Different Types of Skirts and Its Features
Shubham Anil Jain
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited
Bangalore, India
Email: shubhamajain125@gmail.com
Introduction:
A garment which covers the lower part of a figure basically from the waist to the hem and ending at any desired length is known as skirt. To decorate the skirt any technique can be used such as fullness or it can cling to the body. Generally, it is found that it is easier to design a skirt pattern than a bodice, because skirts are less detailed shaped. Skirt outlines and lengths ranges more with fashion. The silhouette can be either narrow, flared or bouffant; even it is found that straight skirts can vary from extremely tight and narrow at the hem to slightly A-lined. The length of a skirt is always important aspect. To a particular extent it depends upon the wearer’s age and the occasion or function on which the garment is worn, but the thumb rule is that the length should always be in line with current trends.
Different Types of Skirts:
1. A-Line skirt:
For pear shaped body, it is one of the best skirts. This is usually of knee-length and creates a triangular shape when laid flat. It is an easy to sew option and makes up nicely in most fabric types. The A-line skirt flares out very smoothly from the waist and does not cling to the hips portion making it a flattering skirt option. Due to its flared shape, it does not required slits in the side or back in order to easily walk. A-line skirts are commonly fitted at the waist and as such need shaping in the form of darts or a gently curving waistband.
2. Asymmetrical skirt:
The design of this skirt purely depends on the asymmetrical lines formed by the cut of the fabric and the different kinds of the hems. It is commonly seen that, asymmetrical skirt is usually cut on the diagonal across the body with usually one side lower from the other. This is something different from a high-low skirt where the asymmetry is formed at the front and back. When it comes to asymmetrical skirts it can be tight, flared out or billowing.
3. Box pleat skirt:
This kind of skirt is a variation of the pleat types of skirts. It is constructed by allowing the two folds of the pleat to converge each other and create the box part of the pleat. This kind of same pleat pattern is continued round the skirt. Box pleat skirts are commonly made in thicker fabrics to give a good volume and shape to the skirt.
4. Broomstick skirt:
This type of skirts was very famous in the 70s and 80s. But, just like everything else from that period, they are making a return, especially for people who love anything hippie or boho. So, the one who are in the mood for a Bohemian adventure, go on and pick up this kind if crinkled beauty. The feature of this is that, it’s easy to style and sets the right mood.
5. Skater skirt:
This type of skirts is short, cute, and chic. They are a good combination of A-line and circle skirts, except they are very shorter. Skater skirts are not heavy duty type and gives a very informal vibe to them, this is due to the light fabrics used to make them. These types of skirt are perfect for an outing with friends, a date, or a party.
6. Hoop skirt:
This type of skirt is originated in the Victorian times and basically has a hoop which is stitched around the hemline at the bottom. They were a kind of traditional attire for women in the olden times and had particularly two-three layers stitched into them, finished off with a lace overlay.
7. Ballet skirt:
This type of skirt is not so different from the tutu skirt. It is just shorter and more circular in feature. Ballet skirts usually formed in pastels and muted undertones. However, one can find them in all different types of colors in the market if just look around a little bit.
8. Circular skirt:
As the name highlights that, this skirt acts like a circle when opening fully, therefore, to manufacture this fabric having maximum width is required. The fabric is simply cut in a circle, just like a doughnut. Then the elastic band is sewn on top to create a kind of waistband. The circle hangs right at the waist and leads the fabric to drape beautifully around you. These kinds of skirts do not need any side seam.
9. Gored skirt:
Gore is nothing but a triangular piece of fabric. A gored skirt is type of skirt with gores that are very narrow at the waistline and particularly wider at the hemline. There can be number of gores which can be equally or unequally spaced as ‘desired’ by the wearer. There are various types of gore such as angled, flared, and pleated, or maybe straight from the hip level. The two common types of gored skirts are 6-gore and 4-gore skirts.
10. Gathered skirt:
As the name suggests skirts that have gathers at the waistline. Usually, to manufacture this type of skirt it requires, thin fabrics so that they can be gathered easily and there is no difficulty in stitching at the waistline whereas Bulky fabrics have limitations of limited fullness, which can lead to difficulty in stitching it to the waistline. For a perfect-gathered skirt, the length of fabric should be according to the length of the skirt +2” (for folding) and width of the skirt must be twice the amount of waste circumference for gathering.
11. Layered skirt / Tiered skirt:
It is also called as tiered skirt. Layered skirts are the type of skirts that have many layers of fabric which are attached to each other at the hemline. When it comes to the length and width of each layer it may be the same or may vary. Each gives a different look and feel. The fabric used here, may or may not be the same. Sometimes, the frills can also be attached.
12. Pencil skirt:
The feature of this skirt is that, it lengthens from the waist to beneath the knees or down to mid-calf. It hugs to the body and is commonly made from stretchable kind of fabric. These kinds of skirts are usually used by slim-figured women or girls. They are particularly straight cut therefore making it sometimes difficult to walk in. These are very dressy or formal skirts. The hemlines can be decorated by adding colored ribbons, fringes, etc.
Conclusion:
There are so many different types of skirt available in market, to choose from them one, it’s hard to know which one is right for one in the world were latest fashion trends change so rapidly. There are some common choices such as, pencil skirts and high-waisted skirts but there are also variety of other options is available that one probably wouldn’t think of. From lacy skirts to denim skirts and everything in between, there is something for every taste, style and preferences. For a kind of person who loves to experiment with their look, then a skirt may be the answer for them.
References:
- 21 Types of Skirts – A to Z of Skirts, https://blog.treasurie.com/types-of-skirts-illustrated-guide/
- 14 Different Types Of Skirt You Will Love, By Trupti Thakkar / June 9, 2022
- https://www.textileschool.com/amp/501/types-of-skirts-basic-shape-and-style-of-women-skirts/
- 15 Types Of Skirts, https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/types-of-skirts/
- https://www.brainkart.com/article/Skirt-types-based-on-length-and-on-design_1839/
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Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
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