Poor Yorick, I will not admit I know you Horatio! That being said, poor us!! Everything old is new again apparently.
Today’s topic is bubble skirts. Once popular in the mid-80’s as part of the pop culture fashion. But what we don’t realize is that this fashion trend stems from the Renaissance, only then it was for well to do men in Venice, Italy.
This once fashion forward garment stems mostly out of necessity. Venice was known to flood, so men in that time would wear the shorter pants and taller boots. Not because it was wickedly fashionable or popular with the ladies, but because they wanted to keep dry. Nothing says party foul like showing up to court to woo the women in a wet tunic. Venetians today merely sport their Wellies and foul weather gear when the streets begin to take on water and use the modern convenience of a washer and dryer when their clothes get wet and/or dirty.
Bubble skirts today have taken on a new life in women’s fashion. Ladies today can wear them with wildly loud tights and a pair of simple flats. This once testosterone oriented garment is now taken over by the ladies. However this is a simple garment that can go wrong quickly. Too many accessories and you begin to look like you belong in the 80’s; too few and you’re considered boring. To be honest, I have never seen anyone successfully pull of looking fabulous in one of these. I tend to see people looking very bottom heavy or their body type is not one that could support a bubble skirt as acceptable fashion. I’m not saying one must be waif thin and twelve to wear one, but I do think that anyone past the age of 18 should not be found wearing one, unless of course you find yourself in the streets of a flooded Venice and you are wearing tall boots and a cape.
So find that happy medium and don’t let anyone burst your bubble! Remember this is a fashion maybe, but must be age and accessory appropriate!
Stay fashionable!
SM
Sister Mary's School of Fashion 