Peplum
Peplum comes from a Greek word for ‘tunic’ and is an almost skirt-like frill or addition. They were once fitted to a waistcoat or doublet, but now to a woman’s bodice, extending it below the waistline.
Petticoats
Petticoat was a term first used during the early 15th century, when it was actually used to describe a gentleman’s short coat or undershirt. Later on in the century, it was adopted for women’s dress and worn beneath a gown as an underskirt — only a small glimpse of the lacy under layer would peak through. Since then, the petticoat has evolved from plain to ornate, and is now used to add body to loose fitting skirts. Today, a petticoat hem describes the ornate lace or embellished hem that is added underneath a skirt — more as an extra flourish, than as an extra layer.