Pencil Skirts

Pencil Skirts

Skirts are from the very begging considered as most flirtatious dressing style for women. These Pencil Skirts not only give style to woman’s appearance but they can be both classy and flamboyant at the same time.

Several types of skirts cover woman’s wardrobe and each of these Pencil Skirts are associated with unique occasion. Some are perfect for official purpose, while few can be fit for parties, and some can be good as casual wear. However, none of Pencil Skirts can be an all purpose type skirt apart from Pencil Skirts.
Pencil Skirts first came into fashion in the 1940s and since then they have never walked out of woman’s wardrobe. These skirts are best for any woman as they can reveal those lovely womanly curves, yet can keep the simplicity and aristocracy intact. With the change in fashion pencil skirts are also reformed a little. These Pencil Skirts are now available in denim, leather and other materials, but Black and White Pencil Skirts have gain more admirers. Earlier these skirts follow a little below the knee and being a tight fit it restricted in woman walking and sitting style. However, the fashion industry has given these skirts a slit at the back, which has surely given woman more room to glide.
White Pencil Skirts however were always there, but recently they have gained more popularity. In summers, these white pencil skirts, if combined with collared shirts can be a good official wear and if they are attached with lovely, vibrant beautiful tops they can be nice for both parties and as casuals. The flexibility that comes with these skirts gives woman a freedom to exhibit her creativity in dressing by wearing it differently every time.
Apparently, these summers Pencil Skirts can rule woman heart and mind as it can let woman be a lady and at the same time make her feel more young, classy, and rich in taste and style.

Pencil Skirts

Pencil Skirts

Pencil Skirts

Pencil Skirts

Types of Skirts

Types of Skirts

Skirts are an important part of women’s fashion. Extremely versatile, Types of Skirts can be dressed up or down to look fancy or casual for every occasion from a business meeting to a dinner date. Some of the many different Types of Skirts include bias cut, full, mini, A-line or princess, tulip, and pencil.
The Pencil Skirt, shaped long and straight like a pencil, was inspired by the hobble skirt of 1910.
The hobble skirt was designed by Paul Poiret and was unpopular due to its overly-tight, leg constricting shape. The hobble skirt was modified into the straighter, looser Pencil Skirt by 1915 and the Pencil Skirt, both short and long, is still popular today.
Shorter versions of the classic pencil skirt reach just above the knee and can be worn anywhere such as to work with a blouse and pumps, to a party with fancy sandals and a glitzy top, and on the weekend with tights, flats or boots, and a sweater. Long versions in cashmere or jersey are especially comfortable. Pencil Skirt can be flattering to all figure types. A dark pencil skirt worn with a dark or medium-colored top that rests just above the hips can be visually slimming to a fuller figure.
Tulip Skirts have more fabric around the hips than pencil skirts, giving them the shape of an inverted tulip. Tulip Skirts look good on most figure types, especially slender figures as tulip skirt fabric tends to add a little extra bulk around the hips. A-line skirts, also called Princess Skirts, can be especially flattering to plus-size figures, but can be worn well by all figure shapes. An A-line skirt is shaped like a capital letter “A”, with a snug waist spreading out into a triangular shape. A-line/princess skirts are considered a wardrobe staple, especially in a neutral color and a season-spanning fabric such as lightweight wool.
Miniskirts hit the fashion scene in London in 1966 and the ultra-short miniskirt is still worn by those who “dare to bear.” The miniskirt is often considered the sexiest skirt shape. Miniskirts can be a very simple shape or can be pleated, but are always very short, and are available in a wide range of materials including denim, cotton, leather, and wool.
Full skirts have even more fullness in their fabric than Tulip Skirts and can overwhelm a petite figure or add more fullness to a full figure. Full skirts often balance out a slim-waisted, full-busted figure. Drop-waisted full skirts with fabric that flows from the hips into soft pleats can be very flattering to a plus-sized figure type.
Bias Cut Skirts is cut across the fabric’s grain on the diagonal. Cutting on the bias creates a flowing hemline that can seem ultra-feminine and romantic. Bias cut skirts can be long or short and have panels or multi-layers.

