A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment which hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs. Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather The Waist is the part of the abdomen between the Rib cage and hips. A leg is a limb on an Animal 's Body that supports the rest of the animal above the ground between the Ankle and the Hip and is used for

In Western culture, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin However, there are exceptions. The kilt is a traditional men's garment in Scotland, and some fashion designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, have shown men's skirts. The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century A man is a Male Human. The term man (irregular plural Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Jean-Paul Gaultier (born April 24 1952, in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne) is a French Fashion designer and past television

At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of material (such as pareos), but most skirts are fitted to the body at the waist and fuller below, with the fullness introduced by means of dart, gores, pleats, or panels. A draped garment is a garment that is made of unstitched Cloth that is held to the body by means of Pins fibulae, or clasps Sashes The pāreu or pareo (see below is the Tahitian word for wraparound Skirt. A pleat (older plait) is a type of Fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place Modern skirts are usually made of light to mid-weight fabrics, such as denim, jersey, worsted, or poplin. A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial Fibres often referred to as thread or Yarn. Denim is a rugged Cotton Twill Textile, in which the Weft passes under two ( twi- "double" or more warp fibers Skirts of thin or clingy fabrics are often worn with slips to make the material of the skirt drape better and for modesty. A slip is a Woman 's Undergarment worn beneath a dress or skirt to help it hang smoothly and to prevent chafing of the Skin from coarse

The hemline of skirts can be as high as the upper thigh or as low as the ground, depending on the whims of fashion and the modesty or personal taste of the wearer. The hemline of a garment is its lower edge The term most often refers to the lower edge of a Skirt or Dress. In humans the thigh is the area between the Pelvis and the Knee. Fashion refers to styles of dress (but can also include cuisine literature art architecture and general comportment that are popular in a culture at any given time Standards of modesty (also called demureness or reticence) are aspects of the Culture of a Country or people at a given point in time

Some medieval upper-class women wore skirts over 3 metres in diameter at the bottom. At the other extreme, the miniskirts of the 1960s were minimal garments that may have barely covered the underwear when seated. The miniskirt (often hyphenated as mini-skirt) is a Skirt with Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Costume historians typically use the word "petticoat" to describe skirt-like garments of the 18th century or earlier. A petticoat or underskirt is an article of Clothing for Women; specifically an Undergarment to be worn under a Skirt, dress or

Contents 1 History 1.1 Skirts in the 19th century 1.2 Skirts in the 20th and 21st centuries 2 Basic types 2.1 Fads and fashions 3 Usage 3.1 Underwear 4 Male wear 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

History

Skirts in the 19th century

During the nineteenth century, the cut of women's dresses in western culture varied more widely than in any other century. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Waistlines started just below the bust (the Empire silhouette) and gradually sank to the natural waist. The waistline is the line of demarcation between the upper and lower portions of a garment which notionally corresponds to the natural waist but may vary with fashion from just below the An Empire silhouette is created by a woman wearing a high-waisted dress gathered near or just under the bust with a long loose Skirt, which skims the body Skirts started fairly narrow and increased dramatically to the hoopskirt and crinoline-supported styles of the 1860s; then fullness was draped and drawn to the back by means of bustles. A hoop skirt or hoopskirt is a women's Undergarment worn in various periods to hold the Skirt extended into a fashionable shape Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric with a Weft of Horse-hair and a warp of Cotton or Linen thread. Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the USA was completed in 1869 A bustle is a type of framework used to expand the fullness or support the drapery of the back of a woman's dress occurring predominantly between the mid- to late 1800s

See also History of Western fashion: 1795-1820, 1820s, 1830s, 1840s,1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

