts. If a skirt isn’t a full circle it legitimately makes me sad. If a skirt can encompass two or three petticoats, I am a happy girl. So it should come as no surprise that I’m addicted to wearing petticoats. I own several cheap eBay Hong Kong type McJobbies that I layer two or three deep to get premium puff on the regular, as well as a beautiful Malco Modes Jennifer petticoat that puts all others to shame with the sheer superlative of it’s softness. I was very intrigued, therefore, when I recently saw that Lindy Bop, pinup budget brand giant, greatly extended their own petticoat line.
I’m not sure if I’m mistaken in believing that Lindy Bop has offered petticoats before now, but now their range includes 26″, 28″, 30″ length petticoats as well as 9 different colours. Lindy Bop have been offering 10-15% off orders pretty regularly lately so I jumped on board with one of these voucher codes and ordered a 26″ black petticoat to review.
I’ve wanted to try the Malco Modes petticoats for a long time, since seeing pictures of what appeared to be the fluffiest looking petticoats I’ve ever seen. Finally I’ve got my hot little hands on a Jennifer petticoat, thanks to the lovely team over at Malco Modes, and my goodness, this petticoat is my new favourite thing.
Continue reading
Miss Amy May 
