Help please! Skirt fit problem

krishnidoux

Can someone help me figure out what is wrong with a skirt that does this? (see pic) . The skirt is slim, pencil, perfect except...my tummy bulges out terribly. The waist isn't snug. So why does it do this? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

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13 years ago

Dressing

21 replies

Latest reply was from krishnidoux

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

It is the dreaded front zip. I find the stiffness that results from the bulk of the zip makes many skirts with heavier denim buckle below the zip creating a bump of fabric.

This isn't you - it is the style of skirt. No ideas on whether it can be fixed or not. Sorry.

13 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

How stretchy is the fabric? I think in skirts with a front zipper, less stretch (spandex) is better because they seem to do that on everyone. Not sure of technical explanation (need sewing mavens to chime in) but it isn't you - it's the skirt.

13 years ago

Meredith1953

Veteran

I agree that it is totally the skirt! Hope Amy and other talented seamstresses chime in and have a solution!

13 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

It looks like the circumference of the skirt is narrows at the point where the side pockets on the front are attached to the back of the skirt. Bad design? Poor workmanship when cutting and assembling the skirt?

This skirt has issues and needs serious therapy!

13 years ago

Diana

Veteran

I think this is a combination of the front zip making it stiff there, and the rise (not the same as the rise on pants, but more the distance between waist and hip) being too long, causing there to be excess fabric vertically that has to go somewhere so it forms a little pooch. The halogen seamed skirt does this on me. I've been meaning to try a petite since the rise should be shorter; maybe a petite size would fix your issue too. I think it's not an easy fix unless you're willing to raise the waist.

13 years ago

Amy

(website)

Veteran

What Diana said

13 years ago

Anonymous

I have one that does this a little and I just wear it with woven shirts--untucked. I feel your pain, though!

13 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

I agree with Diana, and find this a constant problem with denim skirts that have a front zipper.

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ugh. I have struggled with this in the past as well.

It is the design, it is not you.

I am also wondering if the solution might be to wear the darn things on the loose side. My two current thrifted denim skirts don't seem to do this (yet) but they are both very loose and don't really fit on my true waist. They sit more where an actual pair of jeans would sit.

13 years ago

krishnidoux

Veteran

Thank you all for your informed opinion. I now understand it is not a matter of eating less pizza. So on this note, I will return shortly after a second helping.

13 years ago

krishnidoux

Veteran

Dianthus, yes, the zipper does bulge. Thanks for reassuring me anyway!

Christieanne, that is a good point. I agree that stretch material eventually creates a pouch. But in this case, the skirt is new, and quite stiff actually. However I saw some stretch denim skirts at Smart Set that have no front zip for this reason. I think I'll give them a try.

Gaylene, I agree. The skirt does have serious issues! It does indeed narrow below the hip, pulling out too much fabric below.

Claire, thank you. I don't want to have to wear a skirt with tops untucked only! Especially that in my case, having a long torso and shorter legs, I want to tuck!

Suz, I think you're on to something. Although it's tricky because when the waist is too loose, then it really shows with denim.

Diana, I think you have the solution. The rise is too long, the skirt was made for a taller gal, point. Got it at Winners.

13 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

I have the NYDJ *Andy* style jeans skirt and never noticed the bump many have complained about here. It has quite a bit of stretch, and I really like it. I have it in a petite size and it is 20" long and 6.26" from waistband to the bottom of the zipper. Size down like you do in the Halogen pencil skirt as there is absolutely no way that I am a P0!!!

13 years ago

Kari

Veteran

Yep, it's totally the zip front and not you. That's why I have banished zip front skirts from my wardrobe. They add bulk where I least want it to be!

13 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I have learned something here! From now on, I will avoid these pizza pencil skirts.

