MetaChat - I just bought a pleated skirt

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05 August 2007

I just bought a pleated skirt at the thrift store down the street. It's red wool, with small pleats (like the one in the picture). But it's a little too long, and I'm going to have it hemmed. Should I hem it right below the knee, at the knee, or above the knee?

post by: ThePinkSuperhero at: 15:26 | 20 comments

At the knee is most flattering. Unless you're young and have nice legs, which you do. I wouldn't do below the knee, it can look dowdy unless it's mid-calf, and this skirt would look dorky mid-calf.

posted by LoriFLA 05 August | 15:37

Unless you're young and have nice legs, which you do.

Meaning, you could get away with above the knee.

posted by LoriFLA 05 August | 15:39

Pleated skirts are hard to fit. The pleats tend to stretch in some areas and look odd, like around the hips.

But! you have a nice figure, so no problem there. My first response would be just at the bottom of your kneecap. But a more prudent advice would prolly be try it and see.

Depends what shoes you want to wear it with. It sounds perfect for boots or high heels. But if you are going to wear them with your Converses (I love your converses), maybe go shorter?

posted by carmina 05 August | 15:39

I would lean toward at the knee, but I think it kind of depends on how the waist fits.... I'd worry about it looking like you were drowning in it if it was much longer than that, though.

posted by occhiblu 05 August | 15:45

I'll probably get it done right at or above the knee, then. Right now it's mid-calf and looks silly. I generally shy away from a-line skirts, but this one was $8 and too cute to pass up.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 05 August | 15:47

Oy. Lori's right. Given the marerial, wool is heavy, mid-calf can look funny. My mom used to have an exquisite mid-calf pleated *silk* graphite-black skirt. Very thin pleats too. I need to look for that skirt.

posted by carmina 05 August | 15:49

Hm. Women's fashion is like organic chemistry to me. You'll look great in it no matter how you wear it.

/standard manswer.

posted by sciurus 05 August | 16:05

As carmina says, wool, especially pleated wool, at this length might look a little dowdy.

Mid-calf can look great in lighter weight materials, like the silk that carmina mentions. Mid-calf cuts the widest part of the lower leg in half and can be very flattering.

I'm thinking at the knee with tights and cute Mary-Janes or T-straps with some substance to them, or tall boots would look smashing.

posted by LoriFLA 05 August | 16:23

I would agree with right at the knee, because I think that length gives you the most versatility, esp. in terms of wearing either heels or flats.

posted by scody 05 August | 17:33

Might I suggest the crotchular area?

posted by eamondaly 05 August | 17:49

If you're going longer than knee length hem it just to the slimmest part of the leg above the calf. That length makes your legs look longer.

posted by kellydamnit 05 August | 18:16

also... if it's a heavy wool keep in mind, you may not want to wear above-the-knee skirts once the weather drops enough to wear it.

posted by kellydamnit 05 August | 18:18

What's the ΔH of skirt-length + shoe-type?

posted by sciurus 05 August | 18:36

The general rule is, the shorter the skirt, the flatter the shoe.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 05 August | 19:02

*takes notes for possible drag-queen hobby*

posted by sciurus 05 August | 19:15

Oh, drag queens are exempt; they always wear high heels. The higher the better.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 05 August | 19:33

Maybe I'll compete in this.

posted by sciurus 05 August | 21:04

Right above the knee.

posted by rainbaby 05 August | 21:57

Length would depend on whether you want to do kicky skirt flairs with a half-body or full-body twist.

posted by mischief 05 August | 22:11

I have a red pleated wool skirt too. I've left mine long and wear it with boots. But mine is stitched down over the hip and it falls perfectly straight until I move. I'm also really, really short. If I hemmed it to my knee it wouldn't have so much room to astonish peole by spinning out gloriously when I walk.

posted by tangerine 06 August | 14:17

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