Waisted On Me

Whilst browsing the racks on a fashion jaunt, many months ago, I was suddenly ambushed by with the sheer glamour of a high-waisted skirt. The roaring forties were calling me and soon I was in the dressing room, twirling myself around on my tippy toes, imagining that I too could be a classy 1940s starlet.

And before I knew it; I was the happy owner of a high-waisted skirt.

Unfortunately I have never worn it out (in fact I think it still has the label on it.) It had never even occurred to me to think about the fashion mileage of this particular skirt. My imagination seemed to only stretch as far as to wear it for that chic secretary look at the office. But who wants to wear an outfit that feels like you’re going to work everyday? Not me. And thus my high-waisted skirt has been sitting at the fashion pit stop ever since.

But I don’t want it to sit idly in my closet, wasting away till the moths come to chew it up. I’m determined to find new ways to wear it!

Here are some ideas on how to wear high waisted skirts.

Usually a high waisted skirt is always paired up with shirts. If you don’t want to feel so prim and proper, why not try it with a t-shirt to tone it down? Or try blouses with graphic prints. You can tuck the top under the skirt so you can really show off your waist, just like Eliza Dushku here.

You can opt for slightly more fitted shirts or ones that are shorter in length or if you want to wear longer tops or even cardigans, do think about wearing a belt over the top so that you can maintain the nipped-in silhouette of the high-waisted skirt.

Or how about wearing a blazer or belted jacket over the top?

High waisted skirts really give the illusion of longer legs. Just make sure you wear a little heel to go with it to get the balance right.

If you’re not well endowed on the top, then you can get away with wearing ruffled tops. They really look fantastic with these kinds of skirts. This high waisted pleated skirt is by Alexander Mcqueen. The pleated texture gives it that extra ‘omph’ and gives a fresh new twist to the traditional high-waisted pencil skirt.

Remember that high-waisted does not have to mean boring office wear! Inject neon into your fashion palette with this skirt from Philip Lim.

If you’re thinking about buying a high-waisted skirt, why not step away from tradition, like Misha Barton. This skirt is the Alice McCall Persian Tux Skirt.

Remember that high-waisted skirts are not just pencil. As seen on Kirsten Davis, fuller skirts look fantastic paired with simple tank tops.

Image credit: Celebutopia, net-a-porter, vogue and fashionrat.