Are broomstick skirts goofy?
 

Remember that I used to have one and it would be wonderful for travelling. Are they totally out of style these days?

Never heard of such things. Please describe!

:D

Do you mean A line or a long skirt with loose appliqued pleats? or something a witch wears?

I think you mean what is commonly called a "broomskirt". They were worn in the mid-90s... have to honestly say I have not seen one in close to 10 years. Long with lots of little vertical crinkles, right?

I think they are pretty much out of style. I only see them on very tall ladies in the dessert :)
More fitted skirts are stylish these days, so all that fabric and swish would not be so fashionable as well as annoying when traveling. Remember, getting on and off buses, trains, sitting in small seats on buses and trains, climbing stairs..you are better off with some comfortable slacks, or A-line skirts.
Where are you going, bashful? :)

If you are referring to the skirt I think you are referring to, best not to bring it along. Besides being long out of style, I have never found that particular skirt to flatter any figure.

A Broomstick Skirt


http://shoppingonline.jobbankusa.com...duct1178-1.htm

Just what I figured...I'm heading to Andalucia the end of Sept. Trying to co-ordinate my wardrobe so I can pack Fodors-lite. Trying to pack mostly black and cream-have two prs. pants-black and cream/taupe and black capris/short sleeve and 3/4 t-shirts. Am trying to find a nice skirt (I'm tall-5'10") that will fit into this plan. I have 2-3 of the Eddie Bauer beige-y type skirts but wanted something a little more dressy and stylish. Any suggestions?

Ann Taylor often has long skirts that are more silky/flowy and will not wrinkle as badly. They are a bit pricey though... Casual Corner should have a long straight skirt that is relatively inexpensive.
It seems like the popular length for skirts right now is right at the knee or an inch or two below so that is the bulk of what is in stores.
In any case, good luck!

bashful-
Forget about the broomstick skirt, those are long gone as far as fashion is concerned. If you want to wear a skirt, there are wonderful skirt styles available this year for all ages. If you are in your Thirties or younger with nice legs, the short ruffle Mini skirts are great, and can be "dressed up" for dinners, or "dressed down" for sightseeing. If you are older, the longer (knee length) skirts with the ruffle bottoms are an option for you. they are available in cotton, georgette, etc. All the American designers and contemporary sportwear companies have that style this year.

They're still around, can be found in ethnic clothing stores (elastic waist, wrinkly rayon fabric, mid-calf length). I'm not vouching for them as fashionable (!) but I know some female travelers find them handy because you can knot the skirt and carry it in your day bag for slipping over skimpier clothes to visit churches.

Hi bashful,

I'm 5'10' as well. I have a fun (polka dot!) A-line skirt that hits right around the knees. It looks tailored, classy, and smart, and there's not any extra fabric getting in the way. It's a heavy cotton with 3% spandex, and it doesn't wrinkle very easily so I'll bet it would be good to travel with. It can be dressed up or down.

Good luck and have a great time!

Black and cream?

I observe horrified. You don't want to walk around looking like a liquorice allsort dear. Black is a formal colour to be worn in the evening or to be worn smart casually during the day, of course the end result is dependent on the cut! You wear black with greys, charcoals, and more black, not with cream! You can wear it with white, but more white underneath or trousers, but the cuts have to be minimalist to create an effective look that gels.

Try and get hold of Jil Sander's or any other fine Italian cotton T-shirts. Those cut on the bias are even better. You can wear these as stand-alone pieces or couple them with a jacket to wear them on the border of smart casual/formal for the evenings.

Diane von Furstenberg does great wraparound dresses which are not only suitable for hot climates, but can also be worn in the evening.

Scarlett, thank you, now even I know what a broomstick skirt is!

Bashful, think practically: light wind, and you'll feel like Marylin Monroe trying to keep it down :) (and I love skirts)

"..I just love the wind around my ankles.."

Scarlett, "I only see them on very tall ladies in the dessert." Would that be the creme broulee, or.....?

