Why can't I wear a pleated skirt?

[thisisallnewtome8]

Just that really. I love the current trend of wearing a pleated midi skirt with trainers. Why do I end up looking like a pot bellied frumpy mess? I have tried three different skirts and each one had looked horrendous. Anyone have any links to flattering pleated skirts or should I give up?

I'm pear shaped with a long body and look dreadful in the pleated midi, even worse if it's shiny, yet suit well cut midi dresses although prefer ankle boots to trainers.

I also look daft in the big baggy patterned pants that have been all the rage too.

My advise is not to bother. Not every style is for every body. Just wear what flatters and suits yours then you will look great.

I’ve taken a photo

This was my previous post to match the photo 😬

I managed to find a skirt I loved from the charity shop, originally from Tesco. I wear it with a black top tucked in and high heeled knee high boots.

I'm 5'8 and size 12 with long legs / short body / apple shape.

My solution to this is to go up a size and let them sit on my hips. I wear a hip length, slim fit jumper with them and this flattens the stomach and stops any fabric gathering there.

@sheshootssheimplores That looks lovely! You have a great figure. I think that combo is really helped by the fact that it's an all black look with the white band round the bottom of the skirt. It attracts the eye down to the bottom of the outfit showing off the pleats there.

You do have to be slim I think to pull it off

I'm slim with a small waist and midi really doesn't work on me at all. It's very mini or very maxi for me and nothing in between.

I struggle with pleats in anything.

@sheshootssheimplores That's a good look.

I saw a young (twenties) woman wearing a shiny, dark green pleated skirt yesterday, and she looked amazing . It was the first time I’ve seen someone look good in long pleats.
She was tall (at least 5’10”) and had a boyish, narrow-hipped figure.

What about a dress instead of a skirt? There are quite a few around just now that have a jersey style jumper top half with a pleated skirt and because it's a dress it's much easier to have it nip in and skim the waist as you don't have to depend on it to stay up like you would with skirt.

Something like this www.oasis-stores.com/gb/new-in/polo-neck-pleated-midi/070226.html?cgid=new-in-all&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoqDtBRD-ARIsAL4pviB9_JUPq1snDve4EwH8HMl20rm8gwbnId4Aore-wnl3XDrY0y8Bu4MaAvbJEALw_wcB&dwvar_070226_color=01&position=249

Very difficult to wear, they don't do many people any favours. I realised at school as our skirts were pleated midi length and they always looked shite. Not worn one since. 🤣

I love that pleated skirt and trainers/chunky boots look too - and on a whim I bought a navy pleated skirt in M&S recent sale - it was a size 8 long (I'm a 5'4 pear usually a M&S 10) but M&S can be sized quite big and it had an elasticated waist so I thought I'd take a chance. I tried it in the changing room and thought it looked surprisingly quite good on! The pleats hung nicely, not all splayed out and actually looked very slimming . I was planning to wear it with big bum covering chunky jumpers anyway.

I'm a bit worried to wear it now having seen all the comments on this thread!

I look ridiculous in every skirt I try, but a dress with a flared skirt looks great. I think my body shape just can’t handle the waistline being so firmly defined as in a skirt.

So I would try looking for a flared midi dress instead.

sheshootssheimplores - you look great! Brilliant find!

Try it with a loose jumper that covers the waist and tummy area . Then wear with trainers / pumps . I think that's a more flattering way to wear .

Funnily enough there was a thread in here a few weeks back where people were talking about what ‘elegant’ looks like and I said the pleated skirt look I showed above was the outfit that most gets called ‘elegant’ when I wear it. I didn’t have a decent photo of it then 🤭

I like mine. I am an hourglass with a small waist but podgy lower abdomen and it suits me.

I can't because I've got hips. I'm not massive-I wear a 10-but anything with a waist band like those skirts tends to look terrible on me. I've got one I look passable in because it's a bit thicker material and less volume to it, kind of, so it doesn't make my hips look huge.
Or else I wear them with a slightly longer jumper which you can get away with now it's colder.

They add bulk where most women don't need it I. E hips and tum. That's why you have to be rake thin to look good in them.

I stick to pencil skirts

I'm sorry, but midi length pleated skirts just make me think of Angela Lansbury in Murder she wrote. They should only be worn by women over the age of 60 with a nice twin set and pearls. IMO.

I think if you wear a tight top tucked in and heels you might be saved

they are really hard to pull off imo & i don't think it's necessarily a height thing & more to do with proportions.

Pleats add bulk & midi length often cuts your leg off in the most unflattering place.

Sheshoots that looks amazing. You look amazing.

So I bought this and it looks ok.

I had a pleated wool midi. I looked like something from DFS.

I like that skirt in the pic OP. I'm sure you will look lovely, not sofa-like at all.