Closet audit, part 2 - Skirts (long-ish) ETA results - YouLookFab Forum

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Closet audit, part 2 - Skirts (long-ish) ETA results

Christina F.

Veteran

This is a continuation of the post I made yesterday about my blazers. These are items in my cold weather closet that I haven’t worn for one reason or another. I am omitting items I have worn that I know work on me, unlike what I did with the blazers. So rest assured, a solid purge here won’t leave me completely lost. I have realized that I need fewer skirts in the winter anyway.

I have a love of tweed skirts but have passed on many of them due to not having enough coordinating tops anymore. I have a couple below I’d like to keep, as I’ve been working on the top situation.

I also looked at my dressier pants and concluded I was good on most counts. There is one I’ll need to figure out how to style come spring. That’s it.

1-2 I love skirts like this, and this one in particular, but I think I probably need to size up to make the waist work... though then the drape would be wrong. You can see in 2 where the waist is on me. I have to wear tops untucked like 1 and I’m unsure if that even works anymore. I’d love to be able to keep this (I posted about a similar but red skirt in the past that I got rid of; this one at least works better than that) - TOTALLY UNSURE; can be convinced. I have no objectivity here.

3-4 Pencil skirts (by Reaction and a brand I forget) that turn out to need the zipper tracks resewn on. The black skirt can still zip, but the burgundy can’t. I think the latter is a pass and the former is a keep until I find a better quality item. I like both of these, and they are stretchy and confortable, but they fact that they’re both coming apart after light wear suggests an upgrade is needed. PASS (eventually)

5-6 Loft and Boden tweed skirts - I think these must have sat lower down on me before. I can’t understand why I kept them otherwise. I do remember the blue one working when I got it. However, short and wide appears to be a terrible skirt look on me. PASS, for the love of all that’s good.

7-8 Boden skirts that work better. 8 is a dream. KEEP

ETA Did some pictures for the dress audit but going to hold off and redo the pics of the ones I’m unsure about with either my husband’s help or a new mirror.

ETA: Results are that I'm going to outfit lab #1; hold on to #3 for now and decide whether to fix the zipper or find a replacement; toss #4, 5, 6; keep #7, 8

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Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from Christina F.

Christina F.

Veteran

I think my photo angles on some of these skirts aren't great. I'm willing to try a few of them again and have my husband take photos, if that would help.

Anonymous

I like all the pencil skirts. The black one is fab. It’s like you’re creating a sheath dress with the black tshirt.

Gorgeous.

The above the knee skirts are not looking quite right on you. (I love love above the knee on me, and I wonder if it has something to do with me being long waisted with short legs. You have long legs short waist.)

I think the shape of 1 is quite nice on you but it seems the fabric is quite heavy, judging by the pleats. I want to iron them flat! I wonder if this is contributing to a feeling of it being just slightly overwhelming on you. I wonder if a lighter cotton would work better in this shape.

Christina F.

Veteran

smittie, thank you for your insights! You are right about the legs waist proportion. I feel like there was a time when these shorter styles worked on me, but I may have been less critical back then! I think #7 is the best of the above the knee skirts, but the photo angle here doesn't really show that it looks better than 5 & 6. I think it's even better when I put on tights and tall boots. 5 & 6 are definite goners, though.

#1 does need to be pressed. That's no problem. I do have similar skirts for spring/summer in lighter fabrics that probably do work better. I was probably hoping for a colder weather version....

The black skirt is such a staple that I want a better quality one, but I can hold on to this one until I can make that happen. (That top in the picture is actually navy; my bathroom lighting is unfortunate.) I also have this AT skirt in the find, which I can treat like a solid to some degree.

Velvet Dot Pencil Skirt

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Anonymous

For me, #5 is the only one I think might not be working. The other two shorter ones, I think with tights and the right tops, would be cute. The pencil skirts and number one with your top tucked are all great to me.

Sal

Veteran

I didn't comment on your jackets post as they all looked pretty good to me and you seemed to be on track..

Here are my thoughts on the skirts:

3 and 8 are definite keepers - really great on you!!

4 5 6 to my mind could be passed on - 4 looks a little poorly constructed and 3 is better.

7 I think has potential - maybe with tall boots or leggings? Or chunky moto style boots? I think it is a bit harder to style than 8 which is a really good shape and fit.

I also like 1 - but can see that styling it is a challenge. I have a similar shape to you in many ways - short waisted with hips:) A few years back stylists always showed these skirts with belts and that was a very hard look for me to pull off!! I also love full skirts but find I need to wear a top that sits just over the waistband, and the right shoes (either low contrast flats or a chunkier heel) I would be tempted to keep and play around a bit. The stiffness of the fabric does make it a challenge but I think the general idea is great.

