NOW WITH PICS: Wow, short skirts on me look weird now! - YouLookFab Forum

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

NOW WITH PICS: Wow, short skirts on me look weird now!

catgirl

Veteran

Will post pics to demonstrate... I had on a skirt that was above knee length this morning, and it looked fine in the mirror. But when I took a picture, YIKES! It looked totally off to my eye. Luckily the rest of the outfit was neutral, so I was able to substitute an a-line below the knee skirt.

I used to wear short skirts ALL the time... I know I've posted about this before, but I'm going to post the pix when I get home so you can weigh in on whether it's really too short or just that my eyes have adjusted to the new lengths.

ETA: Neither of these outfits are fab, but the skirt situation is what I'm pondering!

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Dressing

40 replies

Latest reply was from

MsLuna

Veteran

Ok I can't wait to see! I'm pretty good with eyeing proportions so I can let you know

Sometimes the camera plays tricks on you though. I know I struggle with that all the time!

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Feel free to send me your sequin mini skirt!! I am not over mini's yet

rae

(website)

Veteran

You know the fix for that, right? Knee high boots that you can't help but show off and that fight with your longer skirts.

That's what I've found (and am wearing today), anyway.

Diana

Veteran

I like to wear my shorter skirts in the winter with boots and tights. For some reason in the summer they feel too naked for me but they are fine with more coverage down below. I do like my shorter skirts to be a bit more voluminous too.

catgirl

Veteran

I did have opaque fleece tights and boots on, but even then too short! At least for work...

Queen Mum

Veteran

It has amazed me at how quickly my eye adjusted to longer skirt lengths. Shorter doesn't necessarily look wrong, but knee length looks so much fresher and more sophisticated to me now.
And I did note at a recent Mock Trial competition that I couldn't help but notice skirt lengths on the girls. The girls in knee length skirts looked so much more professional and pulled together. There was one girl in a short bandage skirt (not obscenely short, but a few inches above the knee)... she looked like she belonged at a night club as opposed to a court room.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I said that about 4 months ago too :).

And what Kim, said.

Mochi

Veteran

That's some food for thought. For me, I wouldn't go wearing an above-the-knee skirt at the moment, but if my legs slimmed down, I would. I never considered whether it's professional-looking (I also don't work in a professional setting, anyway), "grown-up" or stylish.....I'll think about it when I start buying more skirts and need to have them hemmed...but I can't help thinking of a slightly higher hem as a youthful, flattering look, and a kind of reward for being fit and toned...and am not sure I would find a lower hem flattering on petite me. Will have to see!

rae

(website)

Veteran

At my new office, the girls my age all wear above the knee skirts, so I feel a little like an old fuddy duddy when they come around. Making more of an effort to go short. Straaange feeling, since I was this close to tossing my short skirts a few months ago.

Queen Mum

Veteran

This is the problem, Rae, with others not getting the memo on the latest trends.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Hee hee, I know what you mean -- once the eye adjusts, it's hard to go back!

I like above-knee skirts on myself personally, because I'm so damn short, and lots of days I want to wear a flat or a low heel because I'm a MOTG. With a flat shoe, I really need an above-knee skirt to not look stumpy. But I *do* feel much more sophisticated these days with a slightly-below-knee skirt paired with higher heels. (I don't have height to pull off the mid-calf ones!). Whenever there's a chance to get away with heels, I'll wear one of my longer skirts.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Rae - maybe you need to bring your co-workers over to YOUR side instead??!!

I hear what you're saying Una - my black midi pencil skirt is my fav skirt now and seems to be the shape and length I'm looking for. Don't you find it amazing how quickly our eyes adjust to a new style?

Mochi

Veteran

Now that I think about it, when I was living in Tokyo in the mid-80's, a lot of young women were pretty short (often shorter than me), and were sporting midis and even skirts that were practically maxis. And it was a really nice look. The skirts were very often black, cut slim and kind of boxy, and these were very, very slim women, so maybe that's why they could pull off the look.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Oh I am totally with you on that. I feel that way about mega high heels also.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Mochi, the gals in Tokyo pull of so.darned.much that would make me look like a brick! It was at once wonderful and terrifying shopping for a souvenir for myself when hubs brought me there for a grad. gift. Also, yes, in every store I visited, I needed the largest size on offer - this was 6 years ago, when I wore an American 0 in jeans.

