Summer Skirts for the New Economy

Having spent more than a decade in high end retail, I've been watching, with interest, the trend in the last couple of years for designers to partner with moderate retail chains to produce a similarly priced line of clothing. It began with Isaac Misrahi and his line for Target. Then Sara Jessica Parker designed Bitten for Steve & Barry's. Proenza Schouler showed up at Target. Though not quite tempted yet, these were good signs for those without store employee discounts or trust funds.

Lately Vera Wang has been getting all the buzz with her Simply Vera line for Kohl's. I peeked online after seeing a really pretty blue print skirt in Lucky magazine. Kohl's website allowed me to preview upcoming collections and release dates. I thought that I needed to add Kohl's to my radar. Then this week while driving down the freeway I saw a sign about Dana Buchman for Kohl's. That did it. I'd been pushed to the edge and knew the time for some dressing room communing was here - and at Kohl's no less!

Well one thing led to another and before I knew what happened I was buying summer skirts on a rainy, dreary, drizzly Wisconsin winter day.

Here are some trends to extend your current wardrobe with 2009 seasonal updates.

70's "Hippie" style: Ombre / Ikat

This began a few seasons ago with Miuccia Prada's wonderful ombres and has extended to include processes which are irregular and individual. Talbots has a great long tiered Ikat skirt in either Cement (Black) or grass Green. The cement will pair nicely with those black tops that we all have a million of. The Green is on trend with everyone showing green this season. I love long skirts in hot weather because they allow freedom of movement both for you and for the air. This skirt will easily dress up or down.

A completely different take in this same trend is the Dana Buchman for Kohl's silk twill knee length pleated skirt. This skirt is all elegance and refinement both in color choice and fabric yet there is a slightly irregular feel to the pattern which gives it a hand printed feel. The black and taupe are shot through with an unexpectedly brilliant royal blue.

Bold Graphic print

Again, a nod to the 60's, this should be geometric and large in scale. Vera Wang's print is a pretty navy, brighter than you usually see. A repetitive series of blocks that look like hand water colored fall in line pleat after pleat with an adjustable elastic back.

Bold Floral

New York & Company has prints in two distinctive shapes. The first is a gathered short, above the knee multi colored floral. Available in either green or red, the green is an on trend color this season.

The second is a cotton and spandex pencil skirt with a fit like a dream even on less than perfect waistlines. The white background is printed with Green, Tomato, or a deep Taupe. All are great additions for a trendy spark this summer. There is also a sweater available in the same print to pair with a solid color skirt available in the same great cut.

Dark Blue Over dye

Dark over dyes have been around before but with so much navy showing up, this is a great way to be blue with a slightly irreverent twist. Again this comes from New York & Company in the spandex and cotton pencil skirt style.

City Style Pencil Skirt - Indigo #03871595 $34.95

Greet the warm weather by showing a little leg in any one of these great, price friendly skirts.