Absolutely terrific. The tights, the shoes, the fit of the skirt, love it. Perhaps too short for clergy at work, but you don’t have to hem it that short. I would wear it right at the knee.
Very nice for the classic wardrobe staple. Great in black, charcoal grey, navy…
Here’s a link (sorry, it’s size 12 and up!)
I just purchased this. I love the neutral color, I love the generous fit around the hips, I love the flattering waistline, I love the summery linen blend. I do not, however, plan to stand around in it with my legs crossed. I would tip right over.
From the Naughty Corner, behold:
I just think that this long, tiered skirt thing is so OVER. The fabric always looks super cheap and flammable, the tiers are unflattering to everyone, and the entire thing screams Gypsy Earth Mama. It’s dated, it’s cliched, and there are other ways to express your inner goddess — even just a long cotton skirt without those dratted tiers!
Garish color and girly details don’t improve matters here.
If I could banish this skirt from the closets of all clergywomen and religious leaders (that goes for you, too, nuns!), I would feel that I had slain one of the biggest, baddest Frump Dragons in the realm! “Hi, let me pull an enormous, shapeless triangle of denim over my bum and anchor in onto my waist! Henceforth I will be Invisible, Ugly and Non-Threatening! If I add a pair of Keds, you can send me right outside to play in the sandbox!”
Mondo improvement! If you like the long, big skirt, let it have some shaping to it, like this one has, and pair it with some interesting shoes! Well-done. Not for me, because I’m too short and I’m still not a fan of that much skirt, but at least it’s not crying “1983!”
Actually, I had a khaki skirt almost exactly like that last one in 1986.
I like the first one very much, and it might work for me, but find that usually skirts just aren’t flattering on my body– they draw too much attention to my waist, which is not my narrowest point. I find I do much better in dresses with jackets, which create both a longer line, and then the illusion of a waist. Skirts just don’t tend to flatter my body.
I just about live in skirts. I have a few dresses for fancier affairs (weddings, tea at Lambeth, and ordinations), but mainly it’s skirts. I have to say I’m not a fan of the third one (your new purchase), because the pleats could create a little poof at the tummy, which is not where I would want poof. The tiered skirts–yes, I agree, not so good. And the drawstring denim is awful.
It seems like every time I shop with my mom, we see a nice denim skirt and I want to buy it; she urges me to buy it (she likes them too); but I resist because I know I would never wear it. It’s not professional enough for work nor dressy enough for going out, and when I’m not working or going out, I don’t want to wear a skirt; I want to wear jeans and a t-shirt.
I wouldn’t even be tempted by the one you post here, though. Just looking at that drawstring waist puts four inches on my hips.
I love the one you just purchased! Link please? I would love it, too!
I love skirts and dresses particularly for summer. The praire skirt is so over but I’m glad there are a few longer ones around this summer–I still can’t get used to not wearing hose (and I can’t imagine not wearing them to church, at least where I am going and doing some work now).
I’ve been eyeing a lovely brown linen-look skirt at Dress Barn: it’s gored which gives me breathing room through the hips and still is nice and flat at the waist and tummy. But like most of the skirts out there today it’s hemmed for a woman who’s 5’8.
Yes, please give a link for the skirt you just purchased! It is super cute.
And a link for the second skirt shown too, please?
I confess, I don’t like anything long and gathered. Long and A-line is great, anything else needs to be knee-length for me. Actually, I’m so blasted short-waisted that gathered is always a dicey proposition. A-line is good, straight is good, and full can be good– but gathers somehow make me look like a floozy milkmaid. (The bust doesn’t help.)
Long skirts are great for summer, when hose gets sweaty (is that how it got its name?) but spider veins still show. Sigh.
Eddie Bauer has a couple of really cute longer skirts for petite women this season–and this sort of overpriced catalogue called Soft Surroundings has some adorable longer dresses and skirts (they’re a little flouncy for my tastes but the dresses are so cute and stretchy). So does TravelSmith of all places. I wear their dresses a ton. They are sort of pricey but they are easy to care for and last a long time.
