Classic dressing - Skirts

Hello my lovelies. 

Today’s post is all about skirts, then and now. 

I like to look at styles I wore back in the day, and see if I still wear them and whether they stand the rest of time. 

So let’s get going!

Rabat, 1975 - a black floral print gored skirt, part of a two piece.  

Here I wore a black gored print skirt, part of a two piece - the second piece being a kimono style jacket. 

I loved this set and back in the day I did so enjoy breaking down the two pieces to mix with other tops or bottoms in my wardrobe. 

The nearest I’ve got to find this amazing print in 50 years is this. 

And of course I bought it because it reminded  me of

my 1975 print.  

But it’s not a skirt, so let’s move on. 

This is the nearest I’ve got to my black floral skirt in recent years.  Black and ecru print. 

Algeria, 1975 - a navy polka dot skirt (part of a two piece). 

My most recent navy skirt purchase was this floral affair a few years ago. 

Barcelona, 1974 - a green sort of patchwork floral print skirt.

It was softly pleated at the waist and was in a fabric that hung well. And  🎶 It had pockets!

And here is a floral skirt, a charity shop purchase a few years ago, worn with a white t and denim jacket. 

And more formally with a pink cardi and pointy loafers. 

This skirt is also softly pleated at the waist.  The fabric is a more robust cotton so is more voluminous that the softer fabric skirt of yore, but still has its own charm too.

Paris, 1987 - a black leather skirt. 

I still have this skirt, and it still fits - well, if I can get away with the back zip remaining open! 

A much safer option is this shorter black leather skirt I bought about 20 years ago - the zip closes!

It’s such a versatile piece. 

This skirt has spawned so many looks in the last two decades. 

 It’s been a real bargain when measured by its cost per wear. 

A less punchy hide is suede, here a lilac version. 

And this beige suede skirt has been another CPW success. 

So what sense can I make from these comparisons?

- Well, skirts are a versatile bottom to have in your wardrobe, that’s for sure.  

- An A-line skirt seems to stand the rest of time. 

- A black leather skirt never dates and can be worn for well over forty years - provided you don’t put on an ounce of weight around the waist!

- All of the vintage skirts shown could still be worn today (by a slimmer version of now-me), and not look dated.

From this little exercise I can see that buying a good quality skirt (A line or softly pleated or gored), at just below knee length, is a good sustainable investment.

And a hide skirt is an amazing CPW buy, for durability and longevity.  But I would recommend leather rather than suede as leather seems to improve with age and somehow seems more versatile, for it looks fabulous dressed down or up. 

Those are my thoughts on skirts.

What are yours?

A la perchoine,

Mary xxx.