Stopping drafts under your skirt

For those do-it-yourselfers...
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AMM
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Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by AMM »

Now that it's getting chilly, the breeze under my skirts is becoming less a "refreshing breeze" than a "chilly draft." With an ankle-length skirt, I find that the cold air is getting up to my knees, sometimes higher.

I'm trying to figure out how to make a petticoat that would stop the drafts, but not end up being bulky.

One idea I've heard of is to make a ruffle at the bottom: make a petticoat/slip that is about 5--6" shorter than the desired length, and then add a strip of cloth that is gathered 3x or so to the bottom. I have a few that have something like that on the bottom, but they don't seem to stop the drafts much. I don't know if it's that I'm using the wrong material, or not gathering enough, or that most are "flounced" (that is, rather than being gathered, the extra strip is made with one edge 3 times as long as the other), or what.

Anybody have some examples of slips/petticoats that are especially good at stopping the cold air?
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r.m.anderson
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Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by r.m.anderson »

AMM

Basically you want to have something that reduces or eliminates air movement under the skirt.
How about wearing kilt sox - tights/pantyhose?
Or if you are really daring - pettipants
As regards your slips/petticoats I do not see/feel much warmth from these fairly light weight fabrics.
To preserve warmth you need either a material that bulks up such as wool or something of dense
structure like polypropelene (Think lycra ski gear) but don't confuse with polyester way too cold.
The polypropelene garmet is a thin light weight material that traps heat. Compare it to a scuba diving suit that
is very flexible when cold.
I note that you are located in New York and with the exception of a down nor-eastern weather movement;
you should not have weather that if frightfully fridged as I encounter here in Minnesota land of the Wind
Chill Factor. In any event when it is cold you should protect yourself and wear clothing that will permit you
to live and wear clothing of your choice another day.
This did not answer your sewing/clothing question but think of another solution outside the box or under
the skirt.
rm
"YES SKIRTING MATTERS"!
"Kilt-On" -or- as the case may be "Skirt-On" !
WHY ?
Isn't wearing a kilt enough?
Well a skirt will do in a pinch!
Make mine short and don't you dare think of pinching there !
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cessna152towser
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Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by cessna152towser »

My thoughts as well, there would not be much heat in petticoat material. I own several kilt liners in various colours by Anna Manning Porter, which are basically polyester half slips tailored to men's proportions and with no lace or frilly bits, which are worn for modesty in case my lightweight kilts fly up in the wind, rather than for warmth. On a cold day a thick cotton garment is needed. I made a warm cotton underkilt by sewing a jockey underpants waistband onto the lower part of a tee-shirt which had been cut off level with the bottom of the armholes. This is fine for under the kilt, but would not achieve the effect you want to create here of having something which might look more femme.
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AMM
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Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by AMM »

r.m.anderson wrote:Basically you want to have something that reduces or eliminates air movement under the skirt.
How about wearing kilt sox - tights/pantyhose?
Or if you are really daring - pettipants
I'm not sure how these would stop air movement.

I already wear knee socks, and that helps keep my calves and ankles warmer than if they were bare. They're thick cotton, and I'd wear wool if I could find wool socks that would go over my knees (I have not been able to find kilt socks that are really big enough for me. The largest I could find barely cover my calves.)

Tights/pantyhose are insulation, but they don't stop the air movement, and their insulating value drops dramatically when the air starts moving: I've noticed this even when wearing them under trousers.

Pettipants would only insulate from the upper part of the thighs upwards, and that part of me isn't getting cold.
r.m.anderson wrote:As regards your slips/petticoats I do not see/feel much warmth from these fairly light weight fabrics.
I can always use thicker fabrics. I already have a "fleece" petticoat, and it's a good insulator, but doesn't stop the drafts. Thicker fabrics tend to be stiffer, so they tend to stick out and let the cold air get above my ankles as much as lighter fabrics. I'm looking for something that will function as sort of a stopper at about lower- to mid-calf length.

I was partly inspired to consider petticoats because a long time ago, when I was still married, I made a cotton (full) slip for my (then) wife. Just for fun, I added a ruffle to the bottom with the leftover fabric. When we went out one evening, she said that her legs were a lot warmer than in her other slips because it kept the drafts out.

Also, I recall that in the days when women wore many petticoats (before central heating was invented), the main point of the petticoats was to keep warm.
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Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by ChrisM »

Actually, slips made of thin material (nylon in my case) DO yield a lot of insulation.

I believe that they work by trapping air layers which remain stationary. The nylon is pretty much impermeable, and the ruffles and layers result in a fine network that the wind can't get through - like a maze. The air is heated by your body and remains nicely trapped in the bell formed by the skirt. Bottom line: Remarkably warmer than you might think.

Frankly, it is just the same reason that your winter parka is made of light materials such as goose feathers, not heavy materials such as wool. There's a big difference between a modern parka and 20-pound woolen Pea Coat. Both work, but they represent different "design approaches" to the task of keeping warm, and each has its own pluses and minuses.

Ditto slips: Multiple nylon slips will help keep warm in a skirt.

All the best,

Chris
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Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by crfriend »

I suspect the notion of the "ruffle" at the bottom of the garment has merit. In this case, I believe the ruffle would have to be crafted to hug the legs more than to "puff out" at the base; however, that would have the effect of interfering with one's stride. To me, it seems that the object would be to keep the skirt from gulping cold air to begin with; everything else can be dealt with via insulation.
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SkirtDude

Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by SkirtDude »

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Sarongman
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Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by Sarongman »

Sorry, can't help being politically incorrect but, if it's that cold and windy, I resort quite happily to lined jeans or chinos- problem solved. Also the spelling debate, draft in Australia is what you do to sheep or cattle in stockyards OR it was that postcard from the government I got on my 18th birthday way back in the Vietnam war era. We have draughts up our skirts :bom: :bom:
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BrotherTailor

Re: Stopping drafts under your skirt

Post by BrotherTailor »

layer, layer, layer...
Forget silk and polyester petticoats. Buy some cotton broadcloth, whatever colour, and make up a bunch of underskirts, some gathered, some smooth, but all about 2-3 inches shorter than your heavy woolen or whatever winter top skirt.
Face it guys, there were practical reasons for women wearing those lovely big and full skirts way back when. Just try what I suggest, I recommend four layers. Allow the garments to warm up to body temp, then go out on a bitter day and see how all those thick layers retain the heat next to your skin. The outer skirt will be icy cold but each layer becomes successively warmer.
Just don't try running or you will get tangled up in all that fabric - again there is a reason why women were not overly active. I have tripped up in my habit when wearing trousers as the material grabs and causes a tangle. You have to move at a pace that lets the material flow, drape and sway naturally...you can't force it....take shorter steps, turn more gracefully etc.
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