S-S-S-Samantha [Malco Modes]

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.

Malco Modes Ivory Petticoat Samantha

Left without a petticoat, right wearing Malco Mode’s Samantha petticoat

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Blue Clouds [Banned Petticoat Review]

I’ve tried a fair few petticoats over the last few years. My main concern when wearing them is achieving top volume with minor discomfort. That translates to a willingness to wear a slightly stiff petticoat if it gives me great volume, as long as it’s not scratchy, and a likeliness of overlooking a super soft petticoat if that softness subtracts from the puff power.

My ultimate petticoat find has been the Malco Modes Jennifer petticoat, which has great medium volume and 120 yards of perfectly soft nylon chiffon. Saying that, though, the only let-down of the Jennifer is that it maxes out at 23 inches long. Many of my dresses are 26 inches or longer, necessitating a bit of wiggling so that I wear my Jennifer down around my hips, rather than at my waist, to make it long enough. It works well enough as a stop-gap measure, but I’ve been looking for a soft, reasonably priced petticoat at a longer length to negate this practice.

Enter Banned.

Dancing Days by Banned petticoat Continue reading