Miss Celie

Burda Magazine 2-2011-120: Inverted Pleat Skirt (Showing the Good China)

Whoa. This skirt is short. Like OBGYN visit short. Like, I’m only wearing you when it’s deathly hot and with full bloomers underneath short.

Oddly enough, when deciding between blue denim or this khaki twill, I chose khaki so they would be work appropriate. Heh. Obviously, theses aren’t getting anywhere near my office!

The front kick pleat visual interest. I tend to drive myself crazy wanting the pleat to stay closed the whole time. But, I don’t think it’s really meant to do that. Or, it’s *slightly* off grain.

It was a really easy skirt.  Because time was of the essence, I left out the pockets. There is no waistband, just a facing. So, I used twill tape in the seam allowance of the waistband to stabilize this stretchy fabric.

I finished the facing with premade bias tape.

For the hem, just serging and a twin needle stitch. I did hem it by one inch. I could have also tried a facing, but seriously. Would 3/4 of an inch really have made this that much longer?

Skirt construction is less than two hours, skirt length, less than two feet.  (ETA: The blouse is from the Janaury 2008 Burda. I wrote a review of it for my China trip.)

And, baby. It’s shooooort. That trench coat is just below my knees. I am kind of a modest person when it comes to dress. I don’t like it too tight, low or short.  If I wasn’t pressed, I probably would have immediately recut and sewn this skirt.

I haven’t shown this much thigh in public since I was at the beach in August 2010. My younger friend Liz (who I am usually telling to wear longer skirts) fell out laughing when I put it on. No fear! I plan to wear compression shorts under it this weekend.

I now realize the Burda model is kind of leaning forward, making the skirt appear a bit longer. Oh, Burda!! Girl, you got me good!

Of course, I could have checked the length and measured. But, I was in a hurry. Truth be told, these are not much shorter than my shorts of two years ago. But, shorts can’t show your hoo-ha.

Needless to say, I’m not picking anything off the floor in these. Dang.

I have a second version already cut out in denim, with an additional two inches in length! But, looking at these photos, I think three to five might have been the right move 🙂

If you’d like to try it yourself and don’t have this issue, you can find it at BurdaStyle.

48 comments

  1. Well I think you look just fine in this skirt . . . but I agree, I wouldn’t recommend wearing it to work! Great summer knock-around skirt!

    • You look great in it! If your anything like me though(probably not), you may not sit so lady like at all occasions. I have this same skirt (different pattern company), but I turned mine into a skort – no hoo-ha showings! 😀

  2. Short it is – but cute too. Shows off your legs but yes, protect the other goods. Thanks for the laugh this morning.

  3. I think it’s great! And you got the lovely toned pins to go with it (NB: I wonder if the cycling gives you and the magazine-model the great legs to carry this off? After all she has a bike in the pic too, and you’re a cyclist too. Although the skirt length as-is is too short to cycle in – you’d ermmm… catch a chill from the breezes drafting through on something delicate!!!).

    • Yep, it’s short. But it fits great…can’t wait to see the denim one. The biking and dancing are paying off…your legs look good!

  4. LOL! I love the part where you wrote “Oh, Burda, you got me good!” Hahahaha! But seriously, I like these on you. At least with the compression shorts you won’t be flashing your panties if a wind catches it. Thanks for the laugh!

  5. It is actually very flattering, but even so I would never leave the house in something that short without some bike shorts underneath and I’m in my early 20s. A couple inches long and it’ll be a home run!

  6. You’ve got the legs to work it – why not?! Though yeh, maybe not for work.

    Patterns like this do make me laugh. Y’know the A-line skirt from the Feb 2010 issue? Go onto PR and search for it (02-2010-104) and look at all of the lovely knee length skirts. I had to add in six inches to get mine knee length. I’m not sure that the above, unaltered, would even cover my crotch!

    • TOTALLY! Those are some magnificent pins you’re sportin’! Bend at the knees, not the waist. 🙂

  9. Agree with all the “looks great on you-super legs” comments, for me (5’10” & 56 yo) the length is scandalous! Opinions please, how about +5-6″ in length?

