Slips Or Petticoats

Hi.
Seeing someone had begun a conversation about the use of the word "Slip" as opposed to "Petticoat", stirred up some thoughts I have had on the matter for some time!
Yes I have had many experiences whereby women at the time of my growing up referred to their underwear as "Petticoats", all the time of course they were just talking about their slips!
I grew up in London in the 50s and 60s, my Mother wore her slips around the house a lot, she always called them her "Petticoats", I can clearly remember repeating the words to myself as I just found it so hard to say them openly!
As I am a transvestite and now live full time as a woman, I have many memories from my childhood and all of them connected to petticoats of slips. My Mother always wore FULL SLIPS, and they were what attracted me to eventually wearing them myself!
So many times when out shopping you would see the flash of a white petticoat or if you were lucky maybe a coloured one! But they were always called Petticoats.
Sometimes the younger girls referred to them as slips but then as the fashions changed and Mini skirts and tights came in full slips quickly disappeared being replaced by an increase in half slips, if any that is! Slips were not being wore by many girls as they were a decade ago.
Petticoats as it is now, usually refer to the net and tulle or chiffon multi layered ones you would wear under a full skirt or dress. Back in the 50s they were to be seen everywhere as the era of full skirts and "Rock and Roll" swept the country!

Now of course its a rare sight to see any slip or petticoat out in public. The old "Back Street" shops of the days gone by where you could always find ladies underwear and usually wool and knitting items have all disappeared.
I remember buying my first slips and panties from such shops where you could always get some privacy! The staff and owners of many of these shops were very helpful and quite understanding and, speaking for myself, it was a time when it was quite shameful to admit to being a Transvestite and often it could also be very risky too! But I found several shops in the areas nearby (You never bought from your own area!) where I could buy all sorts of Ladies underwear, not only Slips but gorgeous French Knickers, Bra's, Nylon's and Suspenders Belts too!
At this time, during the early 70s, the word "Petticoat" had all but gone from the British fashion scene, even to find a girl who owned a slip let alone one who knew the difference between a Slip and a Petticoat, was becoming more and more difficult!

Speaking for myself, I often refer to slips as petticoats when I just mean a slip, but if I am talking to another woman and we are chatting about full skirts and dresses and we say how lovely they are with all the petticoats underneath we both know we are talking about multi layered net petticoats or much more to my own taste and also as I have several of them bursting out of my own wardrobe, Chiffon Petticoats, gorgeous to feel fabrics, very slippery over each layer and so soft and wispy to wear!
Mmm, send me your email and I will send you some pictures of me wearing them!
Petticoat or Slip?
I am not sure it matters too much, but I do know how sad it is to have seen them disappear! But thank goodness for all the interest in people who have such an avid interest in them still being around!
We know why we all like them so much and to be honest, I don't think it matters, I for one am so glad I have spent my life adoring these beautiful garments and for all the pleasure they have given me over the years!
Long live the SLIP!

Annette.

Hello Annette,

Please forgive the amount of time I have taken to reply. I have been in the garden pruning trees and pollinating.....but I am here now thankfully.

The vexed question of Slips versus Petticoats is dependant on your location.
Australian women who still remember full slips call them petticoats. So do New Zealand women. The rest of the English speaking world goes with the American usage, as they dominate the media and set the lexicon......

Please continue writing such well reasoned and well crafted articles as this...its a pleasure to see you in print.

Greg and His cat Fizz, In Australia.

Hi Greg.
Thank you for your reply to my topic on "Slips versus Petticoats".
Yes I do think the petticoat came first, tho I am only guessing I would say the word "Slip" would be a somewhat more modern version of the descriptive word.
I know many have delved deeper into the subject of "Ladies Underwear" and so know more than I, but as I wear women's underwear every day, I can relate to the practicalities of the more personal side of why they are there for widespread use to begin with and so can and do enjoy chatting about such items.
I can fondly remember when I was younger and every where you went you were guaranteed to see the flash of a white petticoat and if you were really lucky a very lacy one too! I can't remember colours being so common as the basic in any woman's underwear drawer would have been and still is, slips in black and lips in white, more than that and you normally found they were being worn by women who really did love being women and all the pretty things came with being one too!
One of my Aunts remains firmly in my memory, she and my Uncle were quite well off and lived well, this was back in the 1960's. From time to time they would visit us on a Sunday and they thing I remember most is how my Aunt would dress. She always wore make up and always perfume too, so she smelled very fragrant which was lovely! She wore a dark three quarter length fur coat and black patent high heeled shoes, always a very smart dress and magnificently manicured nails! Her hair was always smartly styled and she looked gorgeous!
One thing she never ever did was to show her Petticoat, when she sat down I can't ever remember seeing her slip once, which as a young and quickly growing Transvestite was so disappointing!
But, I can clearly remember being so lucky as to getting several chances to get VERY CLOSE to her underwear when I stayed at their house!
I guess you can get my meaning, I found myself alone and the temptation to visit my Aunts bedroom and the beautifully polished dressing table with 6 drawers filled with wonderful Silks and Satins was just too much to resist!
And so I indulged my selfish passion and wore her beautiful, silky, satin slips and french panties!
I also confess to stealing a pair of her Nylon's for which I still feel a little ashamed to admit to today!
But the memories are so strong and those days of such young sexual attraction and personal humiliation as I wore her silks, are fondly remembered to this day!
Now of course I have drawers filled with half slips and nylon's, wardrobes brimming full with ribbon straps that lead down to full slips, pretty colours of dresses and skirts all in a choice of so many patterns styles and differing lengths and materials!
And all of them are mine to wear when and as I choose!
What a lovely world I live in!
Annette xxx

Hello Annette;

I hope that you are well and happy today, I am enjoying reading your posts, and the new one in Satin Slips tells us more little details about you...Its lovely to get some background to your life..!
Today I put my car into the shops to get a new windscreen at the front...previously a truck had thrown up a stone and caused it to crack. Fortunately the crack was in a place where the damage did not make the police make me unroadworthy, so I had a little time to repair it.

While this was happening today I took the shop's loan car and went to the local thrift stores. There are four in my local big town and three in the next town along the highway.

Usually I cruise the racks looking for pretty lingerie, I especially like slips half and full and nylon nightwear, the looks I get make me smile when I catch the eyes of the people in the store. They sometimes get quite engaged, I have had some women behind the counter ask "is this for you, SIR?" and "Are you a photographer...?"

Today I found only one slip to buy..its a navy blue full slip with ribbon straps with appliqué on the hem and the centre front...it seems to be a sixties slip because its rather short and straight, Its not my size, but it will fit proudly in my collection.

I will be making some more trips to the thrift shops again very soon!

Here's hoping that you will share your stories
Bye for now.
Greg.

Hi Annette. As the slip was the first item of lingerie that I encountered I have adored them all my life. Petticoats came two or three items later and I love wearing and seeing them as well. I have around 20 petticoats including, genuine 50s and modern long and short with only one hooped example at the minute, as well as my slip collection. The detail on the vintage examples is amazing for garments that are mostly hidden. Jan.