More questions about the VC midi tube skirt - YouLookFab Forum

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More questions about the VC midi tube skirt

Gigi

Veteran

OK, nancywalters' thread on her appointment with a personal stylist at Nordie's featured the ubiquitous VC midi tube skirt. I have been thinking about trying this skirt and got a lot of info from Peri's thread. However, I have some additional questions that weren't talked about in the other thread.

I like to wear maxi skirts for winter (I can layer to my heart's content underneath), and sometimes longer midis work OK as long as I pair them with knee-high boots. Are there any fabbers in colder climates that can tell me whether it would work to wear one of the VC skirts with a couple of pairs of leggings underneath, and then a pair of warm knee-high boots? Or is the skirt fabric really too thin for that? I'm also wondering whether the length might be a tad too short to get it to cover the top of the boot shaft well enough to keep the cold out. Nordie's lists the length of the skirt on their website, but I'm not sure where the top of the skirt sits (on the natural waist?).

So, in sum:

. Is the fabric too thin to wear in winter, even with two pairs of thick leggings beneath?

. Will the length ultimately be a tad too short to wear well with knee-high boots? (I don't want a gap between the bottom of the skirt and the top of the boot.)

. Does the waistband of the skirt sit on the natural waist?

Many thanks! And apologies for talking about winter clothing already...argh.

Dressing

23 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

Diana

Veteran

I personally never wear mine in winter because I find the material sticks too much to tights, even with a slip. I've never tried with leggings though.

Gigi

Veteran

Diana, does the waistband of your skirt hit at your natural waist?

I know also that you bought the regular instead of the petite because the length was longer (at least that's what I remember). Do you think that if you had stuck with the shorter length, getting the hem of the skirt to cover knee-high boots would be a problem?

DonnaF

Veteran

FWIW, I agree with Diana about the stickiness factor. Nylon stockings might have more slip. I wear the waistband on my waist or slightly lower. It is elasticized so I suppose it is a matter of taste. I had to have the waist on mine taken in, but I still had her keep it a tad loose. The striped skirts are two layers of knitted fabric, so IMHO, I would say it reads as S/S or fall weight; same thing for the non-striped tube skirts which are a different fabrication.

Adelfa

Veteran

The regular is way long enough to cover boots. Don't know about the petite. If you have layers underneath the waist might ride up. I think Suz figured out how to wear them in cooler weather but I forget the details.

Diana

Veteran

Yes, the waistband hits at my natural waist. I do have a very defined waist and a high, flared hip though so almost all fitted skirts hit at my waist. On that note, I am technically petite at 5'3.5" but I have a very long leg line for my height and a high waist. So the petite prob wouldn't cover my boots but on a more standard proportioned petite I bet it would be fine.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Gigi, I pretty much confine my VC skirts to summer. The first year I had them, I couldn't find tights that didn't stick. The second year -- maybe because of having washed the skirts a bunch of times, or maybe tight fabrication? -- I was able to wear them a few times in autumn specifically with HUE tights -- but not on super cold days, and I didn't try them with boots (only booties).

Overall, though, the fabric feels too thin for my winter temperatures (in eastern Ontario) and it's just not a good option. I ended up putting them in my "off-season" closet in October, pulling one of them out only once for a YLF Picture Perfect Challenge. (Which means I didn't really even wear it out of the house that day -- just wore for a work-at-home look in November.)

I worried that I would not get enough wear from them as spring/ summer/ early fall options only, but that has not proved to be the case -- I wear one a couple of times a week for months (rotating them at my pleasure, to go with specific outfits.)

The waist sits at my natural waist. I'm a slim hourglass/ rectangle. The waist is on the large side on me (gaps a bit) in the XS regular.

Which brings me to my other concern -- these are sized very generously. You might be sized right out of them. I am sized out of the VC tops I've tried. In your size range, I might try Topshop instead for a similar type of item. Or Ask Angie about tube skirt sizing -- she'll have seen options on clients of various sizes.

