By knitwear I mean what people in the US refer to as sweaters. By the welt, I mean the raised bit of rib that is found along the bottom of an item of knitwear. The welt can be narrow or wide and is usually knitted into the style. It tempers the fluidity or boxiness of a top by tapering the silhouette at the hem. It gives the sweater some structure because it hugs the contour of the body when the rest of the pullover stands away from the body.
The beauty of a welted pullover or cardigan is that it provides just enough structure when worn UNTUCKED with a flared skirt. It’s a handy, relaxed, easy, and comfortable option when you don’t like tucking or semi-tucking tops into flared skirts to create the structure of a waistline. That magical welt adds structure to a top that is not tailored or body-con, which means you don’t need to wear a clingy silhouette if that’s not your preference. The visuals here showcase the combination well.
Of course, you can wear welted knitwear with straighter skirts too. Fluid tops like sweatshirts have welts which function in a similar way, and look as good with flared and straighter skirts. Although I like to semi-tuck tops into flared skirts, I also like to wear welted knitwear because it’s less fussy. I find I like my welted knitwear on the shorter side because although I have a regular length waist, I am short in the rise. But you might prefer your top longer, so find your sweet spot.