13 years ago

lyn67

Veteran

I knew it comes from where Diana and Amy say, but couldn't ever believe that slimmer persons have the same problem...Lightbulb went on:
---OMG Girls, I thought I was The Only One (with such a big weird tummy that has always to stick out in front zipped skirts!!!:-((( :-((( Oh My God!! My God!!!
So happy, Krish, you posted this! Thnax a million!:-)

So back on thread., phew:-)
I used to fix this problem all the time by myself (as an autodidact sewer:-)) by making off the seams between the waistband and skirt on front, cutt of an excess elliptic kind of fabric (narrow on the hips, going gradually deeper to the zippers) and sew it back..
It's really not that hard like you would think! All you need is a sewing maschine and a good seam opener(I don't know how would you call that small utensil) but surelly have to be brave enough for the first time, so suggest trying on an old skirt first!
It happenned to me that my sewing machine was not hard enough to make through a thick denim skirt, but then I took it to a cobbler all done- pinned up and showed him where to make that one hard seam on the new waistline, so he did a great job!:-))

I also noticed that fortunatelly mostly current style skirts which tend to have shorter zippers are not doing such a big bulk! So I am now always checking that first, or try to have the zippers on side(or back), but I LOVE DENIM SKIRTS! (which almost always have zippers to front! Does anybody know why????)

13 years ago

fashionista

Veteran

The denim fabric if its hard tend to be the culprit here and yes the zipper may also be contributing to the crime here. Can you get a denim in soft stretchable fabric and also without front zippers. This should solve your problem.

13 years ago

krishnidoux

Veteran

@Donna, I will check out the brands you mentioned. In petite.

@Kari, maybe that's the ultimate solution! Although I still want to believe there is hope...

@Cocolion, too funny!

@Lyn, well I am so glad then. You are very resourceful to have found the correct alteration by yourself! Wow. It only proves that this problem is a skirt problem, not a body problem. Diana has it I think: the rise is too long. The solution might be to always look for petite skirts as opposed to full size, which may be sewn for longer and larger pelvis areas. When you are petite, it's not just that you are shorter, everything else is petite (that's what I'm suddenly being reminded of here). I love jeans skirts too.

@ Fashionista: yes, this skirt was bought at Winners. Its "Pashu by Parasuco". The skirt doesn't have a lot of stretch. It's sturdy dark denim, which was what attracted me to it at first. I didn't notice the bump when I tried it on. Only after wearing it the first time.

13 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I'm really glad you posted this Krishnidoux - because I was kind of wondering the same thing about a skirt that I have that's similar, which I bought last summer. I thought it was me.

You have a nice figure, and seeing that these types of skirts can do this on anyone is enlightening. I recently purchased a new denim skirt from Nordstrom - it's a bit dressier-looking, but I like it a lot better than my old five-pocket style with the zipper in front.

Here's the one I got:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ha.....sultback=0

Meanwhile, I hadn't thought of the fact that the rise on these types of skirts could be an issue, and not just the zipper in front. Very useful information here. I find that with the front zip skirts, if I get a slightly looser fit, then I don't get the bunching in front, but then I have another problem - and that's the skirt shifting around my waist. So no help, really.

Good luck finding a better denim pencil skirt for the summer. I find that during the months of July and August in particular, even denim shorts are too hot to wear, but denim skirts are ok. I switch to lighter-weight shorts in the hottest months of summer.

13 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think it's a public service we can all do each other to post pics of the clothing that really does not flatter us with questions, because this proves once and for all that EVERYBODY has fit issues and it also shows why fit is so important. A badly fitting garment looks bad on every body. No matter how great the person's shape may be!

13 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I returned two denim pencil skirts due to the same basic issue. I think I'm going to skip on this item for now and search for other skirt/dress options. I wanted a fun casual skirt like denim because I'm such a "jeans" kind of person but if it feels weird I'll never wear it.

13 years ago

krishnidoux

Veteran

Velvety, that is a really nice skirt!

I like a denim skirt in the summer, if it is nice and clean, because I can wear it in so many smart-casual occasions. I mean when the situation requires something just a bit more put together than a sundress or shorts, but is still casual overall. Then I can just pop a light jacket, change the shoes and voilà. But I can also dress it down to go to the park, be around the house... when I saw this particular skirt at Winners in March, I thought this would be a power horse for me this Spring. It turned out not. Difficult.

13 years ago

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