Types of Skirts

Types of Skirts

Types of Skirts

Types of Skirts

Puffball Skirt

Puffball Skirt

Puffball Skirt also known as a “bubble skirt” or “harem skirt,” a Puffball Skirt is a short to mid-length skirt that’s been folded under at the hem and sewn to the lining, gathering the fabric and creating a puffed effect. Puffball Skirts are usually fashioned from taffeta or satin, but have also been created in tweed, denim, and other more casual fabrics.
When a Puffball Skirt is fashioned from a relatively relaxed fabric, it’s usually then stuffed with tulle to give the skirt structure and added fullness.
In the 1950s, Puffball Skirts were a popular women’s fashion item often worn at cocktail parties and proms. French designer Yves St. Laurent designed a Puffball Skirt under his apprenticeship with Christian Dior, and the skirt was also a signature piece of The House of Balenciaga. During the late 1980s, the Puffball Skirt appeared on the runways in a collection by fashion designer Christian La Croix. La Croix is often credited with inventing the design, which was dubbed le pouf and included in his debut couture collection along with corsets, bustles, bows, and other details inspired by 18th century ball gowns.
The Puffball Skirt retreated from fashion during the grunge era of the early 1990s, when luxe fabrics and overly-ornate details were traded for plaid flannels and no-fuss minimalism. Puffball Skirt then made a comeback in the late 2000s, and were accompanied for the first time by “puffball sleeves” sewn using the same folded-under technique. Today, Puffball Skirts are a popular feature on prom dresses, wedding dresses, and dance costumes.
The Puffball Skirt is best worn with a sleeker, more fitted top, to avoid overloading the frame with too much volume. Puffball Skirts are also generally more flattering when the waist of the skirt is cinched with a belt or bow. Intricate details or accessories should also be avoided elsewhere on the outfit when wearing a Puffball Skirt, which should be the outfit’s central, stand-out piece. Some modern twists on the Puffball Skirt include asymmetrical hems as well as tiered hems.

Puffball Skirt

Puffball Skirt

Puffball Skirt

Puffball Skirt

Puffball Skirt

Puffball Skirt

Hoop Skirts

Hoop Skirts

Hoop Skirts are a type of woman’s undergarment, related to the crinoline, which enjoyed a brief period of high fashion in the mid 19th century. Both were later replaced by the bustle, as woman’s fashion started to give way to more practical garments. The Hoop Skirts was worn on formal occasions by fashionable upper class women, and would not have appeared on workers and lower class women.
Navigating in Hoop Skirts is challenging, as any historical re-enactor will inform you, and wearing one required some training.
Hoop Skirts are made from a wide bell of sturdy material with casings sewn into it at multiple points along the length of the skirt. The casings hold stiffening materials such as whalebone, metal, rope, and twisted cloth. This causes the Hoop Skirts to project stiffly out from the wearer’s body. When dresses are worn over Hoop Skirts, they take on the bell shape of the Hoop Skirts. This gives the wearer’s lower body the look of a large triangle, and it was at one point very fashionable, although impractical.
For 19th century women, Hoop Skirts actually represented a huge improvement in their undergarments. Previously, women had to wear multiple layers of heavy petticoats to achieve the full bell shape which Hoop Skirts created. With Hoop Skirts, a woman only needed two petticoats, the Hoop Skirts itself, and the dress. The first petticoat was slim, rather than full, and worn under the Hoop Skirts for modesty. The second petticoat was worn over the Hoop Skirts to smooth its lines, so that the dress did not appear bunched or lumpy. All told, a woman would still be wearing a substantial amount of fabric, thanks to the immense flowing skirts which were so popular among the upper classes.
In the United States, Hoop Skirts are most frequently associated with Civil War fashion, and they often appear at history balls and events commemorating this period in American history. The full skirts actually represented serious hazards to the wearer. It would been difficult for women in Hoop Skirts to sit without exposing themselves, and the skirts also needed to be lifted to avoid puddles and filth on the roads. More importantly, Hoop Skirts could get caught in a doorway or piece of machinery, or could catch fire. Nurses were specifically prohibited Hoop Skirts, as the skirts would have made it impossible for them to attend to patients. Many women welcomed the slimmer style of the bustle with pleasure.

Hoop Skirts

Hoop Skirts

Hoop Skirts

Hoop Skirts

Tailored Skirt

Tailored Skirt

The term “Tailored Skirt” typically refers to a design or style of skirt which is fitted through the hips and thighs in a simple, slender silhouette. The hemline can vary from ankle length to mini. The skirt may also have embellishments, like an integrated belt, corset ties, colorful top stitching, or trim.

