Dior circa 1940s

Full skirts have been around for centuries. From the 1850s to roughly 1912, ladies preferred full skirts since they helped waists appear slimmer and symbolized wealth as a full skirt equaled lots of fabric. However, the bustles and petticoats that were needed to create the full look soon became cumbersome for women, who slowly gave up the silhouette as the world moved toward its first great war.

In 1947, fashion icon Christian Dior launched his first collection for Spring-Summer, which not only brought the full skirt back but modernized it by shortening the hem to mid-calf. As the world was reeling from its second World War, women fell in love once again with the femininity of narrow waists and the luxury of yards of fabric in one garment. Dubbed the “New Look,” the full skirt became a staple of the 1950s that took off in the US and led to the Poodle Skirt, which became popular with teens experiencing the emergence of rock and roll.

The full skirt returned full force to the fashion scene with the popular TV drama Mad Men that showcased the glamour that comes with swishing skirts. Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dries Van Noten featured the flared silhouette in their Autumn-Winter collections this year. Locally, full skirts were seen on the catwalks of Philippine Fashion Week for designers Dave Ocampo and Lyle Ibanez. Jellybean has also taken the trend as inspiration for its holiday collection.