What We Want to Wear: 05.05.2021

By Janet Kelly

Remember skirts—you know that “garment fastened around the waist and hanging down around the legs” (according to the Oxford English Dictionary)? As we emerge from quarantine, what better transition from the constraints of sweat pants, jeans and leggings than the airy fabrics and forgiving silhouettes of skirts. Pssst: Many of them have elastic waists.

LEFT:  What to wear when you want to look coordinated but feel comfortable is 525 America’s cotton-blend, elastic-waist Cable Knit Midi Skirt ($118) and puff-shoulder top in a similar shade.

RIGHT: Who needs a suit when you can pull off a head-to-toe look with this cute Sweater Skirt in Stripe ($98) and short-sleeve matching top ($59). Both are from J. Crew.

LEFT: Neutral colors mixed with muted metallics on cozy knitwear are in Modena, Italy-based Twinset’s wheelhouse. Pair the label’s Striped-Pattern Pleated Skirt ($203, Farfetch) with its coordinating striped metallic top ($143) to embrace that Mediterranean flair.

RIGHT: Denim puts a casual twist on J. McLaughlin’s pleated Paolo Midi Skirt ($168). Wear with an oversized sweater for cool evenings.

LEFT: As if this swingy Pleated Skirt from Alex Mill ($98, Hampden) with elastic waistband and  perfect below-the-knee length weren’t already so wearable, it has pockets, too.

RIGHT: The death of designer Alber Elbaz, known for his stints at Lanvin and Saint Laurent, even shook the not-too-sympathetic-to-anything fashion world. Created for “women of our times” is how he described his just-launched, newest venture, AZ factory. The idea behind pieces such as this draped Duchesse Balloon Skirt ($1,275, Farfetch)—note the practical side pockets— is that it’s meant to be combined with other separates in the line like silk pajama tops, bodysuits and tights to customize your look and easily switch back and forth from laidback to luxe.

LEFT: It’s all in the mix for Simone Rocha, whose design mission is to create beautiful, layered and adorned as well as comfortable clothing. Except for the adornment part (pearls are her embellishment of choice), this floral printed, cotton Bow Front Skirt ($1,080, Farfetch) ticks off the boxes. You could wear it to the White House, say, if you were invited for lunch, or if you change the blouse shown above to a T-shirt or V-neck sweater and swap sneakers for those black mules, to a backyard barbecue.

CENTER: This easy-fitting, pull-on Tree of Life skirt ($435, Ann Mashburn) with a flowy A-line shape and a stretchy elastic waist is from Milan-based La DoubleJ, which makes its skirts (and dresses) from reissued vintage fabrics.

RIGHT: Can’t you conjure a summer day at some Italian beach—or Jones Beach—just by looking at Twinset’s sunny and elegant Floral Print Cotton Skirt ($339, Farfetch)?