The ‘80s tube skirt is a die-hard that works on a range of body types. It’s made of a stretch knitted cotton, blended cotton, or woolly fabric. The texture is smooth, ribbed or jacquard. The waist is elastic. It’s fitted and tapers at the hem. It’s extremely soft and comfortable, provided you like the form-fitting silhouette. Lengths vary from knee and midi, to maxi. Dress it up or down. Showcase your curves, or hide them.
Here are four easy ways to create outfits with tube skirts for Summer, and as we head into Autumn. They’re neutral and solid, but feel free to use any colour palette and throw in some pattern. Pattern mix too.
1. Ruffled Sleeves and Birkies
Combine a tube skirt with a fluid, ruffled or puffed sleeve top in a knit or woven and leave it untucked. Add Birkenstocks or flat sandals in a colour that works with the outfit. A large tote is a practical and casual addition. The tube skirt here is very long, but yours can be shorter.
2. Relaxed Dressy
This is a comfortable look that is structured on the bottom and unstructured up top. Combine a dressier blouse in a silky fabric with a cotton-rich tube skirt. This one has a high-low hemline that creates interesting diagonal lines in the front and on the sides of the outfit. Wedged sandals, a statement necklace, and an animal print clutch kick things up a notch. If you like, you can semi-tuck the top to showcase your curves and add some waist definition.
3. Asymmetrical tunic with Sneakers
This is my favourite of the three because I like the crispness of the white, and the eye-catching hemline of the tunic. The jagged hemline of the tunic lengthens the leg line from the hips upward, while the scrunched sleeves add a little structure. The long pendant necklace creates vertical integrity. Classic white sneakers pick up the white of the top. I can see this working just as beautifully with a navy and white striped or animal print tube skirt.
4. Bomber and Boots
As we head into cooler weather, combine a tube skirt with a white shirt and layer a bomber jacket over the top. Finish off the look with booties or shooties, and a bag that works with the outfit. You can tuck or semi-tuck the shirt. Or wear a tee, blouse or pullover instead of a shirt. Here, the black trim of the bomber effectively picks up the black of the booties. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.