No, BeachBum, cream-broomlee ;)

Thank you Scarlett - I had no idea! Sounded like something a witch might wear for her rounds on the broomstick!

You might try the J. Jill catalogue for some nice skirts that travel well and look a bit dressy. I think they might even have some that are reversible so that one skirt provides several looks.

I'd try J. Jill, Casual Corner, and New York & Company (used to be Lerner). Knee-length skirts with a ruffled edge are very big right now in Chicago (as are those silly ruffled or pleated miniskirts!).

Take a look at what's available on TravelSmith.com.

I do still ocassionally stick a broomstick in my suitcase if I'm not sure I'll need a skirt or not. They pack in no space and the more wrinkled the better. But - no - they are not still in fashion.

Besides the suggestions you have already, take a look at Sarah Arizona skirts. This is a designer that Nordstrom carries (don't know where else the line can be found but it would be easy to find out).

Sarah Arizona makes delicilous reversible, floaty skirts (and harder to find slip dresses) that are two totally different fabrics in the same color families and matching tops/sweaters. The sweaters are sort of Sigrid Olsen-looking to give you an idea. These are my favorite travel items because w/ one skirt, 3 or 4 coordinating tops/tees and a cardigan you can have 8 or 10 different outfits.

......there's no skirting this issue so
I'm going out on a limb and begging you
not to be seen in a broomstick skirt.
Ever. For any reason. At all.

And while we're on the subject - don't
even THINK of those 'Greek' sandals -
the elastic, leather and rubber jobbies
so beloved of by women of a 'certain age'. They are often worn with the
aforementioned BS skirt. Horrors.

Those of us in that 'age bracket' must
be ever vigilant in case we find our-
selves in a goofy outfit by default.
>:D<

I was sad when they went out of style, they were so good for travel and I wore them with my Greek sandals, chain belt and sometimes with my squashblossom necklace, ah, the memories.

Okay mine goes.

I think black and cream sounds fine for travelling.

Skirt - don't know where to get it - but I'd think some nice print would be good. Also suggest red accessories, like a red necklace and/or bracelet, scarf.

I have seen young thin girls downtown Manhattan in white skirts of that type, with a couple of layers of little T-shirts. But I'm going to toss mine, unworn for 10 years. Have a great time.

Hi Bashful,

I recently purchased a long black skirt at a store called Coldwater Creek. Don't know if there's one in your area, but the fabric is great. They actually market it as "Travel Knit", and it's very soft and doesn't wrinkle. I also purchased a little black dress - I'm hoping to wear both frequently on my upcoming trip to Paris and Florence (leaving in 12 days- yahoo!)

"Young" and "thin" are the qualifiers here... also "style" of the broomstick-type skirt.
Short, colourful full ones are in stock at Club Monaco and look great on girls with layered t's. There's a silk knee-length fullish one at Banana Republic.
But the long, droopy ones I think you mean? Don't do it!!
It's kind of like the jeans/sneakers question.
Age, body type and the style of the person wearing the clothing mean so much. Like how jeans,t-shirts and sneakers can look hip on one person - if wearing updated cuts and colours - but look sloppy and out-of-date on someone else.
I see the broomstick-style skirts in stores now and think they would be great for me for travelling.... then I remember that I'm not 21 and a size 2!!

BTW I LOVE skirts (knee length) for travelling - cooler than pants but dressier and appropriate for more places than shorts.
And black and cream is one of my favourite combinations - (I have a gorgeous silk camisole top that's ivory with black trimming).

Don't know what the Greek sandals are... could someone describe in more detail?

A second vote for Sarah Arizona skirts. They come in several styles, longer and shorter, and lots of gorgeous patterns. The reversible feature is wonderful for traveling. But I am not a fan of her tops because almost all of them say "dry clean only." You shouldn't have any trouble matching up other tops with them.

Besides Nordstrom, many smaller shops carry the line.

