When was the last time you wore a skirt over trousers? Probably back when you were 17, in a punk concert or gothic convention, probably. Following the recent trend of digging up the grave known as the 80s and 90s, styles that were fashionable then became the ‘trending’ wear of today, and that includes the bizarre phenomenon called the ‘skirt over pants.’
Celebrities such as Harry Potter star Emma Watson fanned the flames of this fad as she strutted her black pants under a black skirt in the premiere of the film Perks of Being a Wallflower in London. Critics were polarized about the look – some analyzed her attire as a commentary for gender roles, while others thought that it was just plain silly.
The question here is if this unusual pairing will persist and penetrate down to the consumer level. Prominent names in the fashion world such as J. W. Anderson, Jun Watanabe and Dires Van Noten all participated in this trend. Catwalks from these designers sported skirts worn on top of trousers. Some iterations of the trend are admittedly very confusing – jersey wraps and loose cargo pants should never even be in the same sentence together. “Just because something looks great on the catwalk doesn’t mean it’s going to translate well into real life,” says fashion blogger Hollie Moat on Farfetch.com
It’s not that easy to pull this off in everyday life. Here are a few techniques that you might want to attempt if you would like to give this whole ‘skirt over pants’ thing a try.
- One hue policy. Making sure that the pants and the skirt are the same color can help you pull off an otherwise kooky look. Shop for skirts that are single colored if you are looking for something to put over your one hue pants.
- Peplum dresses. Go even further and stack another garment over your waist with a hip-defining peplum dress. Just make sure that the colors of the skirt and peplum aren’t going to clash.
- Shorter tops work best. Shirts over pants work best with tops that aren’t too heavy to look at. Wearing a white short tunic tee is a great choice for those looking for a nice afternoon stroll vibe.
- Midi skirts. Don’t limit yourself with just wearing the normal cut skirts. Try putting on a nice pair of trousers underneath a midi skirt and top it off with a matching blazer.
- The best patterns to wear this with are t-shirts that are short and clean, or those with see-through materials or designs. Laced edges, braided threads, and transparent fibers definitely allow for this style to be worn anywhere.