Gigi

Veteran

Thanks, everyone!

Suz, I live in Minnesota, so I have a similar type of winter climate. Not as bad as yours, but similar. So I think based on what you have said that maybe the VC tube skirt won't work for my winters either.

I am an hourglass/rectangle hybrid too, so I am also concerned about the waist. I did try on a skater skirt by VC several months ago and found it to be way too big in the waist even in the smallest size. It may be that the petite XS tube skirt has a bit smaller waist, so the fit issue *might* be solved by getting the petite, but then I also have to deal with a shorter skirt. Like Diana, I have proportionally longer legs, so I'm not sure this would work like I want. But given the fabrication, it sounds like I should just wait for something a little heavier.

Regarding VC tops, I have had luck with the petite line. The SAs in Nordstrom petites' told me that VC tops run small, as do Kenneth Cole. Maybe the misses' is different. Anyway, if you're really pining after a VC top, maybe you could try the petite size and see if that helps at all.

Thanks again!

Mellllls

Veteran

I've only tried out on in stores but I can't imagine layering that much underneath.

Anonymous

Gigi, I've worn mine with thick fleece-lined tights (not leggings, though) and knee-high boots on pretty cold days, and I think it works. But the fabrication on mine is different enough from some of the others (it's a little less jersey-like and has a slight sheen) that I don't have the clinginess problem others have mentioned. Also, it's the black/gray lace one from last year, which has a bit more of a fall/winter feel to begin with than some of the rest. Finally, my winters are definitely warmer than Minnesota winters, so that's another grain of salt.

In terms of length, I have it in petite and there's definitely a gap when I wear it with tall boots. But I wonder if it might be longer on you, since my hips and rear are known to eat up extra length in skirts. And I think it hits at the natural waist.

Gigi

Veteran

Hmm, Aubergine...I checked the Nordstrom site, and it says that the black lace print is polyester, while the plain black (the only one available in petite right now) is rayon. I don't use fabric softener, so the polyester would probably create enough static to electrocute someone! Ha ha. I think I'm going to hold off on this skirt for now. Thanks for the input!

jackiec

Veteran

Hi Gigi, chiming in to say that my VC tube skirt would be wearable in the winter. I picked one up on a recent trip to Nordstroms in Vegas, and didn't realize until I got home that it appears I have a different one. In fact, a friend loved mine so much that she ordered one online from The Bay here in Canada. When hers arrived, it seemed different, but it is actually the same as what most ladies here on YLF have (ie unfinished hem, thinner fabric - more of a summer/spring weight). Mine has a proper finished hem, and the fabric is much more substantial. It even has a little inset running down the length on either side. So, as much as I love it, and loved it as soon as I tried it on, I still don't have the elusive tube skirt that most people have around here! The funny part is that I saw the striped one on the floor, but no others. I asked the SA and she searched around and found the black one she gave me to try on. It was love at first sight. So, my point is that there seems to be more than one fabrication out there.

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pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

jackiec, I wonder if you have the ponte pencil skirt? http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/vi.....te/3520657

Gigi

Veteran

Jackie, you look great in that skirt! Is it the one pastrygirl linked to? I normally stay away from anything with nylon because it tends to pill. Has your skirt pilled?

jackiec

Veteran

Aha! Pastrygirl - I think you are right, I must have the ponte pencil skirt! It certainly seems like it!

Gigi, no piling yet, but I've only worn it a couple of times. I will keep my eyes out for that. I haven't washed it yet either - I'm assuming it's handwash & hang to dry. We'll see how it goes.

Melaine

(website)

Oh wow. Well, I missed the original thread (coming back from YLF hibernation) and I am glad you brought it up. this seems like a must have!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Apparently I wore mine with tights and boots last winter I don't remember it causing any issues with cling... Probably the only reason I didn't wear it more was because we had a brutal winter and I was in pants almost all the time. None of my skirts/dresses saw their normal wear.

Oh, this is folded up a couple of inches at the waist. FYI.

