Puffy skirts are in, but who wants to wear a petticoat? Not many of us! But what if we could get that amazing poofy look without the bulky undergarment? We’re not talking about a voluminous skirt with an underskirt and multiple layers. We’re talking about the kind of poofy that is achieved by pulling your dress taut at the bottom hemline and then bringing it up to your waist so it has a nice poofy shape. Pintuck is also another way to create the same effect, but that may take too much time for most of us. Petticoats can be uncomfortable as well as difficult to put on. Some people might not like the idea of wearing them (maybe because they’re too old, too unadventurous, or just not feeling it). Here are some great ways to get that nice poofy look without a petticoat:
How To Make A Dress Poofy Without A Petticoat?
- If you are using a petticoat, then you can use a pattern to alter the shape of your dress.
- If you want your dress to be poofy without having the petticoat, then you can just make it poofy by adding more fabric around the bottom of the waistline.
- You can also just add loose fullness to your skirt.
- You can also add some fullness with a petticoat or other kind of undergarment which is not attached to your body but sits on top of it like a skirt hanging down from the waistline and has its own straps which are adjustable. It can be made out of lightweight material such as tulle or netting that drapes beautifully over curves and is easy to make and remove without damaging your clothing underneath it (like a slip).
- Another thing that makes dresses poofier is adding layers of fabric at different levels depending on what level you want your dress to be poofy at different levels so that it will look full when it hangs from one level and then thin when it hangs from another level, like layers of tissue paper or cardboard with colored paper between them giving an impression of depth.
- You can also add layers of tulle or netting to your dress.
- You can also add layers of fabric or netting over your dress with a petticoat or other kind of undergarment underneath it if you want to make it poofy without changing the shape of your dress.
- You can also use a pattern to make your own petticoat out of tulle or netting which is adjustable and allows you to make the skirt poofier by simply adding more fabric around the bottom edge of the waistline as in #2 above but with no petticoat underneath, like a slip, and/or by adding more fullness around the waistline, like a corset, if you want it to be really poofy and full-looking without needing any petticoat at all underneath which would be very tight on you because it would be made out of lightweight material that does not drape well over curves and is easy to remove without damage to your clothing underneath it (like a slip).
- If you are using a pattern for making a petticoat from scratch, then you will need two pieces for each leg: one piece that goes under the skirt (usually made out of sheer fabric) and one piece that goes over the skirt (usually made out of sheer fabric). You will need two separate patterns for each piece (one for each leg) because when they are sewn together they will be a single piece with a seam at the middle of the backside (the side you can’t see) where there will be two layers of fabric.
- The pattern pieces for making a petticoat are usually made out of tulle or netting, not cotton because cotton is too heavy and would make your petticoat very tight on you if you were to wear it underneath your dress.
- If you are making a petticoat yourself, then your pattern pieces should have some kind of lining in them so that they do not show through when they are sewn together. A lining can also be added to the pattern pieces for making a corset if it is made out of lightweight material that drapes beautifully over curves and has no seams anywhere (like netting or tulle), but I think that is unnecessary because it would be too tight on you when you wear it underneath your dress anyway since it would be made out of lightweight material that does not drape well over curves and is easy to remove without damage to your clothing underneath it (like a slip).
- If you want to make an undergarment like this that sits on top of your clothes instead of inside them as an undergarment does, then first sew the straps around each leg as shown in #7 above, and then sew the waistband onto each leg as shown in #8 above from one end toward the other end so that there is one continuous piece of fabric for each leg, with the straps going all around the leg.
The Natural Poofy Look: By Dropping Your Arms And Walking Fast
- Use a pair of scissors to cut the top of your dress a few inches above the bottom hemline.
- Walk around in circles holding your arms out and letting your dress fall and poof out.
- When you are done, the bottom of your dress will be two or three inches higher than the rest of the fabric and you will have a natural-looking poofy effect.
- When your dress is poofed, lay it down and make sure to pull it tight so it stays that way.
- To maintain the poofy look, walk around in circles holding your arms out and let your dress fall and poof out.
- When you are done, the bottom of your dress will be two or three inches higher than the rest of the fabric and you will have a natural-looking poofy effect.
- To maintain the poofy look, walk around in circles holding your arms out and let your dress fall and poof out.
- When you are done, the bottom of your dress will be two or three inches higher than the rest of the fabric and you will have a natural-looking poofy effect.
- To maintain the poofy look, walk around in circles holding your arms out and let your dress fall and poof out.
- When you’re done, the bottom of your dress will be two or three inches higher than the rest of the fabric and you will have a natural-looking poofy effect.
- To maintain the poofy look, walk around in circles holding your arms out and let your dress fall and poof out.
- When you are done, the bottom of your dress will be two or three inches higher than the rest of the fabric and you will have a natural-looking poofy effect!
Final Word
Unfortunately, not everyone can get the same results with these methods. Some people have bodies that do not allow for a poofy skirt look without a petticoat, no matter how hard they try. Others have petticoats that are not so full that they might not even be able to get the full poofy effect. No matter what you do, some skirts and dresses will just not stay puffy without a petticoat. If any of these methods fail, don’t feel bad. Just remember that not everyone can get that amazing poofy skirt look without a petticoat, and that’s okay!