Marketing senior Oksana Bybliv has a closet full of high-waisted skirts. She said she likes that you can dress them up or down and the “classic feel” of them.
The best fashion is versatile, and the always classic high-waisted skirt remains a staple in women’s wardrobes, with the ladies of East Lansing giving the popular garment their own twist as the waistlines of other favorites head north as well.
High-waisted skirts also slim the body and emphasize curvy figures, said Lori Faulkner, a teaching specialist in apparel and textile design.
“It creates an hourglass figure,” Faulkner said. “You don’t need to be super skinny. By highlighting your waist and naturally defining your hips, (it) makes for an ultra feminine look.”
Students, such as journalism freshman Brittany Adams, love the high-waisted skirt because it is sophisticated and classy.
“High-waisted skirts kind of stand out to me,” Adams said. “They’re different. They make your body look good.”
Adams, who owns 10 high-waisted skirts, said her favorite combination is to pair the skirt with a regular shirt and high heels.
Other clothing items in this trend include shorts and pants, mainly jeans and trousers.
Marketing senior Oksana Bybliv, who owns several high-waisted items, said she likes the flexibility of the style.
“It’s chic, it’s elegant and sophisticated,” she said. “At the same time, it accentuates your curves.”
The history of dress and various fashions revive about every 30 or 40 years, but each time they return with a new twist, said Marie Gile, a professor in art and art history.
“That’s what makes fashion exciting,” Gile said. “We look back to prior times for inspiration. Every time something comes back, they’re slightly new.”
Gile said she thinks the immediate origins of high-waisted garments stem from the Empire period, with the waist line right under the bust.
It wasn’t until the 1930s when some movie stars, like Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn, would wear high-waisted slacks or trousers, Gile said.
Post World War II, women began to start cinching the waist once again, Gile said.
Faulkner said women now accent the skirt with very feminine accessories like big bows and heels.
Stores such as Wet Seal, located inside the Meridian Mall, 1982 W. Grand River Ave., in Okemos, offer skirts for as little as $11.50.
The price continues to climb up to luxury brands, such as Dolce & Gabbana, which offers a 100-percent silk skirt called the Pajama Skirt for about $1,500.
Bybliv said she feels the trend is timeless.
“It’s like the little black dress,” Bybliv said. “For as many years as it has been around, it is still popular.”
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