Finally, Kohls has really nice cotton knit dresses that are going to be my workhorse wardrobe pieces this season.
That’s it. Everything I’ve got about fashion for the short person who likes skirts and dresses 😉
[Soft Surroundings sounds like an insane asylum. LOL! -PB]
Here’s a question: Could you go bare-legged with the first three skirts? I’ve loved wearing cotton tights during the cooler months, and will wear more casual skirts without hose (I dread pantyhose for long days, and thus reserve for Sundays and fancier venues than our office). What is the dividing line between “must wear hose” and “may skip hose” in a skirt? [Wellllll, I think it’s a matter of assessment on that day. I go bare-legged all the time if the skirt is below the knee and flowy — but I think for the more tailored styles pantyhose are often a good idea. God knows I almost never wear them myself unless I MUST, but I do fake tan my legs, make sure they’re smooth and nice, and get regular pedicures. Pantyhose are of the devil. They’re a ridiculous expense, a huge waste of packaging, unhealthy for women’s bodies and just awful. But I wear them for church and I wear them for funerals and I wear them for formal events. Tights are a whole ‘nuther story: I love those! – PB]
So true!!! about the Eddie Bauer catalog! I was really impressed by how un-frumpy this season is!
As part of my ongoing defrumpification project, I recently banished all long hippieish skirts, tiered and otherwise, from my closet. Yes, all of those bad “styles” you depicted above (save for the denim horror; I never sank that low!) was once a staple of my wardrobe. ::shudders::
You know, I think that first skirt is actually a really nice length–right at the knee. It just looks a bit short because so much of it is covered by a too-long top. If you have a short torso, sometimes tops can fall too low on you and interfere with the leg line. I think a slightly more cropped blouse or even a tucked-in blouse would look more polished and help the skirt to not appear short. (But don’t go overboard! Too-short tops are just as bad as too-long tops!)
((((that goes for you, too, nuns!)))
Is the greatest phrase in the history of ever.
I’m with Marcia on the skirts. Also here in EAST Texas – no hose and no dress-up during the week.
Slacks/blouse /sandals. Dressy during week – startched jeans/dressy blouse to show off big Texas jewelry/high heel sandals. I cant carry the last one off. LOL
I’m dresses with shorter jacket to define waist and heels as tall as I can stand in without my toes going numb on Sundays! That long skirt would have to be a whole dress for me. Love all the comments –
I like the houndstooth skirt (the first pic) and it is hemmed just where I like my skirts–showing exactly all of my knee and not any more.
The almost-graduated seminarian *sobs* for the Gypsy Earth Momma Skirt! I just wore one yesterday… what am I supposed to wear on an 83-degree day in Boston? I’m 5’2″ and 113 lbs, so I look like a teenager and have to buy clothes designed for teenagers. At least the Gypsy Earth Momma Skirt has an elastic waistband and doesn’t reveal too much of my youthful frame. I’m not wedded to tiers, but I need options! Do I really have to spend my adult life in pencil skirts?
Carolyn — How about a not-too-voluminous (because you’re petite) A-line or tulip floral pattern cotton skirt? I have several. You’re petite, so just get one that isn’t of overwhelming proportions (they can usually have the top part of the waist hiked up a bit or even tucked under and pinned/sewn to make them a little shorter – they’re easy to adjust that way).
For summer, add, flats/wedges and a basic tee and you’re good to go, even in the stickiest of summers – and the side zipper found on most of those skirts is very (gasp) comfortable 🙂 If I can wear it, you definitely can! (then you can add tights and boots for fall with a lot of the same skirts!)
ChaliceChick – DITTO! I thought the same exact thing. Heehee.
@Carolyn – NOOOO. I don’t know how old you are, but tiered skirts needn’t be your fate! What about something in these styles:
http://www.funkyfrum.com/category_s/52.htm
@ Meredith, I like your idea. Where do you get the ones you have?
@ hsofia, the skirts on your link are the type I would have to try on with heels to get an idea of how good I look in them. I think it’s the material.