The Circle Skirt - Ten Reasons To Love It

Paul Smith

Louis Vuitton

Mark Jacobs

Prada

Mulberry

Bottega Veneta

It is official next season (Autumn and Winter), the circle skirt will be the latest must have item. Whilst I try not to follow women's fashion trends too much, instead opting for clothes which suit my figure (short and pear shaped), and I never knowingly allow fashion (or magazines) to dictate to me what I 'must have', I do take a certain amount if inspiration from current trends. Lets face it, come September most of the shops will probably be jam packed with circle skirts making it pretty difficult to ignore them. But actually, the circle skirt is a trend that I don't think I want to ignore and perhaps one that I am still likely to be wearing long after it goes out of fashion.

Whilst many fashionistas, will be rushing out to the shops to grab themselves a piece of the action in the form of a circle skirt with a nipped in waist, many vintage lovers have been working this look, which was popular in the fifties, for ages with stunning results and already have wardrobes full of beautiful vintage circle skirts. Looking back through fashion history, I always think there is a very good reason (or lots of them!) why some styles have with stood the test of time and made it to being such popular items of vintage clothing today.

Here is why I am loving the circle skirt for next season and beyond:

1. The full circle skirt helps to create a really feminine shape by defining the waist.
2. The full circle skirt is the perfect shape for pear shaped ladies like myself as it cover the hips and thighs and draws attention to the waist.
3. The full circle skirt has no gathers so is full but without creating bulk around the hip area.
4. The vast area of fabric in a circle skirt is perfect for embellishment and decoration.
5. The circle skirt is easy peasy to make your self. It is just a circle and a waist band. You can even make one without a pattern. If you want to give it a go, there are plenty of tutorials online, just Google it.
6. There are plenty of vintage versions of the circle skirt around making it an easy trend to follow in an eco friendly and individual way. It is definitely on trend and sustainable clothing.
7. The circle skirt looks very different depending on it's length and fabric so everyone should be able to find something to suit. For shorter people like myself a softer, draping fabric will be easy to wear and less over powering. For those wanting a more dramatic look a mid calf length skirt in a heavy fabric will create much more volume.
8. The wide hem on a circle skirt is ideal for making legs look thinner (I can do with all the help I can get)
9. If a full circle skirt (as raved about in Vogue) is too much for you, there is always the option of a slightly less full skirt - perhaps a semi circle.
10. I love the way a circle skirt swishes as you walk.

On second thoughts, I am not entirely sure that a circle skirt can be classified as a trend, I would think of it more as a classic piece of clothing. But then, lately 'trends' and 'fashions' do seem to be made up of more classic items- think blazers and camel coats. The great thing about this is that if you do choose to invest in a quality circle skirt, it is likely to be a great investment that will last for years to come.
What do you think? Will you be buying a circle skirt for the autumn or winter? or perhaps having a go at making one?
pictures from style.com