Skirts are by and large considered a woman’s garment in the fashion world of today. But there are exceptions. Traditional minded men in Ireland and Scotland even now wear kilts, or should I say, the male skirt. Contemporary designers such as Marc Jacobs and Jean Paul Gaultier have themselves paraded down the runway in variant on the look. I would assume they wanted to experience the freedom and self-confidence that a skirt ultimately gives the wearer. But, for now, the skirt remains fully in the realm of the fairer sex. Full, flirty and fabulous are the watchwords for spring fashion’s hottest trend - the humble skirt. Taking cues from the return to more ladylike silhouettes, skirts of all kinds are heading your way now that the chilly days are behind us. No other garment says fresh and summery more than a breezy, easy-to-wear skirt for most gals. Dressed up or down, skirts are a fantastic choice to pair and layer with lots of other closet staples. The beauty of them is that there’s a style and length to fit every woman stylishly as well as comfortably! Let’s break down the top skirt types for spring and summer 2013, shall we?

Pleated skirts can run the gamut from the perfectly ironed knife pleats to the softer slouchy pleats of a swirling dirndl skirt. On the shorter side they come off as young and playful, and when worn longer they seem confident and sophisticated. Fabric is important in a pleated skirt. Don’t purchase anything that requires a lot of ironing, or you’ll rarely wear it.

Ruffles give a romantic and girly look to almost any item that they embellish, but particularly so with skirts. Something to keep in mind with ruffled looks is scale and proportion. If the ruffle hits your lower body at the widest part of your hips it may not be for you. Likewise, too many ruffles can seem childish when done in the wrong fabric on the wrong woman. So make sure to choose a fluffy ruffled skirt wisely!

Floral prints can go from mild to wild and everything in between. Seen as a classic in fashion circles, floral prints seem fresh when done in some of the season’s hottest colors and tones. Keep in mind that tiny floral prints without a dominant color can almost act as a neutral in some cases and are easier to team up with other prints such as stripes. Large-scale prints with bold colors need to stand on their own with neutral or tone-on-tone tops.  

Graphic prints like stripes, polka dots, geometrics, abstracts and others are all over the runways this season. Think of these bold beauties as the feature of your outfit. Accessories and other items of clothing form a backdrop of sorts for these over the top prints and they will take a dominant position no matter what. 

Off-kilter looks like the high-low hem trend, which I have seen in many incarnations will continue this season, although not as prevalent as last season.  That is the key thing about “fashion fads.”  They rarely last more than one or two seasons, and will begin to look a little outdated by next year or so. Try one this summer and have fun while they’re still viable! That is precisely why I love shopping and styling with items from Goodwill. There is no skirting this issue! Our prices give you the freedom to explore your fashionable side, while at the same time your support of our stores helps fund vital community-based programs. And, nothing feels more beautiful than that!