Ladies: the skirt length situation

Parent Cafe
1

<p>Eough of this intellectual stuff! I need advice. Are longer skirts just totally out in major metro areas this year? Going to a 4:30 wedding followed by cocktails and dinner at a very lovely place. On my rare forays to upscale restaurants round these parts, there is nary a mid-calf skirt to be found, even in the evenings. The stores are selling only knee-length skirts. Alas, being tall, these tend to reach slightly above my knee. I look ridiculous. Will I look foolish in a longer skirt at this afternoon/evening event? </p>

<p>I have asked several nonvirtual friends, who throw up their hands and suggest a pantsuit. I don’t like that idea. I was thinking of having one of my longer skirts shortened slightly but I hate to butcher it. </p>

<p>Will be away till tomorrow so will check for replies then.</p>

2

<p>Don’t worry about fashion and wear what looks good. The only people who care about skirt length are fashionistas and New Yorkers.</p>

3

<p>Your long skirt is PERFECT!! - not out of style at all - especially as the occassion is late in the day/into the evening. Fashion is what YOU want it to be - look wonderful and enjoy the occassion!! :)</p>

4

<p>I too feel more comfortable in a longer skirt (the legs aren’t what they used to be!) Even though the newest trend may be shorter, really, it seems to me that finally we are at the place where many different styles are still “in style.” I doubt anyone would look at you and say “she’s nice, but her skirt is way too long.” :)</p>

5

<p>According to this week’s New York Times, longer skirts are actually the height of fashion: <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/21/fashion/thursdaystyles/21volume.html?[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/21/fashion/thursdaystyles/21volume.html?&lt;/a&gt;. My favorite quote: “I’m tired of all those tight little skirts and pants I have to keep pulling up to get them to cover my rear.” :)</p>

6

<p>“The young woman walking through the SF airport was a classic CA blonde–legs ip to her ear lobes, a skirt the size of a headband with the letters S-T-A-N-F-O-R-D dancing across the buttocks”</p>

<p>from tomorrow’s NYT special section on Education, “Surviving the College Tour” Never mind the legs. If I wore something like that, my Ss would disown me. I ALWAYS wear either trousers or long skirts. </p>

<p>By the way, the article has some other gems that do not have to do with skirt lengths. “Children pick up on the intangibles. A friend’s daughter chose her college after looking at the shoes students wore.”</p>

7

<p>I would also love to know where on Earth to buy a normal, fairly conservative, long skirt. I was recently shopping for a job interview and was really really frustrated. The only long skirts available are sort of hippie-ish, summery skirts that seem too alternative. Women’s business suits these days all have skirts that are just too short! Also, I have a long torso. I’m not a teenager anymore and I would love to be able to find shirts that don’t go up and show my stomach whenever I move a little bit or raise my arms.</p>

8

<p>I thought the Talbots catalog was the suburban working mother’s friend?</p>

9

<p>I am so happy that in the store, there are longer skirts for teen girls yeah!!! My D actually had to have a skirt made for her school 8th grade luncheon because there was nothing above the knee but below belt line…</p>

10

<p>Longer skirts: Chicos and Talbots depending on how tailored you want to be.</p>

11

<p>I prefer pantsuits. BUT, my opinion on skirts is that long ones just look better and classier.</p>

12

<p>How about a compromise with a skirt with a handerchief hemline?
D just wore one to a wedding (it was a dress actually) ,was a 5:00 ceremony with party following.
Looks very nice on a taller woman (or shorter,D is only 5 ft!) very flattering on the leg too.</p>

13

<p>I am furious with the choices (and SIZES) of clothing available in stores. These online stores have some better choices, including long skirts, for mature but stylish women:
Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, Coldwater Creek, LL Bean.</p>

14

<p>Bookiemom, I couldn’t agree more, I have this problem all the time - have some difficulty finding business suits that I like, and that fit nicely, in stores - even in the better stores. It doesn’t help that I wear a small size - there’s lots of stuff in mid-size ranges but often no selection in my size. For business, I like skirts that are knee length or longer, and overall like to dress as conservatively as possible. </p>

