Rachel Roy on How to Go With the Flow of Longer Skirts
Women are going long on hemlines this season, a welcome development for fashion designers like Rachel Roy, who is known for her ladylike looks.
Ms. Roy, who showed several below-the-knee skirts for in her spring 2011 collection, had been growing weary of the ubiquitous leggy trend of the past few years. She's enthusiastic about the long-skirted look that's currently gaining traction, she says, because the style has "a classic-ness to it and also a certain amount of tradition."
One of the big advantages of longer skirts, Ms. Roy says, is that they can flatter practically all body types—if worn correctly, that is. "Whether you're small, large, short or tall, it's really about proportion and balancing it on top," says Ms. Roy, who likes to pair a pencil skirt that ends below the knee with a voluminous blouse "so you're not tight from head to toe."
If her skirt is a little fuller, Ms. Roy makes sure that her top is more fitted, sometimes by looping a belt over a blouse or cardigan to accentuate her waist, à la Michelle Obama, who has been photographed in her designs. "You need something to show that you have some shape behind all that volume and fabric," she says.
Because long skirts are so commonly associated with formal wear, for daytime Ms. Roy chooses ones made of more casual fabrics like striped cotton. To add a little polish, she'll wear a shiny lamé T-shirt on top. To give a feminine long-skirted ensemble some masculine edge, she sometimes will wear a tucked-in, tailored shirt or oxford shoes to complete the look.
When trying on fitted long skirts, there are a few comfort issues to note. For pencil skirts, Ms. Roy says, choose styles with "a slit that goes a few inches above your knee in the back," a design feature that won't slow down your stride. To avoid feeling trapped inside a sausage casing, go for fabrics with a bit of stretch, she says.
When it comes to less fitted styles, particularly the flowing skirts that are made with a bountiful supply of fabric, Ms. Roy makes sure to seek out pieces in light materials that feel good against her skin, like washed silks, silk twills and soft cottons. A bonus: when skirts made of these fabrics get wrinkled, "they just look better," she says, making them easy to pack in a suitcase.
Ms. Roy recommends pairing pencil skirts with high heels in bright colors, which she says will "pop any outfit." With long flowing skirts, Ms. Roy personally prefers flats, but she says that wedges look "effortlessly chic" for those seeking a little more height.
For shorter women attempting the look, Ms. Roy suggests wearing a high heel in a shade that's close to one's skin tone, which will create an optical illusion to "elongate your line and give you as much leg as possible," she says.
Write to Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan at cheryl.tan@wsj.com
Ms. Roy, who showed several below-the-knee skirts for in her spring 2011 collection, had been growing weary of the ubiquitous leggy trend of the past few years. She's enthusiastic about the long-skirted look that's currently gaining traction, she says, because the style has "a classic-ness to it and also a certain amount of tradition."
Mimi Ritzen Crawford for the Wall Street Journal
Rachel Roy wears a voluminous below-the-knee skirt from her spring collection as she styles a mannequin in her New York design studio.
If her skirt is a little fuller, Ms. Roy makes sure that her top is more fitted, sometimes by looping a belt over a blouse or cardigan to accentuate her waist, à la Michelle Obama, who has been photographed in her designs. "You need something to show that you have some shape behind all that volume and fabric," she says.
Because long skirts are so commonly associated with formal wear, for daytime Ms. Roy chooses ones made of more casual fabrics like striped cotton. To add a little polish, she'll wear a shiny lamé T-shirt on top. To give a feminine long-skirted ensemble some masculine edge, she sometimes will wear a tucked-in, tailored shirt or oxford shoes to complete the look.
When trying on fitted long skirts, there are a few comfort issues to note. For pencil skirts, Ms. Roy says, choose styles with "a slit that goes a few inches above your knee in the back," a design feature that won't slow down your stride. To avoid feeling trapped inside a sausage casing, go for fabrics with a bit of stretch, she says.
When it comes to less fitted styles, particularly the flowing skirts that are made with a bountiful supply of fabric, Ms. Roy makes sure to seek out pieces in light materials that feel good against her skin, like washed silks, silk twills and soft cottons. A bonus: when skirts made of these fabrics get wrinkled, "they just look better," she says, making them easy to pack in a suitcase.
Ms. Roy recommends pairing pencil skirts with high heels in bright colors, which she says will "pop any outfit." With long flowing skirts, Ms. Roy personally prefers flats, but she says that wedges look "effortlessly chic" for those seeking a little more height.
For shorter women attempting the look, Ms. Roy suggests wearing a high heel in a shade that's close to one's skin tone, which will create an optical illusion to "elongate your line and give you as much leg as possible," she says.
Write to Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan at cheryl.tan@wsj.com
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