Are these two skirts too similar? - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Shopping

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Are these two skirts too similar?

Tanya

Veteran

I have bought the first Halogen skirt at NAS and am waiting for cold enough weather to wear it. I am very happy with it. I have just spotted the second Halogen skirt and immediately fell in love. The plaid! The asymmetry! The black, white & blush! ( all my favorite things).

So, the question is, are they too similar to be in the same wardrobe? I am in the phase of building a business casual wardrobe.

Halogen Ruffle Hem Pencil Skirt

View Info

Top Pick

6

Halogen Asymmetrical Ruffle Hem Skirt

View Info

Top Pick

8

Shopping

34 replies

Latest reply was from Style Fan

rachylou

Veteran

Yes, well I think they are completely different... but if you get one more, it could become a uniform dressing thing...

Thistle

Veteran

Don't look too similar to me. I wouldn't even have thought they were by the same maker. The asymmetrical ruffle and pattern make it look very different to my eye.

Brooklyn

Veteran

I think that they are different enough. More a signature style than a duplicate.

Aquamarine

Veteran

I think they are different enough to justify both.

Echo

Veteran

I agree with Brooklyn. The style is similar, but they really do look very different. If the first one works well for you, then it only makes sense to get the second one because it will likely work just as well.

Diana

Veteran

Different!

Also I am so tempted by that second skirt. I haven't even been wearing casual winter skirts much the last couple of years though, much less dressier ones, so I really shouldn't....

karen13

Veteran

Love them both and they are plenty different enough. Between the fabric and the asymmetry it won't look like you never went home to change if you wear them back to back!

Gigi

Veteran

I would consider them different because one is very dark and the other is kind of a medium shade. I am generally a high-contrast dresser, and I would be able to pair a very dark top with the gray skirt, and a very light top with the dark plaid one. This would create two completely different types of outfits for me, which means I would most likely wear both of the skirts an equal amount and one would not steal wears from the other.

Dianna

Veteran

What Brooklyn said.

Joy

Veteran

I think you should try on the second one. If you still love it most, return the first skirt. Both are winter skirts with a wooliness so are similar for the season. Gigi has a good point with tops. Would you wear different tops with these if you had both?

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I think they are a very similar style. For me, unlike Gigi, one would steal wears from the other, but that is an issue I have, that I am always drawn to similar things. It has happened this very day. We went to the mall, DH and I, though he ran household errands first, while I soaked up new spring fashion more for inspiration than anything. I photographed one dress only, which sang to me. As soon as I showed him the photo, he said "But isn't that like the other dress you have with the flowers on?". Took me a moment, but... He's right really. Pink roses, check. Green leaves, check.
Of course the pattern on the second skirt is different to the plain. Only you will know if you will get enough wears out of both.

Mary More

(website)

Both are different.

Jane

Veteran

I'm kinda of with Jenni and Rachylou...I especially like the plaid. That said, I have just looked at the styling of the grey one on the weblink, and I think I now really like the grey one too...

Anonymous

I think they look different in the stock photos, but I read Jenni's comment. She brings up valid points that you may want to consider.

Scarlet

Veteran

I think it depends on whether you will have a strong impulse to wear both, or whether like Jenni said, one would steal wears from the other.

kkards

Veteran

to me...they are different skirts, but would hold the same spot in a business casual wardrobe...but i dont know your office...in my office, generally a skirt was on the far side of business casual and as such not worn by most women....it would depend on how often you think a skirt would be part of your workwear....

unfrumped

Veteran

Hmm. I'm kinda with Joy.
It's because they are both trendy, not classic pencil skirts AND they're not " seasonless ". so one question is whether they're 3-5 yr items or you'll tire of them. Otherwise, a gray skirt and a black or dark plaid skirt WOULD be different for me because I'd wear different tops & footwear ( on purpose, for the variety) but could also mix& match.
I might order and do a big try- on and see if an " aha" moment occurs.

One thing I've been trying to make myself do is ask, ok, this looks good, but will it block me from getting something I need more? And for me, I was developing too much season- specific stuff ( can't resist another cozy sweater once the weather chills; get summer fever for brighter color and prints in warm weather) so I was doing more storing and rotating than I wanted. You may still decide both are good, but think about how you want to build your wardrobe.