But back to the skirts! I like this new development of having a variety of skirt lengths to choose from. Midi, knee-length, and mini to wear with pants. Why choose?

HelenInCanada

Veteran

I can switch back and forth without a second thought - it depends on my mood and circumstance. I sometimes wear an above-the-knee black sweater dress I love with tights and feel great in it, and receive compliments. It doesn't feel 'weird' or frumpy to me at all. Traipsing around this past summer/fall in a shorter-length white cotton skirt with buttons up the front felt fun, stylish, and appropriate to me, but when I wanted to look more "dressy' for dinners out, I DID switch to my below-knee slim skirts. Instinctively, longer equals more sophisticated to me, but not exclusively attractive or stylish. (I guess I am a chameleon in that sense!) Certainly, halfway up the hoo-hah is neither, nor is ripped-and-shredded-short. I like to look somewhat elegant and smart. Quality is key.

catgirl

Veteran

Pictures added, and commentary/debate welcome!

taylor

Veteran

I like them both equally, there is room in the wardrobe for above and below knee.
I like shorter skirts with tights, longer skirts in warm weather bare legged....not sure why that is.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Hm, I think I actually prefer the shorter skirt with the long, loose top - although both are really nice outfits and show off your cool skirt patterns to great effect. I guess maybe I am becoming "old fashioned" in that I like a high waist with a midi, since I have been seeing more untucked tops with midis as time goes on.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I like the short skirt on you. You have great legs. As for the midi skirt, if you had a fitted, shorter top emphasizing the waist, it would work better I think. With short skirts, it's about the legs. So you can go bigger on top. (A fitted top with a mini would be too sexy.) With a midi, the focus is on the waist.

But you know all of this I am sure.

Both are cute skirts. I agree with Rae, it's really nice to have skirt choices.

(For the 3x a year I actually wear one.)

Diana

Veteran

I agree with Rae - I actually like this particular top more with the shorter skirt. You have nice legs! It may have to do with the style of skirt too though.. the mini is a straighter style that works better with the looser top, while the midi is a more flared shape that I think would benefit from a high waist line or some belting.

Scarlet

Veteran

I don't know. Those legs deserve to be seen, at least sometimes. Just saying.

Fruitful

Veteran

Una, I really love both looks on you.

I recently had the reverse epiphany. After 18 months of mostly wearing midis and below-knee skirts, because that's what I'd been finding in the shops, I thrifted an above the knee skirt (in fairness it was also a different,flared silhouette). Looking at photos I was shocked at how naturally this skirt seemed to fit and flatter my shape, and how midis in comparison looked like effort, and like somebody else. Meaning they could look quite good, but only if I tweaked all the other things about my proportions like waist and bust and leg length.

At this point I'm with Helen. My revelation won't result in me tossing all my midis, but rather gives me a choice of hemlines for different moods and occasions.

And although I don't necessarily have to buck a trend, I certainly don't like the feeling of following one, so my hemline free-for-all pleases me.

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

Okay, take my reply with a grain of salt. I never wear skirts, ever, and my opinions might be way off. That being said...

I don't think either look is necessarily bad. But I do think skirt #1 looks very "young," kind of school-girly. Not sure if that's what you're going for or not? Skirt #2 is more sophisticated/grown up, and could definitely look fab given the right situation, but I'd like to see it with some pointy heels (the round-toed lace up shoes, combined with the mid-length, create a shorter leg line to my eye; however, it's hard to say how this translates in person vs in a photo).

I'd like to see you in a knee-length skirt to compare!!

MsLuna

Veteran

I honestly think you look amazing in the shorter skirt. It balances your petite features out!

christieanne

Veteran

Look #2 would look great with a slightly more fitted top - or maybe with that sweater belted? I have always had a fondness for a plaid skirt and a black top. Don't know why but I like your look there.

Look #1 - skirt doesn't look short at all. The boots look a bit chunky with the outfit (I could see the look with a flat riding boot or a sleeker kitten heel?) but otherwise you do have legs worth showing off

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I agree that the shorter skirt seems better with this particular top half -- maybe because it is more streamlined? I don't think it looks weird or juvenile, though.

Anonymous

I too prefer the first length ( the shorter one) . I feel the longer one has the promise of being sophisticated and cool, but needs a lot of attention to proportion. ( A shorter slouchy top, some sleek heeled boots/pump? I don't really know)

Queen Mum

Veteran

I like them both, but the first look is definitely more playful and the second more professional.

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