Vintage Skirts

"How to Wear Vintage Skirts"

A flood of exciting vintage skirts are today being reinterpreted on the catwalk. Thanks to 50s glamour, 60s pop culture, 70s hippies and disco music and 80s Cyndi Lauper. It wasn't until the 20th century that skirts started being made in different cuts and shapes.

.. Many of the trendy skirts you have in your wardrobe are nothing new and are just recycled from the past!

Vintage skirt pattern, courtesy of Queensofvintage.com

Courtesy of Queensofvintage/Patterns of vintage skirts

If you're looking for ideas on what real or vintage-inspired skirts to add to your closet, here are my suggestions on what you should include and how to wear them:

80s Vintage Skirts - era of Cyndi Lauper and Madonna

Tiered Skirt

Tier vintage skirt Dolce & Gabbana spring 2010

RTW SS 2010 D&G

Look for tiers and flounce - they're fun and flirty! They pair well with simple tights or bare legs. The tiers will do all of the talking.

Here are some fashion tips on how to wear it:

Tone down on the cute and flouncy vibe

casual like a basic tee or a denim shirt

Dolce & Gabbana's American West Spring & Summer collection in 2010

avoid adding pounds to your body frame

waist that is slightly higher and fitted

This type of skirt is especially ideal if you're bottom-heavy as it will disguise your curves. Just make sure it flares out slightly (not tapered) at the hemline to avoid emphasizing your rounded bottom. If you have slim hips then a tiered skirt will help balance out your body shape and add more curves.

Bubble Skirt

Bubble vintage skirt by Phillip Lim spring 2011

RTW SS 2011 Phillip Lim

This skirt has a balloon style silhouette (also known as "tulip") and is designed to billow out on the bottom and sides. Bubble skirts are a playful piece of addition to your wardrobe.

Like tier skirts, they emphasize (as well as add) curves to your lower body, so pay attention to your body proportions to make it look right.

Here are fashion tips on how to wear it:

touch of class

button down shirt

Go casual

shorter side (short height or short legs)

Wide and rounded skirts can make you look stumpy and your legs shorter, so if you have problems with that I suggest that you always add a pair of heeled shoes to counter the shortening effect.

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70s Vintage Skirts - Disco Balls and Hippies

Midi

RTW SS 2011
Diane von Furstenberg

Mid-calf skirts (midis) were an expression of the youth of the 60s who matured away from the minis but didn't want to sacrifice style. A very popular midi skirt style was the pleated A-line which created a flattering silhouette on many body shapes - skimming past the curves and creating a slim look.

Here are some fashion tips on how to wear it:

right below the calf

A midi skirt gives you a vintage inspired sporty look, but too be honest, I'm not a big fan of these type of skirts as most of them hit the thickest part of your legs making you look stumpy, unless you have slim calves! However, I've seen many women pull it off by adding some heel to slim their legs - and not least going for the slim-fitted style.

Long

RTF SS 2011 Fendi

Long skirts (also known as maxi skirt) that barely touch the ground are very vintage which creates a noticeable style impact. It's not that city friendly but it's an elegant look - perfect for lounging night out, day picnic or a simple stroll in town or along the beach.

Other popular versions of the long skirt are: uneven hem, flowy evening skirt, hippie print skirt and the printed circle skirt.

Here are some fashion tips on how to wear it:

right above the thinnest part of your ankles

60s/50s Vintage Skirts - Glam and a Pinch of Conservatism

A-line

RTW SS 2011 Vena Cava

It's basically a skirt that is fitted at the hips and gradually widens towards the hem - giving a visual impression of a capital letter A.

The term A-line was popularized by Christian Dior in 1955 and became the skirt trend of the 60's because of its flattering cut that skimmed over the bumps and hips, as well as faking a thinner waist line. It is among other vintage skirts, the most popular and commonly used skirt style in fashion designers collection.

Here are some fashion tips on how to wear it:

Full Skirt

Full vintage skirt by Bottega Veneta spring 2011

RTW SS 2011
Bottega Veneta

A full skirt (also known as circle skirt) began to appear in fashion magazines back in the 50s and until early 60s and were inspired by the feminine and conservative Victorian era - which was a time of floor-length and fluffy fashion. And being chubby had its sex appeal ;-) It lost its touch through the decades but was revived in the 50s. They even got shorter!

I believe that A-line and full skirts are the closest clothes you can get to vintage skirts as they exude a look of a charming and glamorous past - a must if you want to hook some vintage to your outfit.