Review~Classical Puppets Petticoat (bell-shape) Plus a Bit of Background on Pettis in General

Petticoats are essential to any Lolita outfit. They create the proper silhouette that Lolita is so known for. When I first got into Lolita, the emphasis on petticoat construction and quality was on the stiffness of material. Tulle and netting were the preferred poof-providers despite their itchiness. Later, lined petticoats became the standard to help combat the itchiness. Questions and tips on reviving flattened petticoats popped up on EGL often. The fact is, stiff materials will lose their stiffness over time. We can steam, starch, hang upside down, and fluff all we want, but in the end you will end up needing to layer 2-4 petticoats (hello there, fat waistline!) or buy a new petticoat.

I have also made several tulle petticoats for fashion shows and personal wear. While they were wonderfully fluffy to begin with, eventually they all died and became good only for a casual outfit that required minimal poof.

Eventually, softer organdy, organza, cotton, and chiffon petticoats became more popular since they didn't itch nearly as badly, though their softness was cause for great concern at first! Would such soft, drape-y fabric create the fullness we so desired? Well, the short answer is: yes. The longer answer is: yes, but you will need EVEN MORE material than was required for stiff netting/tulle pettis! The cost of buying so much fabric deterred me from ever trying to make a soft petti. That, plus the gathering. So I made do with my tulle petticoats for a few years.

Last year, TaoBao became popular for cheap Lolita clothing, and Dear Celine and Classical Puppets both got quite a bit of publicity for their petticoats. I wavered between the two until I moved to Taiwan and most of the local Lolitas had Classical Puppet petticoats, so I joined a Group Order for one :)


I prefer to own and use something for a while before writing a review so that any easily damaged or broken bits become apparent. I have had this petticoat for over a month and used it frequently.


The bell shape


Classical Puppet tag is on a soft ribbon and not uncomfortable or scratchy at all


Top layer gathered softly for a smooth silhouette


Finished with good, crochet cotton lace


Inner layer gathered extremely fully - so fully that the sheerness becomes opaque!


Inner layer and lining finished with overlock

Now to show the with and without petticoat photos!


Shown here with a plain, bell-shaped skirt. It is easiest to see the difference here!


And shown here with BABY's Parfait print skirt! It has a built in petti, but definitely looks better with a real petti underneath!

And on a side note, this is the last, beautiful photo of this BABY skirt. I spot-cleaned it but the water spread throughout the fabric while it was drying and the colors ran

Goodbye, my first Lolita love