Skirting the Issue

Sal gave me this beautiful skirt when Mark and I were out there visiting last month. Upon bringing it home I promptly tried it out and found it surprisingly difficult to work with, so I put it back in the closet and thought about it some more. Finally it dawned on me that the length wasn't quite right; you see the skirt originally had a third tier of ruffles, which made it hit me mid-calf. It wasn't even so much the length that was the issue, but the fact that there was such an expanse of the bright teal blue that it was difficult to balance it out with the top half of the outfit.

Altering the skirt was easy; I simply snipped off the bottom ruffle (which I saved for future use) and hemmed the lining underneath, which kept the sheer second layer lined. My handiwork didn't even have to be perfect since the hem is hidden beneath the ruffle above it. The finished product was MUCH easier to work with, and I threw together this combination with almost no effort.

See how the uppermost seam and the ruffles of the skirt are curved up in the middle and down towards the sides? This emphasizes the curve of the hips, which is just perfect for my columnar figure. Note however that I made sure to wear a top that widens my narrow shoulders, or else the skirt might have thrown me out of proportion. Because of the skirt's ruffles and eye-catching color, the eye is naturally going to be drawn to the hips and thighs in an outfit like this one, so I also created balance by wearing a top that had some of that same bright color in it.

Top: Max Studio

Vest: A. Byer

Belt: thrifted

Skirt: Banana Republic

Boots: Bronx