<p>Best solution is to go to better quality, upscale consignment shops. I buy nearly all of my business suits this way. It does take some looking - in any given city, about eight out of 10 consignment stores will not have anything at all worth considering - but two will be terrific. I’ve found beautiful Armani suits for just a few hundred dollars, other name brands that are terrific, and in some cases excellent quality suits that still have the price tags. It’s easy too find fours, sixes, etc., and the better quality suits seem to be cut better. No one would would ever imagine that I buy a lot of my business clothing used. </p>

<p>It does take some due diligence though - recommend looking at the clothing very closely; check all buttons, seams, hooks; check on the fabric to make sure there aren’t any disguised snags or marks, and, when trying on, check very carefully from all angles to make sure there isn’t something weird about the pieces. Then of course dry clean the clothing immediately once it’s purchased. The goal is to find suits that look brand new and fantastic, but for several hundreds of dollars less than what they might cost new, but most of all to find skirts of the length and style I prefer. </p>

<p>I’d try consignment stores for formal wear too - often they have items that have been worn only once. </p>

<p>I do find the concept of buying used shoes somewhat distasteful, but if I’m in such a store I always look - twice I’ve found beautiful imported leather shoes that would cost hundreds of dollars new per pair, but that someone must have purchased, and perhaps they didn’t fit etc. or they didn’t like them so they went to consignment - it’s obvious from the soles that they were never worn outdoors, if at all. </p>

<p>Otherwise, if I’m buying new, Ralph Lauren is my favorite place for long skirts, or mid-calf length, followed by Talbots, then Ann Taylor. I’d guess that 60% of my business warddrobe is Ralph Lauren.</p>

15

<p>Unless my memory fails me, the J Crew catalogue offers dresses for formal occasions in both short and long-hemmed options. The same simply tailored dress in several color options in both a short and long length.</p>

16

<p>Ann Taylor and, for the younger look, B. Moss. I just bought a lovely calf-length skirt there a few weeks ago, and they sometimes have great ankle-length ones.</p>

17

<p>What would Condoleeza suggest?</p>

<p>I believe she is the new standard bearer for fashion. I have a whole new view of her since I read that she is a shoe junkie along the likes of Carrie.</p>

18

<p>hehe when i saw cheers comment it made me think of “wwjd” haha</p>

19

<p>I work for one of the brands mentioned here and although I’m not personally involved in determining skirt lengths I can say with authority –Wear what looks best on YOU. </p>

<p>The brand names and retailers that court that oh-so-lucrative customer, the Boomer, know well that although she comes in all sizes, she’s most likely to be a size 12 and up. The fastest growing (pun intended every time) segment of the American market is large sizes, followed by Petite large sizes. Yes, big people can be short! At the same time she (the 45-60 year old woman) emphatically does NOT want to dress like her mother, or for that matter like her 17 year old daughter. Elegant, classic and age appropriate does not have to equate to dumb and stodgy. Stylish and forward does not have to mean miniscule skirts and navel baring pants.</p>

<p>The people designing for the Boomer brands know well that what looks great on a size 6P needs some modification when it gets into the double digits. Longer skirt lengths, sleeves, elastic waists, softer fabrics can all contribute to comfort without sacrificing style.</p>

<p>If a woman is confident and comfortable, the clothes will complement her personal style. If she’s ill at ease and restricted (tugging at her short skirt, hugging her bare arms, overflowing her jeans) the clothes will “wear her” the dead-give-away of the fashion victim.</p>

<p>So Apparent5, go for the longer skirt and feel confident and elegant. Fashion is all about how you feel in the clothes.</p>

20

<p>A look I have discovered is short skirt, long coat…I have a black coat that is a great shape, very flattering and I can wear it with a short (not too short, but a couple inches above the knee) I feel hip, but not frumpy. I am not walking around in a mini, but I still feel chic. I get lots of compliments on my “uniform”…Whats nice about it is that when you are sitting a little leg shows, but not too much. And when you are standing, you have a bit of camoflouge…I got the coat from Newport News…I bought two different colors…I LOVE THEM</p>