You might like The Curated Closet book.

Bijou

Veteran

These are skirts that you will wear to work so as long as you like them and they fit well and are comfortable they are likely to be workhorses. I often duplicate favourite work wear in different colours. For me, this would be fine to have two skirts that are similar but sufficiently different to not look like the exact same piece.

Maureen B

If you could get them in different colors that would differentiate them further which I think would be helpful. Also, I just wanted to add they both would look great with tall boots!

frannieb

Veteran

To my eye they are similar and would steal wears from each other. Yes the pattern is different but texture and cut look similar to me. As someone else pointed out the would both draw from similar tops. Now if you want an easy fallback formula for dressing because it makes you feel fabulous that is another thing. Right now I'm all about high joy dressing and that means i have some formulas with pieces that are similar.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I agree that they are different enough to justify both. I do not see these as interchangeable -- one is solid (or a false plain? Can't tell from the small photo) and could be worn easily with patterns and prints, while the plaid one will look fab with solids. Great skirt!

JAileen

Veteran

When I worked I needed enough outfits so I wan't wearing the same thing twice in a week. Are you building a new corporate wardrobe? If so, then I think you should get it. If you already have tons of office ready outfits, then I think it would take wears from the other one. Having said that, I prefer the new one.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

To my eye, they are different - but Jenni and Unfrumped both make excellent points.

I can't quite explain this, but the gray ruffle-hem skirt looks trendy, and the plaid skirt on the right looks more classic. I think the plaid skirt would have greater longevity. I can imagine the skirt on the right styled in a Victorian manner (or Victorian boho), or steampunk, or with a very minimalist turtleneck sweater.

FWIW, more than a decade ago, I fell in love with a skirt that was similar to the plaid one. Sadly, it was too long, and altering would have ruined the ruffle. I mention this, because if that skirt had fit, I'm pretty sure I would have worn it continuously to the present.

I vote try on both, play with some outfit ideas in your closet, and see which one best fits your own vision of business casual. If they both work and you'll get a lot of use out of them, keep 'em.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sufficiently different. Try it.

Tanya

Veteran

Thank you all very much for your input, lots of valid point were made. At this point I have no idea what and how often will be worn, since I am only in the second month of my new job and the dress code is very different than before. I will probably need a full year to cycle before I have better insight and can make good predictions.
I agree with those who mentioned that the second skirt looks more classic, it looks that way to me too. Plus, the fiber content is different from the first one and thus the thickness may be, too - the first skirt is pretty heavy, like flannel, and lined. I think I will order the plaid skirt, too, and then have an outfit making session with both skirts as some here have recommended. If it turns out that for a lot of possible tops I have strong preference for one or the other skirt, then keeping both may make sense.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Interesting question. I've been trying to figure out the differences between wardrobe basics (good), duplication (bad), and uniform/formula.

delurked

Veteran

They seem of a similar vibe to me, but your wardrobe could likely support both if you find you will wear this style to work often.

Gretchen

Veteran

Love both - would work to build a capsule around grays with unique cuts. Could totally see the original one as a weekly workhorse and the new one as an every other week add-in.

Staysfit

Veteran

I love the second skirt, and can see why you do also. I often get a collection of similar items, for example blue and white vertical striped shirts. How many can one need? I have four. I wear all of them in slightly different ways. I don't think one steals from the other, but I am not a minimalist. I enjoy variety in my medium large wardrobe and wear everything in it. When I start collecting any particular item, I do try to limit the number to no more than 4. That is a number that works for me. More than that and the item sits idle and/or will steal wears from the others.

Another example might be my collection of Ted Baker London sheath dresses, which are also similar to each other, but I still wear all of them.

Ted Baker London Ritah Colorblock Midi Sheath Dress

View Info

Top Pick

2

Ted Baker London Layli Sheath Dress

View Info

Top Pick

2

Ted Baker London 'Tapestry Floral' Belted Print Midi Sheath Dress

$315.00 $125.98

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

2

Ted Baker London 'Citrus Bloom' Print Sleeveless Body-Con Dress

$295.00 $117.98

Sale

View Info

Top Pick

3

12