Marilyn: You mean to say, if I had made it to the SF get together we would have shown up in matchiing Sarah Arizona's? :D

And I agree about the sweaters - I usually have all sorts of (washable) tops/sweaters that match my skirts.

I think I'm up to 4 skirts and one dress (but I may have lost count)

In a chic dress shop here in Pgh. the owners carry a line of clothing called Babette which includes updated skirts and tops that are reminiscent of the "broomstick" in that the fabric has inverted pleats. However, the skirts are tapered in at the bottom, and some have asymmetrical hems, etc. And they travel beautifully.

In fashio or out - and they are out in the traditional style at least - the real problem with a broomstick skirt is that they are flattering only to those over 6' tall and not more than 120 lbs.

I'd buy them if they didn't make them in such ugly patterns and now they are usually in rayon . Rayon is very hot in warm countries.I also can't find madras, seersuckr in good looking fashions.
I travel in Lacoste dresses and t-shirts with a few skirts that don't wrinkle like those net-like skirts and two pairs of cropped pants for travel.
Kavey, when I was a teen these skirts had an elastic waist and after you wasjhed them you wrapped them around the handle of a broom to dry to keep the pleats in, You're too young to have heard of them. :)

Oh Mimi thank you! Now the name makes much more sense. They sound a lot like a style of skirt I used to buy from India when I went to visit relatives - sort of a wrinkly material and when I washed it I'd hold it length wise and then twist it into a long, well, a long twist for it to dry with enough wrinkles.

My broomstick skirt (cotton) was purchased in 1994. I caused a stir when I walked into an awards breakfast wearing it (and I had great accessories); many women commented how nice it was. Wore it to work once but kept rolling the wheels of my chair over it. Alas! It's somewhere deep in my closet.

No black and cream? I must rebel!

Cigalechanta: have you checked Lands' End for seersucker? They usually have at least one thing for women; my husband has three of the men's seersucker shirts and one pair of pants -- very nice items.

I think taking fashion advice from one who attends functions such as "awards breakfast(s)" is rather iffy. Especially as she has no qualms about looking like a liquorice allsort.

Seersucker is absolutely revolting. For men, I'd recommend Prada's uber-cool robot t-shirts and accessories. As well as their dry-feel cable knit inspired earthy toned wool sweaters. Prada-sport produces some trainers which aren't bad, well not for trainers. For equally trendy tops, and a little less money, try Siv Stodal who always has great printed detailing, however, the actual quality of the garment is not comparable. Neil Barret, the Italian child of British fashion is perhaps halfway between Brit/Italian designs - classic, Italianate lines, but with Paul Smith's (and other British designers') eye for subtle detailing.
For very classic minimalist lines, I'd advise Jil Sander - very high quality and will last more than one season, depending on the pieces you purchase. Raf Simons is a very funky designer from Belgium who always produces neat and coherent collections. If you have the right skintone and figure, Marni and Pucci are fabulous.

M-Kingdom, You are mentioning labels that are very expensive for the average person. I doubbt they would spend $1000 for a dress by Jill sanders or Prada. Even the half price sale that is going on right now at my favorite shop is still out of range. I have a Prada Seersucker dress from back a few years. There are different qualities of materials.

I have a feeling that m_kingdom2 knows darn well that those designers are way out of most people's price range.

There's nothing wrong with giving high-priced alternatives in clothing choices, and having a different view than the mainstream, isn't that what a public forum is all about? I may not be able to afford any or all of the choices Mk2 lays out-but I like having someone who's looked over designer labels and is obviously more than passingly familiar with them give an opinion and some labels to look for in particular clothing lines-it's sort of like having your own personal fashion assistant, if you will. If you don't like it, then don't read the posts.

spygirl, I enjoy her posts and I'm only expressing my opinion.So have a nice day.

P.S. Anyone in the Boston area interested, Louis is having 60% sale on their collections, Marni, etc.