Victorian fashion, Artistic Dress movement, Victorian dress reform. The history of Western fashion is the story of the changing Fashions in Clothing for men and women in Western Europe and other countries under Fashion in the period 1795-1820 in European and European-influenced countries saw the final triumph of undress or informal styles over the brocades lace periwigs and powder During the 1820s in European and European-influenced countries fashionable women's clothing styles transitioned away from the classically-influenced "Empire"/"Regency" 1830s fashion in European and European-influenced Clothing is characterized by an emphasis on breadth, initially at the shoulder and later in the hips in contrast 1840s fashion in European and European-influenced Clothing is characterized by a narrow natural shoulder line following the exaggerated puffed sleeves of the later 1820s 1850s fashion in European and European-influenced Clothing is characterized by an increase in the width of women's Skirts supported by Crinolines or 1860s fashion in European and European-influenced Clothing is characterized by extremely full-skirted women's fashions relying on Crinolines and hoops and 1870s fashion in European and European-influenced Clothing is characterized by a gradual return to a narrow silhouette after the full-skirted fashions of the 1850s Fashion in the 1880s in European and European-influenced countries is characterized by the return of the Bustle. Fashion in the 1890s in European and European-influenced countries is characterized by long elegant lines tall collars and the rise of Sportswear. The term " Victorian Fashion " refers to Fashion in Clothing in the Victorian era, or the reign of Queen Victoria (1837&ndash1901 The Artistic Dress movement and its successor Aesthetic Dress, were Fashion trends in nineteenth century Clothing. During the middle and late '''Victorian''' period, various reformers proposed designed and wore clothing supposedly more rational and comfortable than the fashions of the time

Skirts in the 20th and 21st centuries

Beginning around 1915, hemlines for daytime dresses left the floor for good. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The hemline of a garment is its lower edge The term most often refers to the lower edge of a Skirt or Dress. For the next fifty years, fashionable skirts became short (1920s), then long (1930s), then shorter (the War Years with their restrictions on fabric), then long (the New Look), then shortest of all during the 1960s, when skirts became as short as possible while avoiding exposure of underwear, which was considered taboo. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Undergarments are clothes worn under other clothes often next to the skin A taboo is a strong Social prohibition (or ban) against words objects actions or discussions that are considered undesirable or offensive by a group culture

Since the 1970s and the rise of pants as an option for all but the most formal of occasions, no one skirt length has dominated fashion for long, with short and ankle-length styles often appearing side-by-side in fashion magazines and catalogs. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Trousers are an item of Clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth stretching across

Basic types

• Straight skirt, a tailored skirt hanging straight from the hips and fitted from the waist to the hips by means of darts or a yoke; may have a kick-pleat for ease of walking
• Full skirt, a skirt with fullness gathered into the waistband
• A-line skirt, a skirt with a slight flare, roughly in the shape of a capital letter A
• Pleated skirt, a skirt with fullness reduced to fit the waist by means of regular pleats ('plaits') or folds, which can be stitched flat to hip-level or free-hanging
• Circle skirt, a skirt cut in sections to make one or more circles with a hole for the waist, so the skirt is very full but hangs smoothly from the waist without darts, pleats, or gathers
• Hobble skirt, long and tight skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride

Fads and fashions

• Ballerina skirt, a full-length formal skirt popular in the 1950s. The fashion term A-Line was introduced by the French couture designer Christian Dior for his Spring-Summer 1955 Collection A pleat (older plait) is a type of Fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place A hobble skirt (from to hobble = "to limp" is a Skirt with a narrow enough hem to significantly impede the wearer's stride thus earning its name Ballerina skirt is a full Skirt that reaches to just above the Ankles It was a popular style during the 1950s
• Broomstick skirt, a skirt with many crumpled pleats formed by compressing and twisting the garment while wet (1980s and on)
• Cargo skirt, a plain, utilitarian skirt with belt loops and numerous large pockets, based on the military style of Cargo pants and popularised in the 1990s. A Broomstick Skirt is a type of light-weight Skirt that is characterized by its amount of fabric and "wrinkly" or "crinkled" look Cargo pants ( cargo trousers) are much like regular Khaki pants, but were designed originally for tough outdoor activities Cargo pants ( cargo trousers) are much like regular Khaki pants, but were designed originally for tough outdoor activities
• Dirndl, a skirt made of a straight length of fabric gathered at the waist
• Jean skirt, A trouser skirt made of denim, often designed like 5-pocket jeans, but found in a large variety of styles. A dirndl is a type of traditional dress worn in southern Germany and Austria, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants A denim skirt, commonly known as a "jean skirt" is a Skirt made of Denim, the same material as Blue jeans. Jeans are Trousers made from Denim. Mainly designed for work, they became popular among Teenagers starting in the 1950s.
• Leather skirt, A skirt made of leather
• Kilt-skirt, a wrap-around skirt with overlapping aprons in front and pleated around the back. A leather skirt is a Skirt made of Leather. They appear in a variety of lengths and styles Leather is a material created through the Tanning of hides and Skins of Animals primarily Cattlehide The Tanning process Though traditionally designed as women's wear, it is fashioned to mimic somewhat closely the general appearance of a (man's) kilt, including the usage of a plaid pattern more or less closely resembling those of recognized tartan patterns of Scotland.

