friends
trends are more gure-friendly than you think!
FLARING SKIRTS
There’s a defi nite movement to skirts this
summer, which makes perfect sense. The fl ared
skirt may fl oat in and out of the fashion ’news’
from year to year (it’s big news again this season,
by the way) but it’s always one to consider, as
it’s so easy to wear and so fl attering to lots of
different fi gure types, as long as you keep a few
general points in mind.Angular, straight fi gures can make the most
of the season’s trend for pleats, otherwise go
for sleek smoothness around the waist, hip and
thigh area, swinging out to fl are below the knee,
just as in the main image at right. Lengths go
from what used to be called ‘tea-length’ (around
mid-calf) to the more fl attering just-above-the-
ankle length shown in the main image, all the
way down to the ankle (see a terrifi c version for
fuller fi gures on page 51).Ever notice that a new (or returning) fashion
idea usually starts off as quite extreme, before
settling into a subtler, softer and more wearable
interpretation? Case in point: those dippy ‘Hi-
lo’ (high-low) skirt hems that have been around
for the past couple of years. When they fi rst
returned, those hemlines were crazy mullets,
going from way-too-mini in front to almost
maxi in the back! But that design twist has
now evolved into the merest, most delicate
dip that ever-so-subtly curves to the back. It’s
a particularly fl attering trick for petites (the
Burda Petites style in the upper right inset is a
perfect example of what we mean. It gracefully
fl ares out without any exaggeration, while that
dipping hem visually adds length to your own
frame). Regardless of what style you sew, always
pair that fl are with something fi tted on top.Main image: Burda Style 6903
skirt, Euro sizes: 34 – 50.
Insets (top to bottom): Burda
Style Miss Petite 6955 skirt,
Euro sizes: 16 – 22.
Kwik•Sew K4061 skirt,
sizes: XS – XL.