The underrated skirt. Why do so many of us undervalue the skirt? Most of us don’t consider them an essential item. I rarely think about packing a skirt when I travel. And they’ve always been relegated to the back corner in my closet. The truth is I love skirts for so many reasons, yet I don’t wear them often enough. 

When I consider the pros and cons it’s clear to me that the issue is twofold: we overthink how to wear them and we’re simply forgetting they are an option. Yes, there are other considerations like weather (adding tights adds more complication in the winter), fit (many women don’t feel a full skirt is flattering and a straight skirt can be restricting, and style (skirts can feel too feminine for some). But if you do feel comfortable in skirts, but you’re simply not wearing them, I have two tips:

#1 Balance.

If you’re wearing a full skirt, keep the top fitted. This is a great silhouette for women who are curvy or “pear-shaped”. (P.S. Can we come up with a better name for this body shape?)

I love pairing a full skirt with a big sweater, but there is the risk of feeling either “swallowed up” or bulky by this relaxed combo. Experiment by tucking in the sweater a bit to find the right balance.

I tend to stick to tank tops, T-shirts or fitted cardigans with my full skirts. Wearing something casual on top also creates balance with a full skirt. 

I love the vibe of  graphic T-shirts, but I feel too masculine in them. Pairing a graphic T-shirt with a straight or full skirt is the perfect way to balance this.

#2 Don’t overthink it.

Think of the skirt as just a pair of pants. Don’t be intimidated by the silhouette. And when you wear a skirt, it becomes the “hero” so you simply need a basic top and you instantly have an interesting outfit. Skirts are rare enough to feel a little unexpected so you’ll look stylish with very little effort.

A strappy heel is always a great looks with a skirt but you don’t need to wear a dressy shoe. Play around with options like a flat sandal, slide, ballet flat or sneaker (again, this creates balance and comfort).

Maybe skirts get a bad wrap (pun intended) because historically women had to wear them. Once we were given permission to wear pants there was probably a negative reaction to them for a period of time. But they are just so darn comfortable and beautiful in my opinion, I think we’ve taken ownership of them at this point and the bottom line is we have choices, and I want to choose skirts more often!