Light underskirts worn under a dress to make it fuller and more puffy; a woman's undergarment.
From 'petty' (small) and 'coat,' originally referring to a man's short padded jacket. In the 16th century it became a woman's undergarment worn under full skirts.
Victorian and Edwardian women wore so many petticoats (sometimes 5-6 layers!) that they needed special crinoline frames just to support the weight—fashion was literally uncomfortable and impractical!
Historically encoded feminine subservience; 'petticoat government' was a derogatory term for female authority. The garment itself carried patriarchal assumptions about modesty and women's restricted movement.
Use neutrally as historical garment reference when necessary; avoid metaphorical use implying women's incompetence.
Women wore petticoats under restrictive social constraints; reclaiming the term requires centering women's agency rather than mockery.
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