Snowing down south

'It's raining in Paris' was the turn of phrase in our area, SW Scotland.

It’s snowing down south, often used to be heard if yr petticoat or knickers were showing, in NZ, well my part anyway, but probably all over.

Stiff petticoats also made from tarlatan? I think my mother used that to make my sister's petticoats and my tutus.

Oh I just loved those stiff petticoats. All dripping on the line on a Saturday morning. Used to wear at least three at a time , even under my regulation blue gingham school dress.

We used to soak our petticoats in sugar water till make them stiff.

What about the tiered net ones? My friend had a multicoloured one which we all covetted.

Fallingstar

We lived in Lancs originally, near the Penines and ‘it’s snowing down south’ would be said if an underskirt was showing.
And ‘she’s got it all in the shop window’ if a woman was showing her cleavage.

For excessive cleavage, a colleague of my mother’s used to say ‘Her dumplings are boiling over’. My DM found it very amusing.

“Charlie’s dead’, in Hertfordshire and North London.
Our ‘sex education’ lesson included the warning that letting your slip show would inflame the boys. You can guess the effect that had on impressionable teenagers!

'Charlie's dead' in South London.
Grandma70s I remember the stiff white petticoats and they stayed a fashion until the early 60's. They kept stiff by spraying them with starch - years later I remember as a nurse, we'd starch our aprons and caps in the same way.

Charles dead in my part of Hampshire.

Yes, I live in Lancashire and this was a common saying.

I think we just said “Your slip’s showing”.

Is anyone old enough to remember those gorgeous stiff ruffled nylon petticoats from the late 1950s? It was a matter of pride to wear as many as possible, to make your full skirt stick out. I sometimes think that particular fashion, small waists and full skirts, was the prettiest I’ve lived though.

It was always Charlie’s dead when I was at school.

Petticoats or slips disappeared with the mini skirt and thankfully never returned.

I can remember black petticoats, worn under a dark skirt. M&S sold them, so they must have been respectable.

Grannybags

I only remember white ones. Black was probably thought of as ‘common’ back then! 😂

Charlie’s dead in Kent too

Charlie’s Dead in London too.

I only remember white ones. Black was probably thought of as ‘common’ back then!

How things have changed.

We, in the 1950, north of London, said ‘aunty’s dead’ if your petticoat was showing .

We used to say that 'It's snowing in Paris' if a petticoat was showing.
If a male family member had forgotten to do up their zip it was, 'Showing your medals?' or 'Egg on your chin'.

I only remember white ones. Black was probably thought of as ‘common’ back then! 😂

Charlie’s dead in Kent too

I never remember black underskirts back then they were all white as far as I know.

We lived in Lancs originally, near the Penines and ‘it’s snowing down south’ would be said if an underskirt was showing.
And ‘she’s got it all in the shop window’ if a woman was showing her cleavage.

I haven't heard of that one either.
My mum always had white underskirts. Full ones.
If I remember right, if they showed under her dress or skirt she had a self made elastic band around her waist and hitched it up over that to make it shorter.

I’ve never heard that one. Growing up in the Midlands we would say Charlie’s dead.