A plate of pleats, pretty please! I'm so glad one of you asked me to give my take on pleats, or rather, pleated skirts in particular. They're pretty much a staple this year: Prada, Burberry and a handful of other fashion gods sent them on the runway, so whether we like it or not they're everywhere on the high street!
Personally, my biggest issue with pleated skirts is that they're not always flattering, so if you're willing to hunt down a pleated skirt be warned, it's not easy! The key to rocking the skirt - once you manage to find one, that is - is to keep the upper half fitted and relatively plain.
Accordion pleats are the sort of pleats with the smallest folds. They are, unfortunately, the most unflattering and the most difficult to pull off. Why? They make curvier girls look bigger than they are (even though all kinds of pleats seem to have that effect!). There are dozens of short pleated skirt on the high street and pleated midi skirts are all the rage this year. However, I suggest going for a longer length skirt, a maxi obviously, to play it safe. Not to mention that it looks way prettier when it sweeps the floor!
Keep in mind that the shorter you go, the higher the risk of an 'unflattering combination'. If you really want to get a short pleated skirt, but you aren't the skinniest of them all, try on a couple of sizes until you find the perfect one. The pleats on your skirt shouldn't open on any part of your body. Forget your waist for now, you can always cinch that in later. It's the pleats that matter. So if you need to go a couple of sizes up to make sure your pleats stay in place, do it.
Needless to say, stay away from printed or overly busy pleated skirts if you want to minimize your body's lower half. Let's be honest, pleats are already pretty busy on their own. Right? Another must do to distract attention from the extra pounds surrounding your lower body: heels and wedges! Elongate your legs and forget about looking stout. Avoid ankle straps or ankle boots, they shorten legs!
If you happen to have my app installed on your browser or your smartphone, I'll post my favourite pleated numbers on the 'spotted' section tomorrow.
It's Saturday, party time!
-B
Accordion pleats are the sort of pleats with the smallest folds. They are, unfortunately, the most unflattering and the most difficult to pull off. Why? They make curvier girls look bigger than they are (even though all kinds of pleats seem to have that effect!). There are dozens of short pleated skirt on the high street and pleated midi skirts are all the rage this year. However, I suggest going for a longer length skirt, a maxi obviously, to play it safe. Not to mention that it looks way prettier when it sweeps the floor!
Keep in mind that the shorter you go, the higher the risk of an 'unflattering combination'. If you really want to get a short pleated skirt, but you aren't the skinniest of them all, try on a couple of sizes until you find the perfect one. The pleats on your skirt shouldn't open on any part of your body. Forget your waist for now, you can always cinch that in later. It's the pleats that matter. So if you need to go a couple of sizes up to make sure your pleats stay in place, do it.
Needless to say, stay away from printed or overly busy pleated skirts if you want to minimize your body's lower half. Let's be honest, pleats are already pretty busy on their own. Right? Another must do to distract attention from the extra pounds surrounding your lower body: heels and wedges! Elongate your legs and forget about looking stout. Avoid ankle straps or ankle boots, they shorten legs!
If you happen to have my app installed on your browser or your smartphone, I'll post my favourite pleated numbers on the 'spotted' section tomorrow.
It's Saturday, party time!
-B
Where's that red maxi skirt from?
ReplyDeleteI think it's a designer piece, but Miss Selfridge had something similar. Try New Look too x
DeleteThat red skirt is a great red skirt. Any idea where it's from?
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling it's a designer one, but New Look have a similar one for sure! xx
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