Tailored Skirts are sometimes called pencil skirts. Their popularity grew after the 1920s, and they have remained a wardrobe staple throughout the following decades for women with a variety of aesthetic tastes. The versatility of the skirt makes it appropriate for business, black tie, and everyday wear. It can be conservative or provocative, depending on the design.
A conservative Tailored Skirt is not snug but fits well through the strategic use of seams and darts. It usually has a waistband, a side or back zipper, and a small slit at the center back for ease of movement. A pencil skirt can rest at a high, natural, or low waistline and may have elastic at the back of the waistband for comfort and ease of movement. There is little embellishment, the hemline is knee length, and the color is a neutral black, gray, brown, or white.
Trendy Tailored Skirts are often fitted much tighter, with high back or front slits and may have embellishments. Usually shorter than conservative Tailored Skirts, trendier designs can be found in a variety of colors and prints. Animal prints, bright colors, and complex seaming contribute to the fashion forward design of a trendy Tailored Skirt.
The traditional fabrics used to make a Tailored Skirt are suiting materials, such as wool, tweed, and cotton. It is possible, and quite common, however, for Tailored Skirts to be made of denim or man-made materials as well. The fabric, second only to the cut, affects the style of the skirt. Typically, a wool skirt is more conservative than a leather skirt, and a sequined skirt is more provocative than a cotton one.
Tailored Skirts can be flattering on a variety of body types. Simply adjusting the hem or choosing the correct waistline can change the body’s silhouette. An hourglass figure with a long torso can wear a high waisted Tailored Skirt and achieve a very attractive look. Petite figures can choose a slightly higher hem length, up to four inches above the knee, to appear leggier. Wearing a Pencil Skirt in black is slimming on most figures.

Tailored Skirt

Tailored Skirt

Tailored Skirt

Tailored Skirt

Tennis Skirt

Tennis Skirt

A Tennis Skirt is an article of clothing intended for, and often worn by, women during tennis matches. They are often designed as a fairly plain or only lightly patterned skirt with small vertical pleats running around the entirety of the garment. While the name certainly indicates one intended use, due to the comfortable and often visually appealing nature of the garment, some women wear Tennis Skirt for other athletic activities or for purely fashionable reasons.
Though not always a traditional part of tennis apparel for women, these garments are referred to as Tennis Skirt due to their prominence on the tennis court.
The preferred Tennis Skirt worn by many women is lightweight, breathable, and moves with the woman as she plays a match. These skirts are often pleated to allow for more movement and to create an appealing look during play. Elastic waistbands are common for a better and more comfortable fit, though some fashionable Styles of Tennis Skirt may feature a vertical zipper on one side. Some skirts are not pleated, but instead are flat and smooth, and other styles even incorporate brief short leggings beneath the Tennis Skirt to create a “skirt” or combination of skirt and shorts.
Though perhaps intended for wear on a tennis court, these types of garments have become popular for fashionable uses as well. Since a Tennis Skirt is typically tailored to allow comfortable movement while still providing a flattering shape, many women enjoy wearing these types of skirts during other sporting activities or simply for daily wear. Though the popularity of such garments as fashion accessories may fluctuate like any other garment as styles change, a number of different designers have utilized one type of Tennis Skirt or another in their collections.

Tennis Skirt

Tennis Skirt

Tennis Skirt

Tennis Skirt

Straight Skirt

Straight Skirt

A Straight Skirt in its simplest form is a rectangle of fabric, either long or short, with an elastic waistband. This is the easiest type of skirt to sew and it makes an ideal beginner’s sewing project. More complex Straight Skirt have a fitted waistband with a zipper fastener as well as side darts to shape the skirt to the body. Full, flouncy, pleated and layered skirts are opposite in style to the straight skirt.

Since Straight Skirt styles are plain, they can be worn with detailed tops without creating an overdone look to an outfit. Textured or cabled sweaters and multi-colored blouses may be paired Straight Skirt. Ruffled or embroidered blouses are other tops ideally suited for the plain texture of straight-lined skirts. Other names for straight styles of skirts are the pencil and the column. An A-line skirt is a more flared version of the straight look.
Slash pockets or a back pleat are subtle details that can add interest to a straight skirt. The back, or kick, pleat helps make movement easier. Slash pockets are sleek openings that blend in with the skirts seaming and shaping. A fitted waistband and zipper create a more fitted look to a straight-styled skirt than elastic at the waist. This type of tailored skirt is popular in women’s suits and office separates.
The straight, pencil or column skirt suits all figure types except those that are either very full or extremely slim. Straight Skirt may overly accentuate the narrowness and lack of curves in thin figures. Ruffles, layers, pleats or fullness tend to be better skirt features for lean body types. In the case of fuller figures, a straight shape of skirt may create a top-heavy, unbalanced look. An A-line skirt, which is basically a straight skirt that flares gently downward, tends to be much more flattering on rounder figures.

Straight Skirt

Straight Skirt

Straight Skirt

Straight Skirt