from Harper's Bazaar:
The How-to-Wear-It Guide to Spring Trends
By Jenny Rubinfeld Levine
HOW TO WEAR Full Skirts
Tiers, ruffles, poufs, pleats-volume is what makes spring's skirts so special. But beware: It also makes them a trick to wear.
We can breathe easy this season, literally, as there is a freedom associated with the spring's major pieces. Teetering in four-inch pointy-toe heels is not a prerequisite, as flats are in; pants aren't cut only for the wafer-thin few (baggy styles are big); and best yet, we don't have to squeeze ourselves into curve-hugging pencil skirts to look pulled together. Full, voluminous skirts-from cascading tiers to bubble hems-are the silhouette du jour. The shapes are looser and airier, but not less chic and refined. Nearly every designer embraced this new relaxed attitude: Alber Elbaz at Lanvin layered tulle and lace for a sweet but sophisticated fluffy confection; Roberto Cavalli piled on multicolored overlays for sexy gypsy-luxe miniskirts; and Behnaz Sarafpour cut hers with sleek inverted pleats for a grown-up version of a schoolgirl skirt. The bottom line is there are plenty of skirts to choose from. But you have to wear them right. Yes, a fuller skirt may feel good when you wear it (comfortable and forgiving), but looking good at the same time (not adding pounds or looking sloppy) takes some consideration.
What to keep in mind when going for a full skirt:
Balance the silhouette. "Spring is renewed with a new volume. It's about wearing a jacket with a skirt with motion, be it billowy or pleated," says Donna Karan, who showed dressed-up styles of the pouf skirt on her spring runway. The jacket is the perfect complement to a voluminous skirt, as it streamlines the look. Consider something trim, nipped at the waist or cropped and boxy. "Pair it with something close to the figure to accentuate the lines and sexiness of the body," says Burberry's Christopher Bailey.
There is a style to suit every need. "It all depends on how you translate it," says Ikram Goldman, owner of Ikram in Chicago. "The style can be worn with a T-shirt or a superfitted men's shirt and tie, as Alexander McQueen showed. Alber Elbaz has the skirts with these incredible beaded tops and fitted jackets."
Don't lose your waist. A full skirt has the potential to make you look, well, fuller. Wear a belt (Roberto Cavalli), tie a bow around your waist (Alberta Ferretti and Behnaz Sarafpour) or tuck in your shirt (Lanvin).
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