Skirt facts for kids

A skirt is a piece of clothing that hangs down from your waist. Skirts have been worn by people in many different cultures and at different times throughout history. Some skirts are for women, some are for men, and some can be worn by anyone!

In many Western countries today, skirts are usually worn by women. However, there are some cool exceptions, like the kilt from Scotland and the fustanella from Greece. These are traditional skirts for men that people still wear today. Skirts are often worn for special occasions, like semi-formal events.

Different Kinds of Skirts

There are many styles of skirts, each with its own unique shape and look. Here are some of the basic types you might see:

• A-line skirt: This skirt has a slight flare, like the shape of the letter 'A'. It's wider at the bottom than at the waist.
• Bell-shaped skirt: This skirt flares out a lot from the waist, then stays wide for most of its length, like a bell.
• Circle skirt: This skirt is made from fabric cut in a circle, with a hole for the waist. It's very full and hangs smoothly without many folds or gathers.
• Culottes: These are like a pair of shorts but they look like a skirt when you wear them. They are also called divided skirts or pantskirts.
• Full skirt: This skirt has lots of fabric gathered at the waistband, making it look very full and flowy.
• Gored skirt: This skirt is made from several shaped pieces of fabric (called 'gores') that fit at the waist and then flare out at the bottom. It has been popular for a long time, even since the 14th century!
• Inverted pleated skirt: This skirt has two folds of fabric that meet in the middle, either in the front or back. It's been a popular style since the 1920s.
• Pencil skirt: This is a straight skirt that fits closely from the waist to the hips. It often has a small slit at the bottom to make it easier to walk.
• Pleated skirt: This skirt has many regular folds, called pleats, that help reduce the fullness at the waist. The pleats can be stitched down or hang freely.
• Short skirt: This skirt has a hemline that ends above the knee.
• Underskirt: This is a simple, basic skirt worn underneath another skirt or a draped fabric.
• Wrap skirt: This skirt wraps around your waist and overlaps, usually tying or fastening on the side.

Fun Skirt Fashions

Over the years, many different skirt styles have become popular. Here are a few famous ones:

• Ballerina skirt: A full skirt that reaches mid-calf, popular in the 1950s.
• Broomstick skirt: A lightweight, ankle-length skirt with many crumpled pleats. People made these by twisting the wet skirt around a broomstick! They were popular in the 1980s.
• Bubble skirt: Also called a tulip or balloon skirt, this skirt is puffy because its hem is tucked back under itself. It was popular in the 1950s.
• Cargo skirt: A practical skirt with belt loops and big pockets, just like Cargo pants. It became popular in the 1990s.
• Denim skirt: A skirt made from denim fabric, often designed like jeans but in many different styles.
• Hobble skirt: A long, tight skirt from the early 1900s that was so narrow at the bottom it made it hard to walk!
• Poodle skirt: A fun circle skirt from the 1950s, often decorated with a picture of a poodle or other cute designs.
• Puffball skirt: A puffy skirt that is gathered in at the hem to create a puffed shape. It was popular in the mid-1980s.
• Rah-rah skirt: A short, layered, and often colorful skirt that was fashionable in the early to mid-1980s.
• Sarong: A piece of fabric wrapped around the body and tied to make a skirt. Both men and women can wear sarongs.
• Scooter skirt or skort: This skirt has a pair of shorts sewn underneath for modesty. It looks like a skirt but gives you the freedom of shorts.
• Skater skirt: A short, high-waisted circle skirt that ends above the knee. It's often made of light fabric to flow like the skirts worn by figure skaters.
• Tiered skirt: This skirt is made of several horizontal layers, with each layer wider than the one above it.

Skirt Lengths

Skirts come in many different lengths, from very short to very long!

Skirts for Men

A man wearing a Utilikilt, 2010

While skirts are mostly seen on women in Western countries, many cultures around the world have traditional skirts or skirt-like clothes for men. These garments have different names and are worn for various reasons, from everyday wear to special ceremonies.

Here are some examples of men's skirts from different cultures:

• The fustanella is a full, pleated skirt worn by men in Albania and Greece. Today, it's mostly worn for ceremonies or as traditional costume, like by the Presidential Guard in Greece.
• The gho is a knee-length robe worn by men in Bhutan. Men are required to wear it daily in government offices, schools, and for formal events.
• The hakama is worn in Japan. Some types of hakama have wide, divided legs, similar to culottes. Many hakamas also have pleats.
• The kilt is a famous skirt from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. It's a big part of Scottish national dress and is worn for formal events and sometimes casually.
• The sarong is a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist to form a skirt. Sarongs are found in many cultures with different names, like the pareo in Polynesia or the dhoti in India.

In Western countries, some men have started wearing skirts as a way to show that clothing shouldn't be limited by gender.

Gallery

Basic types

Fads and fashions

World culture

Related pages

• Miniskirt

Images for kids

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  A 21st century skirt

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  Sumerian man wearing a kaunakes skirt, ca. 3000 BC

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  Statue of Ramaat, an official from Gizeh wearing a pleated Egyptian kilt, ca. 2250 BC

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  Drawing of a girl's skirt made of wool yarn found in a Bronze Age tomb in Borum Eshøj (Danmark)

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  Vinca figurine depicting a skirt

See also

In Spanish: Falda para niños