Further to La Ped's comments - I think shorter skirts are harder to wear for long legged, short waisted people - I can wear a shorter dress, but in a skirt I feel the proportions are hard to get right...

Christina F.

Veteran

jlpp - agree on Number 5. It's already in the pile to be passed on. Number 6 has some of the same problems but is a better skirt, period. it's also slightly less short. I'd like to salvage it if I can, and I do think it looks better with tights and boots and so on, and maybe a longer top.

Sal, number 8 is my favorite. I meant to wear it out recently, but the weather got a bit warm and prevented me from doing so. It's on my mental list of things to wear soon, so it hardly even belongs in the assessment, except maybe as a comparison. I used to wear pencil skirts all the time, often with patterns, but I gained weight and had to pass on so many of my favorites that it got sad. This one was purchased more recently.

Number 3 would be great too, if the zipper were fixed. Fixing it is a possibility, but I haven't worn this in a year and am displeased that it mysteriously got damaged. Number 4 is more poorly constructed, and I don't mind passing it on.

Number 7 works well when I style it right, which I have not done here. Since I haven't worn it in a while, I was mostly checking to see that it passed the test of my newly critical eye, and it does, since I can picture it how I'd normally style it.

I also got the sense previously that I'd need to find crop tops to wear with full skirts, but I have trouble finding them for some reason. Most of my tops go down to to my belly button or well below, even in a petite size. However, the band on # 1 is right under my bra, a little higher even than my naturally high waist. I will definitely be looking for ways to make this skirt work, as I do love it. I just wish it sat on my natural waist.

You're right - I can wear a shorter dress, no problem! Isn't that funny? Some short shirts are okay, but apparently not if the hem is wide!

Anonymous

Christina, now I am in the spare room giving the side eye to my skirts!
Whenever I have one on the shorter side (I am long legged, short waisted, big boobed and slightly short neck) I go for tights and high boots, too!
Or once in a while, tights and a heeled bootie.

Christina F.

Veteran

jlpp, I think that’s okay for winter skirts! I probably wouldn’t wear them any other way. But it does argue that maybe someone with a winter climate should make sure they don’t have too many winter skirts. I also already put into holding another Boden wool skirt. It was short, a line, and a lovely aqua color. In that case, I think I put into holding because it was simply too tight. I think a skirt like that could work with flats and tights, but the proportions would be tricky and might vary from person to person.

Anonymous

Agreed. I tend to go midi or maxi in spring/summer. I don’t like my legs totally bare. I got my first spider vein at 18!
Now that I am 44, quite a few more joined the party. So really I only do above knee skirts in winter. ;p
It’s back in the high 70s and low 80s here, so I guess I’ll start packing up the winter items. Your thread has prompted me to pull out another donation bag, so thanks!

LaPed

Veteran

I always had stitching issues pencil skirts. I'd always assumed it was because I'd bought them secondhand, but maybe that's not the case, judging by your experience. I LOVE skirt #8 on you -- colour, fit, everything. Can see why you're keeping. The plaid, #7, is cute too. Agree that the shorter ones are not your best look. I love #1 -- cannot resist stripes -- and I think what you need for it is a welted pullover. Remember when Angie did that post on micro-pleat skirts? I think you could apply the same principal to this skirt -- tame the volume, so to speak. Those pleats look high-maintenance, but if you're at peace with that, I'd keep playing around with it.

cindysmith

Veteran

I agree that the first one isn't great on you. I don't know if it's the mirror, the pleats, or the stripes; but something about it is off.

Love the pencil skirts; and that last one is fab (the color, the print, the fit) and I agree it's a keeper.

5, 6, and 7 seem like the proportions are off? Or maybe I'm reading "Catholic schoolgirl" in the patterns, and am automatically closing my mind to them? Im not sure which it is, so ignore me on thise if you like

Christina F.

Veteran

Cindy, I used to be a Catholic schoolgirl,
but my skirts were less fun. Plain grey or maroon and white. Blah. I was going through a preppier phase when I got many of these.

7 does look better IRL, in terms of proportions. I think the trick will be to dress it up with some kind of hard edge or unexpected twist. However, sometimes I do like a more preppy look. So I think I’m most inclined to keep this one of the three. At the same time, I recognize it’s not a piece I need to try to duplicate more. One tweedy mini skirt is probably enough for my look and lifestyle.

