When I started to fill out in High School I realized how annoying it was to go shopping because for the first time in my life I had all these curves and had no idea how to wear clothes. Luckily with time I learned how to customize my tee-shirts so they would have a feminine curve for my waist. Years later I discovered I (and pretty much EVERY body shape) really could benefit from A-Line skirts, or just fuller skirts that sit nicely on my waist, emphasizing my curves.
I truly think these skirts look great on people like me with super curves and people that aren’t as curvy but are looking for a more feminine look!
The way I construct these skirts is fairly simple, it’s a rectangle that is gathered because of the elastic waistband. Typically the rectangle will be your hip measurement plus 12-15 inches. The finished waist measurement will typically be about 1 inch smaller than your waist – I’ve experimented a lot with this measurement, anywhere from a slight stretch to two inches really works, you just don’t want it to be larger than your waist measurement because then you aren’t getting the stretch of the elastic and it will be loose. I wanted to write this post for those who aren’t sure how to measure themselves for optimal fit!
First you will want to grab your tape measure. If you have a soft tape measure that you can find at a craft store, that works great! If you don’t have one, don’t lose heart! You can also use a string, or shoestring and measuring tape in a pinch! As a last resort you can also use something that you will know the measurements of, say a piece of paper that is generally 8.5″x11″. I have been known to fold up one of these to eyeball knitting project lengths. It works, but it won’t be as accurate.
You will want to bend to one side, place your finger where you are bending, this is your waist. Wrap your measuring tape or string around your waist being sure to make it snug but not tight. If using a string be careful to stretch it in the same manner when both measuring yourself and when measuring against the tape measure.
For the hip measurement I recommend measuring your largest area. For me personally that is my bottom/ low hip area. You want to measure here so you can make sure your skirt will be 12-15″ bigger for plenty of swishy-ness!
From here if you think you’ll want a different length than the standard 23″ (from top of skirt to hem) I would measure from your waist to where you’d like your skirt to end. Below is a picture detailing two different lengths!
Please be sure to comment with any questions! If these written instructions weren’t clear enough, check out my video on the same topic!
xoxo
-Robin