• Maxiskirt, an ankle length-skirt (1970s, but has made a comeback in the 2000s)
• Midi skirt, mid-calf length. See: 1970s in fashion. Early to Mid 1970 s Skirt and dress --> The decade began with a continuation of the hippie look from the 1960s.
• Miniskirt, a thigh-length skirt, and micromini, an extremely short version (1960s)
• Poodle skirt, a circle or near-circle skirt with an appliqued poodle or other decoration (1950s)
• Prairie skirt, a flared skirt with one or more flounces or tiers (1970s and on)
• Rah-rah skirt, a short, tiered, and often colourful skirt fashionable in the early-mid 1980s. The miniskirt (often hyphenated as mini-skirt) is a Skirt with A poodle skirt is one of the most memorable symbols of the 1950s. In its broadest sense an applique or appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface A prairie skirt is an American style of Skirt, an article of women's and girls' Clothing. The rah-rah (or ra-ra) skirt was a short flounced skirt that became popular in about 1982 and remained fashionable mostly among teenage girls for several years
• Sarong, a square of fabric wrapped around the body and tied on one hip to make a skirt; worn as a skirt or as a cover-up over a bathing suit in tropical climates. A sarong or sarung (ˈsaɾoŋ in Malay, and səˈrɒŋ in English) is a large sheet of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as
• Tiered skirt, made of several horizontal layers, each wider than the one above, and divided by stitching. Layers may look identical in solid-colored garments, or may differ when made of printed fabrics.
• Trouser skirt, a straight skirt with the part above the hips tailored like men's trousers, with belt loops, pockets, and fly front
• T-skirt, made from a T-shirt, the T-skirt is generally modified to result in a pencil skirt, with invisible zippers, full length 2-way separating side zippers, as well as artful fabric overlays and yokes. The word culottes is of French language origin and is the diminutive form of the word "cul" which means "backside" from the Latin "culus Trousers are an item of Clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth stretching across A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a Shirt which is pulled on over the head to cover most of a person's Torso.

Usage

In Europe and America, skirts are worn by females of all ages as an alternative to Trousers. Outside the U. S. , however, higher-status women (judges, cabinet ministers, physicians, corporate executives etc. ) generally avoid wearing trousers in public.

A skirt may be worn as part of a suit. The man's suit of clothes is a set of garments which are crafted from the same cloth Skirts are the garments of choice for many women in formal situations. In cold climates, girls and women may wear trousers, hosiery, or long underwear for warmth and/or modesty, with a skirt on top to mark their femininity or other reasons (for instance, since they happen to be "in-fashion" at the time). Long underwear, often called long johns, is a style of two-piece Underwear with long sleeves and long legs that is normally worn during cold weather In traditional societies, such as in many countries in Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America, it is considered inappropriate for girls and women to wear trousers rather than a skirt or a dress. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a

Potential disadvantages of skirts and dresses include them being either too long or cumbersome for the performance of some physical activities such as climbing ladders, and that their use can run contrary to the individual or wider public sense of modesty and decency, especially given their potential to intentionally or accidentally expose the wearer's underwear. The miniskirt (often hyphenated as mini-skirt) is a Skirt with Standards of modesty (also called demureness or reticence) are aspects of the Culture of a Country or people at a given point in time Undergarments are clothes worn under other clothes often next to the skin

Underwear

Skirts and dresses are, like other outer clothing, usually worn with underwear. Undergarments are clothes worn under other clothes often next to the skin A wearer of a skirt is likely to wear a form of panties as innerwear, though depending on the occasion, type of material, and type of skirt for modesty one may wear a slip over the panties. From the Dark Ages to the Renaissance it was uncommon for a western woman to wear anything at all under her skirt, believing it could lead to infections. Skirts are sometimes worn with tights. Tights are a type of fabric leg covering usually extending from the waist to feet and fitting as tightly as possible to the body (from which the name derives

