In the 1840s and 1850s, dome-shaped or bell-shaped skirts were fashionable. The steel cage crinoline was not yet invented. So Victorian women used different types of petticoats to create the fashionable shape: like plain cotton petticoats, crisply starched petticoats, tucked petticoats, corded petticoats and quilted petticoats.

Related: A Victorian Reaper

So I thought it’d be fun to make a comparison of the different Victorian petticoats which I made over the years to find out which underskirts would create the most fashionable Victorian bell-shape! 😀

Comparing Victorian Skirt Supports

For the comparison of my Victorian skirt supports I wear:

• my 4 plain & unstarched Victorian cotton petticoats

• a Victorian-style quilted petticoat

• a Victorian corded petticoat

• my Victorian starched, tucked petticoat

For a better comparison I wore just one or two underskirts. But in the Victorian era, more petticoats were usually worn over each other to create the fashionable poufy skirt shape.

I also wear my typical mid-Victorian underwear under the petticoats: Victorian chemise, Victorian-style corset and Victorian open drawers.

Related: My Victorian Underwear: Chemise & Drawers & Victorian-Style Corset

And I wear the same blue cotton skirt over the Victorian petticoats. You can see the blue cotton skirt by clicking on the link below where I wear it while making hay with a scythe.

Related: Edwardian Haymaking With The Scythe

I always took photos from the front and the side for an easier comparison.

The Result Of The Victorian Petticoat Comparison

I usually just wear the 4 plain cotton petticoats under my Victorian dresses because I find that the most comfortable. The 4 petticoats are gathered into one waistband to reduce the bulk at the waist.

The corded petticoat doesn’t make a round dome-shape. Besides, I find it uncomfortable to wear because it’s so stiff. But the corded petticoat together with the tucked petticoat created the largest dome-shape.

Update: My New Victorian Skirt Supports

It’s 2024 and I updated this old blog post because I now wear different Victorian petticoats. I don’t even have the old Victorian-style corded and quilted petticoats anymore because they weren’t historically correct. Since then I made 2 better, more historically correct Victorian corded petticoats.

Related: My New Victorian Corded Petticoat

I also made a bumroll in a shape that’s suitable for the 18th century as well as the early Victorian era, the 1830s and 1840s, particularly for working class wear.

Related: Victorian-Style Bumroll

And this is what I usually wear under my Victorian dresses now: bumroll, corded petticoat and tucked petticoat. Just these three Victorian skirt supports together create a larger dome shape than any of my older Victorian skirt supports! And they’re also so much lighter and cooler compared to the 4 plain cotton petticoats I usually wore. Click the link below to see what it looks like worn:

Related: Historical Peasant Woman Outfit: Unboned Stays, Bumroll & Corded Petticoat