The primary functions of a slip are friction control (they're usually made of very slippery fabrics) and to provide opacity to otherwise sheer skirts. The primary function of a petticoat is to provide bulk and body beneath a larger skirt; a side-effect of this is that they can add substantial warmth depending on the construction. Note that a slip is sometimes useful under a petticoat if there are friction problems.Orange Apple wrote:So what is the difference between a petticoat and a slip? I am assuming, with full knowledge of what that word really means, that there's more substance to a petticoat.
I have many summer-weight skirts that would be positively indecent without slips, and slips provide much benefit if one is wearing tights as the fabric of tights tends to pick at the outer skirt. My go-to petticoat is as heavy as any skirt I own and has a double-flounce at the hem that extends up a good foot or so -- this provides body, and also warmth in the winter (I don't wear such rigs in the summer).
This must be your call, and your call alone. Long skirts are not for everybody, and take some time to get properly acquainted with. That said, I am entirely happy with my winter wardrobe which includes wonderful stuff that's simply too hot to wear in the summertime.The skirts I have worn so far are knee length or a bit longer. Unless I add tights, that's not going to be a reasonable outfit for MN winter (unless I stay inside, which I actually do a lot). So looks like I need to investigate longer skirts.
Find something that's long -- and cheap -- and practise with it, but be warned that the addition of a petticoat to a long full skirt will dramatically change the behaviour of the entire rig (actually making it easier to deal with in many situations).I like the look of what you're wearing but I admit that the amount of fabric does intimidate me and seems somewhat overly formal for most of what I need. The idea of multiple layers does have a lot of appeal.
I learnt the notion of practise many years ago from a long-ago girlfriend who designed her own wedding-gown and was in the process of executing it. I was fortunate enough to have seen the prototype and bluntly asked her how she could actually walk in it. She mentioned that she executed the prototype not just to ensure that the real article could be done but also that she planned on wearing the prototype to gain practise and confidence in it. The final execution was exquisite, and her poise in handling it was sublime at her wedding. (Yes, this jaded old bloke cried. I also caught the bouquet, albeit entirely by accident. It turns out she should have been a baseball-pitcher.)
That's part of what makes it fun!Options. Isn't it amazing how many more options there are in women's clothing than men's.