Male wear

Main article: Men's skirts

There are a number of male garments which fall under the catergory of "skirt" or "dress. Men's skirts are Skirts worn by Men. The wearing of a skirt is conventionally in North America and much of Europe an expression of a female role " These go by a variety of names and form part of the traditional dress for men from various cultures. Usage varies - the dhoti is part of everyday dress on the Indian subcontinent while the kilt is more usually restricted to occasional wear and the foustanella is used almost exclusively as costume. The pancha in Telugu, called dhoti or doti in Hindi, Laacha in Punjabi, Mundu in Malayalam Robes, which are a type of dress for men, have existed in many cultures, including the Japanese kimono, the Chinese cheongsam, and the Arabic thobe. The is the National costume of Japan. Originally the word "kimono" literally meant thing to wear ( ki wearing and mono thing but now has come The cheongsam is a body-hugging (modified in Shanghai) one-piece Chinese Dress for women A thawb or thobe (ثوب) dishdasha (ar دشداشة) kandura (ar كندورة) khameez (ar قميص Robes are also used in some religious orders, such as the cassock in Christianity and various robes and cloaks that may be used in pagan rituals. The cassock, an item of Clerical clothing, is a long close-fitting ankle-length Robe worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Examples of men's skirts and skirt-like garments from various cultures include:

• The kilt is a historic Gaelic and Celtic garment, part of the Scottish national dress in particular, and is worn formally and to a lesser extent informally. The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Irish and Welsh kilts also exist but are not so much a part of national identity.

• The foustanella is worn by men in Greece and other parts of the Balkans. Fustanella (for spelling in various languages see chart below) is a traditional Skirt -like garment worn by men in the Balkans. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία By the mid-20th Century, it was relegated to ceremonial use and as period or traditional costume.

• The gho is a knee-length robe worn by men in Bhutan. Gho is the traditional and national dress for men in Bhutan. Introduced in the 17th century by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel to give the Bhutanese a more distinctive identity it The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. They are required to wear it every day as part of national dress.

• The sarong is a piece of cloth that may be wrapped around the waist to form a skirt-like garment. A sarong or sarung (ˈsaɾoŋ in Malay, and səˈrɒŋ in English) is a large sheet of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as Sarongs exist in various cultures under various names, including the pareo and lavalava of the Hawaiian islands, the Indian dhoti and lungi, and the South Indian mundu. The pāreu or pareo (see below is the Tahitian word for wraparound Skirt. A lava-lava is a kind of clothing worn by Polynesians especially Tongans Samoans Micronesians and Hawaiians It is worn by both men and women The pancha in Telugu, called dhoti or doti in Hindi, Laacha in Punjabi, Mundu in Malayalam The lungi ( Bengali: লুঙ্গি) is a Garment worn around the waist in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar The mundu (muɳʈɨ is a garment worn around the waist in Kerala and Maldives related to the Dhoti as well as the Lungi.

In the Western world skirts, dresses and similar garments are considered primarily women's clothing today although historically that was not the case. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings ^[1] The wearing of skirts by men in these areas is generally seen as cross-dressing although some fashion designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier have produced skirts for men and kilts are widely accepted in some situations. Cross-dressing is the act of wearing clothing commonly associated with another gender within a particular Society. Jean-Paul Gaultier (born April 24 1952, in Arcueil, Val-de-Marne) is a French Fashion designer and past television The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century

In various subcultures, such as the gothic and punk subcultures, the use of skirts by men is not necessarily seen as cross-dressing and is much more likely to be accepted. The punk subculture is based around Punk rock. It emerged from the larger Rock music scene in the mid-to-late-1970s in the United Kingdom, the United

See also

• 1970s in fashion
• Blouse
• Bustle
• Clothing
• Clothing terminology
• Crinoline
• Dress
• Gown
• Hobble skirt
• Jean skirt
• Miniskirt
• Petticoat
• Qipao
• Sarong
• Tunic
• Upskirt

References

• Oxford English Dictionary
• Brockmamn, Helen L. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English : The Theory of Fashion Design, Wiley, 1965.
• Picken, Mary Brooks: The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0-308-10052-2)
• Tozer, Jane, and Sarah Levitt: Fabric of Society: A Century of People and Their Clothes 1770-1870, Laura Ashley Ltd. , 1983; ISBN 0-9508913-0-4

External links

• Stylopedia -- an online dictionary of fashion details
• ApparelSeach glossary of textile and apparel terms
• An international dress size converter

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