Mother's Day, Memorial Day weekend and some beautiful summer days have had me a bit preoccupied over the last few weeks. But now I'm back in action -- with a vengeance! Between some new street shots coming at the end of this week, a Stumble-og post in the works and some great new sketches to feast your eyes on, the future forecast for the site is looking pretty sweet. So please stay tuned in the upcoming days!
Now on to my latest love affair -- the maxi skirt. The sheer, billowy and feminine silhouettes created by the maxi is quite unique and absolutely lovely when you pull it off correctly. Alas, I know what you're thinking: "Sure, maxi skirts are pretty, but they only look good on certain people," "it's been overdone" or "it was a better idea in my head than trying it in reality." All of these are valid concerns, but I believe I've found a few great maxi skirt options that will work for just about anyone.
Recently I was on a journey to seek out maxi skirts to add to my personal summer wardrobe. I kept seeing the trend popping up all over and could not resist it any longer. My biggest obstacle was to overcome my height. I was worried it would be next to impossible to pull of any maxi skirt because I stand at a mere 5'1'' (maybe 5'2'' on a really good day). Nevertheless, I succeeded -- and you can too. The key is paying attention to the length, the hem, the fabric and fit of the skirt. On top of that it's figuring out what kind of skirt you want. There's the regular, non-pleated/non-gathered skirt. The asymmetrical hem version. A pleated maxi, or a gathered maxi. And a sheer or doubled skirt.
My advice is to try and find a few different styles that you can wear differently and see which look best on you. As a general rule of thumb I'd say that the non-pleated style looks best on tall and thin frames. Whereas the pleated and gathered styles will look good on just about everybody because they create a silhouette all their own. An asymmetrical hem is cute and flirty -- just be careful you don't buy one where the front of the skirt is disproportionately shorter than the back because you will either end up looking straight out of the 80's or like the Little Mermaid gone wrong. HINT: too much fabric in the back is not a great idea when it starts to look like a tail... And lastly, the sheer or see-through option. The only problematic part about trying out this style is that you have to have (or buy) another skirt, slip or miniskirt to wear underneath. Sometimes a short liner will be sewn in, but often times it won't be. You can always just wear it to the beach or pool over a swim suit as a classy cover up option or over a body suit/leotard -- this is especially cute as vacation/resort wear.
After you've chosen your skirt, you've got to figure out the footwear. But when it comes to shoes, just about anything summery will do. You can also use your shoes to dress up the look or dress it down. Pair your skirt with oxfords for a casual day look. A cute pair of sandals in matching shades or neon hues is a great way to let color peek out from underneath the skirt. If you find one that's a couple inches too long for you, just throw on a pair of killer wedges to balance it out and add some height! This is also a good thing to keep in mind while out shopping. If you find THE skirt but it's just a bit too long, your shoes can help create ways around that! Another tip -- don't let your skirt drag in front of or behind you. Not only does it make it hard to walk, but it can also fray the end of your skirt and dirty it from dragging it along the street. (Unless of course you don't mind hiking up the hem and carrying it up when you walk -- then go right ahead!)
I pulled a few of my favorite finds above. This should give you a good example of different styles, colors and patterns to choose from. The stores that I had the most luck in were Zara, ASOS, American Apparel and Bloomingdale's -- but feel free to look elsewhere! Check each style out for yourself and see what suits you best! I promise that a good maxi skirt (or two) will become a staple in your summer wardrobe this year. So don't fear all the fabric -- just have fun with it!
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