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Gigi

Veteran

Jackie, thanks!

Melaine, yup, a lot of people on the forum have this skirt and love it.

Elizabeth, thanks for posting a pic! I think that maybe the skirt will be a little on the short side for me to wear with boots. I know that yours is folded up at the waist, but I would probably want to see at least another four inches to make sure my knees are safely covered and protected from the wind. But it's good to know that some people are able to wear at least some of the skirts in winter. I'll have to keep my eye out for the striped one that you have; maybe it is a different fabrication than the others, and maybe if I got the regular I could get the extra length I need (I'm short and so usually take petite).

Anonymous

I just ordered and received one today - and just finished trying it on not 5 minutes ago! I checked about 5 different sites looking for the bl/wh stripe, to no avail, but finally found the black tube on amazon.com of all places. I really don't like to support that site but I really wanted this skirt:) I ordered a small which is my usual size and was a little taken aback by the unfinished hem. It kind of cheapens the look to my eye. The fabric is a jersey knit (lined) and very drapy and fluid. It really isn't the quality I expected, but I'm going to keep it because it fits so nicely. I'm 5'5'' with longer legs, and I have plenty of length over my knee with this skirt . The waistband is loose, but it should be on a skirt like this to ensure it hangs off the body properly. It's a summer-early fall piece for me....far too lightweight and not substantial enough to look right with heavier footwear. And tights underneath? Forget it - would never work. Hope this helps? And thanks for the ponte option idea - I think I may consider that one for fall. Far better fabrication.

Gigi

Veteran

Lisap, thanks for the extra info! That's very helpful. I had heard mention of a raw hem on some of the skirts, and that is not my style either. But the fabrication being lightweight is the real dealbreaker for me.

I hope that you enjoy the skirt. I wonder if you could get a tailor to finish the hem if it bothers you too much? Or maybe the fabric won't hold a hem very well.

Anonymous

Gigi - I'm handy with a sewing machine and can do most things myself, but I took one look at the fabric and figured I'd be taking a risk with a conventional hem. Serging it might work, but again...might make for a wavy and bubbly finish. . This unfinished look might not bug me when I wear it - we'll see, but it's safe to say it's not a professional or high-end look, only for casual. I'm just glad I didn't pay more than I did, as it just doesn't look worth it. I'm still eager to see if the bl/wh striped one is like this.

Diana

Veteran

I personally would NOT finish the hem. The thing is that the reason why this skirt is so comfortable is because there's no hem. Hemming it would lessen its ability to stretch at the bottom, and it is very tapered and a longer length. Unless you're prepared to always only take little mincing ladylike steps...

Anyway, I think the unfinished hem is part of the look. Personally I like it. You either have to be OK with it or not, and know that this is a casual skirt in the end.

Angie has warned against the lace print version because the rolling shows the white underside of the fabric (which I have seen, and I agree with her, plus it's a different material that doesn't feel or drape as nicely). On the solids and some prints like the stripe, the underside is the same color so it's not an issue.

Gigi

Veteran

Aha, yes, designers usually do this kind of a thing for a reason! I would wear such a skirt casually, but I'm still a finished-hem person. Although I was trying to venture into cutoff denim shorts territory not long ago at Old Navy. Can't get more unfinished than a pair of distressed denim cutoffs!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It's not like a frayed hem. It's just a soft almost-roll. It doesn't bother me a bit -- but then, I only wear it casually. (Because my life is casual).

I DID hem two of these skirts, by the way. The first year they came out, the length was longer. (I know because I subsequently got the black and white one in the same size and it was perfect midi length on me from the start).

Anyway -- I took my cobalt skirt and navy one to a seamstress and she insisted on hemming. And it hasn't created a problem at all. I was worried that I would lose the taper -- but I didn't -- and I was also worried that I would not be able to walk -- but that's not true, either. SO hemming is possible.

Still, this is a summer weight skirt for my climate -- I agree, LisaP. I do wear it in early fall with booties but not in winter.