Dianna

Veteran

Well, I might be in the minority here, but I really like number 1 on you. It might not be a skirt you would wear very often, but it would be a fun way to add some variation. I love number 8 on you, and I understand why it is your favorite. I also like 3 and 7. Numbers 4,5, and 6 are my least favorites.

Christina F.

Veteran

Dianna I’m going to keep # 1, have it pressed and try some outfits. I got some ideas here before on how to wear a similar skirt and I’ll apply those. Generally, though, I’ve learned that this kind of skirt will be better to style if it’s less poofy, and that I want it to sit on my waist, not above it. The sizing is just tricky because I’m so curvy in that area.

La Ped has good idea about welted tops, too - thank you!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have some similar proportion issues to you and jlpp (short torso, long legs, hips), and I have to admit that, like cindysmith, I'm not loving what those short skirts are doing to you. I love the longer pencil skirts on you! They are my preferred silhouette as well. My rule of thumb back when I did wear shorter skirts is that they should never look wider than long -- that's the kiss of death for flattery and sophistication -- and that's what seems to be happening with the untucked top and the short skirt photos here. The plaids are nice, but combined with the shortness of those styles, I am getting a bit of a schoolgirl vibe from them that doesn't seem to be in line with your current style.

We need to get you a new mirror.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

Wow, Janet, you really put your finger on #5-6! Also, the fabric on both looks polyester-y, adding to the schoolgirl vibe. I keep thinking Britney Spears 1990s, which doesn’t seem like your vibe.

#7-8 have very nice details, and material looks nicer.

I’m on the fence about #1. It looks a bit overwhelming on your frame - the style, the pattern, and the weight of the fabric - but that might be because of the mirror. Can you have your husband snap some photos?

#3 looks great. #4 looks like it is one wash away from the hem doing something weird and ripply, or a side seam bagging out.

Christina F.

Veteran

Tucking is a big issue for me,
Janet (see #1). Almost the only time it ever looks okay on me is with pencil skirts, if they’re are not high waisted. That limits my skirt options in ways that have frustrated me in the past, hence the duplications of a style that generally doesn’t work. Ilthink I can make #7 work with my combat boots - nostalgic look for me, I guess. That skirt only works with tights. I do crave the occasional tweedy, classic piece as long as the colors go with my current items (learned that in the jacket thread). That craving has been less since I’ve been posting here, but it’s not dead. I’ll just no longer hold on to multiples of that kind of item.

Ugh, the mirror. The last thing I want to do after work is trek to the hardware store (10 min walk) and then trek back with the mirror. Then my weekend was too busy with more pressing stuff. I want to buy from my local people though, instead of ordering, because I know they have it. Even when I do get it, the conditions are still far from ideal. the bathroom door, under some robes that I have to move each time, is literally the only place I can keep it. :p

We will upgrade to a bigger place, but not for 4 years or so. I can’t wait.

La Belle, the blue mini is actually Boden and is comparable IRL to the Boden kilt and pencil in #7 and #8, but the thing would need to be pressed. The black tweed mini is not great and #4 is bagging out because The zipper is broken. It’s obviously a goner. Everything suffers a bit from being hurled into bags for the winter. (Another insoluble space problem I have, long story.) Fortunately my goal with these skirts is to purge and not replace.

#1 needs an outfit creation session and my husband to snap pics, yes. Maybe this weekend.

You all help me think through this stuff so much, especially since I think as I write. THANK YOU!

The Cat

Veteran

My favourite on you is #3--great shape and length.

Christina F.

Veteran

FYI this is what the skirt in #1 looked like in stock photos. WHich makes me think, yeah, maybe I'm a bit short and short waisted enough for the puffy midi look.... too late to go back and try a petite size, of course.

Anonymous

Janet! Wise words on width/length.
It pans out better that way, for sure on me! Admittedly though, I do wear some less flattering things on occasion for variety.

Vix

Veteran

Hi Christina --

Great advice upthread.

So here's my Q -- you say you already set aside the skirts that you love and think look great. I know when I'm debating what to keep or donate, it helps to see the "maybe" item right along with the the "love" item.

Of the skirts you're showing, I can pick favs (agree longer pencils are a great silhouette on you and #8 seems very spring/summer-y!). But if I'm seeing them next to your GREAT skirts then I might be...yeah, it's ok but you don't need it and the others are better.

Does that make sense?

Christina F.

Veteran

Vix, it's a great idea, but most of my "great" skirts are in winter storage, by necessity. I probably have a handful that aren't, so maybe I can add pictures once I fix the mirror situation. #8 is actually a bit tweedy, which is why I don't wear it in summer, but it works in the spring, too.