Skirts are the garment that holds your closet together. Don’t know what to wear to work? Throw on a skirt and blouse. Want to show off your legs on a night out? Wear your best skirt and signature stilettos.
Emily Ratajkowski, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Krysten Ritter, and Sofia Vergara wearing different types of skirts (Credit: Roger Wong / BauerGriffin / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
Buying skirts in the same style is easy, but experimenting with different styles can make your closet even more versatile. There is a skirt for every occasion, from the ’70s-esque mini skirt to the feminine ruffled style.
We’re covering every type of skirt you need to know and answering the most popular questions about ladies’ skirts.
While there are dozens of styles of skirts for women, we’re spotlighting the 12 skirts that every woman should try at least once.
1. Mini Skirts: The Perfect Way to Show Off Your Legs
The mini skirt is a silhouette that’s coming back with a bang. Style it with tights for autumn and winter while showing off your legs and staying cool in summer.
A mini skirt has a straight silhouette, with the hemline falling midway down your thigh. Although miniskirts are popular for summer, they can be found in a variety of fabrics, including tweed and wool.
Mini skirts typically feature a straight hemline and extend to about midway down the thighs
2. Flare Skirts: Adding Volume and Whimsy to Your Look
A flare skirt is an upgrade from the humble A-line skirt. Its voluminous body creates a whimsical look.
This short skirt flares out more than its A-line equivalent and sits above the knee. For an elegant outfit, you can balance the volume of the skirt with a fitted top.
Flared skirts sit above the knees and have a voluminous body, creating a whimsical look
3. Maxi Skirts: Embrace Your Inner Princess
Embrace your inner Princess with a maxi skirt. It’s the perfect alternative to a full-length dress, with most silhouettes featuring a low waist.
This universally flattering style is a summer essential as a beach cover-up. Most maxi skirts are made of lightweight fabric and can be styled with sneakers or heels.
Maxi skirts are universally flattering and versatile, often crafted from lightweight fabrics, making them a popular choice for various occasions
4. Midi Skirts: The Best of Both Worlds
Do you want the best of both worlds? Get a midi skirt. It’s a happy medium between the sexy mini and modest maxi skirts. Midi skirts are one of the most popular styles this season and can be made casual by styling with sneakers.
Midi skirts are skirts that fall between the knee and the ankle or at least 2 inches below the knees
5. Pencil Skirts: A Modern Woman’s Wardrobe Staple
One skirt every woman should have in her closet is a pencil skirt. It’s a staple for the modern woman as a naturally slimming silhouette that can be styled for business meetings or dinner with friends.
You’ll find this skirt in every pattern and fabric to accentuate your curves and elevate your look.
Pencil skirts boast a naturally slimming silhouette that can help accentuate your curves
6. Wrap Skirts: Versatile and Effortlessly Stylish
Skirts often replicate the silhouettes of dresses. The wrap skirt is no exception. It looks similar to a sarong, allowing you to wrap the skirt around your waist and tie it.
You can style it over a swimsuit or a blouse for a day in the office.
As its name suggests, wrap skirts allow you to wrap and tie the skirt around your waist
7. High-Waisted Skirts: Flattering for Every Body Type
Are you unsure what skirt will suit your body type? A high-waisted skirt could be the answer. This skirt, which comes in various lengths, is ideal for layering with a short top. The higher waistline creates an hourglass shape and will accentuate your natural figure.
High-waisted skirts come in a variety of lengths and create a flattering look
8. Ballet Skirts: Channel Your Inner Ballerina
Skirts are feminine essentials that add a whimsical look to any outfit. Channel your inner ballerina with a ballet skirt. This short tutu-style skirt typically comes in neutral tones and muted pastels.
Ballet skirts are composed of layered tulle fabrics and usually come in neutral or muted pastels
9. Mermaid Skirts: Elegant and Intricate Silhouettes
Skirts can be an elegant alternative to a little black dress for formal occasions.
The mermaid skirt has an intricate silhouette with a fishtail hemline, creating the illusion of a mermaid’s tail. Most mermaid skirts are midi or maxi-length and ideal for curvier body types.
Mermaid skirts accentuate a curvy body with its intricate silhouette and fishtail hemline
10. A-Line Skirts: A Timeless and Versatile Choice
Do you want a skirt you can wear anywhere? Buy an A-line skirt. This knee-length skirt has a straight waistline and subtle pleats that add extra movement.
Add it to your closet as a transitional piece to take you stylishly from one season to the next.
A-line skirts have a letter A-silhouette with a straight waistline and usually come with subtle pleats
11. Tulip Skirts: Feminine and Classic Style
A tulip skirt is a classic feminine style. It has pleats on the front and darts on the sides to create a shaping effect.
This skirt style was first made famous by Christian Dior in the 1950s and has remained a fashion staple ever since. It has a tapered hemline and pleating that resembles the petals of a tulip.
A classic feminine silhouette, tulip skirts have a tapered hem and pleats on the front that create the shape of a tulip petal
12. Peplum Skirts: Slimming and Stylish for Every Occasion
A peplum skirt is any silhouette, typically a pencil skirt, that features a short, flared piece of fabric at the waist. Peplum skirts can hide your stomach and are naturally slimming.
While peplum skirts are usually short, you can find longer midi-styles that are a business casual staple.
Peplum skirts are defined by the ruffled, flared fabric around the waist
FAQ About Women’s Skirts
1. Midi vs. Maxi Skirts: Understanding the Differences
A midi skirt is shorter than a maxi skirt, with the hemline between your knees and ankles. By comparison, a maxi skirt is a full-length silhouette with a hemline that typically sits at your ankle.
Midi skirts gracefully drape between the knees and ankles, whereas maxi skirts elegantly cascade all the way down to the ankles
2. A-Line vs. Pencil Skirts: Which Style Suits You Best?
Pencil skirts have a straight silhouette, while A-line skirts feature subtle pleats, making the style less restrictive.
You can spot the difference between a pencil skirt vs. an A-line skirt by looking at the hemline. Pencil skirts sit tight along the thigh, while an A-line skirt will flare out.
A-line skirts have a letter A silhouette that flares out at the hem, while pencil skirts have a straight silhouette
3. Current Fashion Trends: Skirts You Should Be Wearing
Skirts are among the biggest trends, with micro trends leading the way. Maxi skirts are predicted to be the most popular style, with low-waisted skirts and miniskirts also being in fashion.
Maxi skirts, along with low-waist and mini skirts, are huge this 2023
4. Finding the Appropriate Skirt Length for Work
The appropriate length of a skirt for work depends on your height. Your skirt should sit at least at the top of your knees, if not below. Pencil skirts are a workwear essential, as they typically sit at the knee.
For professional attire, skirts should ideally rest either at the top of or just below your knees
5. Best Skirts for Pear-Shaped Bodies
If you’re pear-shaped, consider investing in knee-length and midi-length skirts. A peplum skirt can accentuate your waist, while a high-waisted skirt can help create an hourglass look.
Pear-shaped women should invest in midi or knee-length skirts that could help create an hourglass look
6. How to Choose Skirts That Conceal Your Tummy
Wearing a high-waisted skirt with a flared silhouette is an excellent way to conceal your stomach. This naturally slimming style features pleating that distracts from your tummy.
High-waisted flared skirts with pleats should help hide your tummy
There’s a skirt style to flatter everyone. While it can take some trial and error, a skirt that suits your body type can become a staple in your capsule closet.