The skirt – defender of style and chic
Over time, the hems of skirts have been higher or lower depending on changing definitions of femininity, independence, self-confidence, the need for liberation, exploring and modesty. After years of certain types of skirts being in fashion, the time of openness to all styles has arrived.
The secret lies in the proportions
Everything depends on the right balance between the length and cut, and the dimensions of the body. A green light for all styles of skirts means we can go straight to the mirror and send the trousers on holiday.
The story of fashionable skirts
In the 19th century, skirts ceased to function solely as petticoats. The route to their popularity lay in making them practical. Along with socio-cultural changes, more dynamic lifestyles and greater mobility led to a growing demand for functional and comfortable outfits. The bottom halves of outfits became separate from tops, and women gained more freedom and the possibility of collecting clothes. The glamorous New Look of Dior attached multilayer and rigid slips to calf-length skirts. Defining this style as exaggerated and idealised, Coco Chanel responded with the introduction of the iconic suit of jacket and slightly flared A line skirt. In such way came the answers for women who were tired of corsets and in need of clothes that were in line with a changing reality. Skirt lengths decreased and short skirts arrived with the British designer Mary Quant, who effectively promoted the new fashion, the model Twiggy linked the mini skirt forever with the characteristic style of the 1960s.
Skirts on the catwalk
The story of skirts reveals the ideas and inspiration of truly gifted designers. In 1947, Christian Dior presented a mid-calf black wool skirt, resting on rigid layers of petticoats and worn with a jacket radically tapered at the waist. The feminine figure gained a small release in 1956, with the presentation of a freer suit with pencil skirt to the knee. The French genius Hubert de Givenchy proposed in 1961 a tweed jacket and straight skirt for Jacqueline Kennedy, and many designers have paid tribute to tweed and simplicity in subsequent years. In 1993, Oscar de la Renta offered what was simplicity and elegance itself, a suit jacket with a taut double row waist belt and a long pencil skirt. Peter Speliopoulos’ first collection of Donna Karan, in 2003, recalls all the charm of the fifties, presenting, among other things, a tweed suit with collar projecting from the neck and short, tapered skirt. In 2005, Carolina Herrera showed distinctive tweed skirts to the knee with pleats front and rear. Pastel skirts are also cult. Ralph Lauren combined an off-white, knee-length pencil skirt with enhanced waist with a subtle blouse with a collar in 2003. Allessandra Facchinette’s debut for Valentino in 2007 was a cream, fitted outfit with a pencil skirt ending above the knee. In 2001, Prada presented a subtly shimmering, pink flared skirt with graphite jacket. The maxi skirt was presented at its best by Michael Kors in the collection for autumn/winter 2010/2011, with a grey skirt, fitted at the hips and tumbling to the model’s feet. Marni, in 1999, showed a skirt decorated with cherries and combined with a simple T-shirt. Etro modernised the hippy style fabulously with a long, flowery skirt reaching the ground in 2010. Marc Jacobs’ fringe skirt was a hit in 1992, with its narrow strips swinging freely. Stella McCartney paid tribute to the cult of the denim skirt in 2010, with a design that fastened along the entire length to the knee, worn with a bold, gipiura top and soft blazer.
Where to go for fashion skirts?
Openness to fashion skirts presents a whole range of possibilities. Check our online store at SneakersbeShops.com. There you will find exclusive offers for elegant skirts, trouser skirts, and light skirts for the summer. They make perfect partners for stylish ladies’ tops and high heels.