Low Effort, High Reward Dressing
Or why I like a statement skirt.
If you’ve ever read any of my work, you’d know that I’ve written multiple essays on the merits of wearing A Statement Skirt. Ironically, I’ve also been told in the past that it’s too idiosyncratic to merit it being an actual shopping story. But the entire point of this newsletter is to turn all of my idiosyncrasies into shopping stories!
You’ll often see some of my favorite designers, namely Rei Kawakubo, Simone Rocha, or Chitose Abe of Sacai in some sort of statement skirt, covered in pleats, ruffles, or layers of fabric. Their personal style definitely influences how I think about uniform dressing and how it can mean more than just wearing the same thing every day. Whenever you hear the word “uniform” it’s usually a nicer way of saying someone has no sense of style — at least as it applies to people in more conservative industries. But for creative types, uniforms offer plenty of room to explore personal style and make memorable looks without wasting time on agonizing over what to wear in the morning.
My friend has a metric for hikes, namely is it low effort, high reward? My mentality for an outfit is exactly the same. At my core I’m lazy and I can’t spend hours trying to mix-and-match pieces in weirdly creative ways like the girls on TikTok do. Sometimes these layered outfits work but most of the time it comes off contrived. Besides, most people, even if they love clothes, style, fashion, or however you want to label getting dressed, don’t have hours to waste on trial-and-error.
So I’m copying Rei and leaning into a statement skirt paired with a basic top. Find a few good ones and it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a seven year old black turtleneck or $2 white tank — everything looks deliberate and styled. In my experience people will stop, give you a compliment or ask about the skirt, and even occasionally take a photo of it. It’s a nice ego boost but also requires very little pre-planning. If that isn’t low effort, high reward, I don’t know what is.
6 Skirts That I Love (3 on sale!):
A Beginner Big Skirt
I know everyone loves Toteme and the price is extremely good on this skirt. I’m into it with a plain tank top or silk blouse, unbuttoned low, tucked in. The matching top is great, but as far as I can tell it’s sold out and hides the best part, the waist detail.
An Intermediate Big Skirt (That Looks Like a Trench)
This skirt is made for those of you who are going into the office three days a week. I don’t do that now as a freelancer so I’d dress it down with a t-shirt or this Aritiza cropped tank that hits at the perfect spot on my waist. But, if you need to wear it into work, a long sleeve sweater or short sleeve button down are safe bets.
An Advanced Big Skirt That’s Already On My List
I wrote about an Anthropologie bubble skirt for a branded story and it turns out that the sample versus the one they actually produced are two very different items. Namely, the version in stores was much cheaper in quality and looked like a crumpled mess straight out of the box. I felt extremely tricked so you won’t see me linking the story or skirt on here but it did remind me how much I love a bubble hem for its drama. Keep your eye on this Noir Kei Ninomiya one. Unlike the Anthropologie version it won’t disappoint and once it goes on sale, it’ll probably be not much more price-wise — no disappointment here!
The One Sitting in My Cart Right Now
It’s taking every ounce of my willpower to not buy this Simone Rocha skirt at full price because it could not be more perfect. Adjustable straps to create new shapes? Elastic waist for comfort? Styled with pointy black flats? All of the above, please. This is the perfect excuse for me to get those old Céline buckled flats fixed (yes, they survived a cross-country and back move) so I can wear them exactly like this.
My Current Hyper-fixation Skirt
Caveats with this one: there are only two left on Farfetch in small or extra-small and the tulle that helps keep the peplum’s shape is very sharp against the skin. That said, I’ve worn this skirt a bunch of times, both in Tokyo and during New York Fashion Week. It’s fun, lightweight, and flouncy, which is everything you want in a warm weather skirt. If you find the tulle to be too scratchy you can cover the hem with a strip of moleskin. My neurotic self would choose the black tape, because even if no one else sees it, I’ll know that it’ll be invisible against the fabric.
A Neon Surprise
Despite having predominantly black wardrobe, I love neon for the same reason I love weird black clothes — they’re both extremely unexpected and eye-catching. This Christopher John Rogers skirt hits on everything I want in a statement skirt: pleats, asymmetrical shape, and drama with every step I walk. Plus, it’s 50% off, which is the cutoff point when I start really considering buying a designer item.
See you on Sunday, when I talk Tokyo shopping!
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Ugh, I love that trench-like one so much. - J
I didn't know I needed a statement skirt until now. I especially love the trench!