  11. Yes, it is short, but honey you have got great legs!

    Thanks for the facing photos. Do you use plain ol twill tape? Or is it a special kind?

  13. I think it looks awesome on you. I would be a bit concerned about the “draft” too but easily solved with some shorts. I’d put that in the NSFW category too, not the way you want to draw attention to yourself in a professional environment. 😉

  14. LOL! I’m sorry, but I like this skirt, and think you have the legs to pull it off. I’d maybe save it for date night though…. 😉

    And I love that blouse, did you make it (I hope!) or buy it? If you did make it, what pattern is it?

  15. That skirt is leg-tastic! It looks great on you, though I do agree that it might be a teeny bit short for work. Still, lovely work!

  16. showing the good china? HA HA HA HA!!!! thanks for that one! agree that the skirt looks leggerific on you!

  17. Don’t you think this is perfect for the event? Très jeune fille but that’s what you are. I like.

  18. A little scandalous, but it does look good.

    Hard to say from the Burda photo with the baggy shirt, but I would guess that the model is not wearing that skirt at her natural waist. Looks like the top of the skirt is where low-rise jeans would sit.

    • Yes I concur – I suspect the skirt is hanging down around the model’s probably-quite-narrow hips 😉 Very misleading! But you look lovely regardless, enjoy wearing it on a hot summer’s day 😉

  19. I agree, the fit is great, even if the effect is (to quote Leslie in Austin) a little hoochie mama. May not be work appropriate, but those are definitely good for weekend, with bike shorts. 🙂

  22. If I had legs like yours, I’d think about wearing skirts like that all the time! With bike shorts definitely, though – as cute as that skirt is, it’s a bit too short for me, too.

  23. Yep, you’ve got the pins for it! And if you DO wear it to work, you’ll be the most popular gal at the water cooler.

  24. Okay, cards on the table – It is too short for work. BUT OMG your legs look fan-tas-tic girl!

    Try it with shorts, trainers and a baggy top, I bet it will look different again.

    I think I am going to buy myself a bike if my legs will look like yours!

  25. Well let me start with a compliment…all that bike riding has been good to your legs! They are amazing looking! As for the skirt, doesn’t look that bad to me but then again I could have just been staring at your legs…*LOL* But you have a solution and seriously…dayum your legs look GOOD!

  26. I think you look terrific in that skirt, but if the length isn’t working for you, you could always add a decorative trim (like an embroidered ribbon, or an extra section of the original fabric) at the bottom to add some length.

  28. Such a cute skirt, but yes it is short!
    I am sure you’ll find occasion to wear it though, with those fab legs you must!

  29. Cute skirt – you do have nice legs 🙂
    But it’s not office wear, that’s for sure
    It will look good in denim

  30. If I had legs like that… Well, I probably wouldn’t wear a skirt that short, either. But, just to echo everyone else– YOU LOOK GREAT!!!

  31. Well, you’ve got great legs, so this isn’t a bad thing! Besides, compression shorts or leggings will protect the goods while staying cute.

  33. Yes short BUT you are young and shapely. Your legs are great. Wear with pleasure and no don’t bend over to pick any thing off the floor

  34. Wow yes it is short – I always assume that skirts on those models will look at least 6 inches longer on me so I would probably have done the same thing and not checked the measurements either. Anyway you can definitely wear this, but yeah, maybe not to the office!

  35. Agree with the others-definitely short, but it looks great on you! And thanks to LaKaribane for a good laugh.

  36. Whoa, that’s short! What is it with Burda and lengths? I’m working on a dress from the March issue and it falls on mid-thigh! Of course I didnt check because I’m small and usually I have to take in the hem. But hey, summer of love is arriving.

  37. Tennis, anyone?
    Yikes, like stay away from vinyl seats too while you’re at it. In fact you want to be very comfortable with the seating surface of anything in a micromini like that! Burda got you good. But you look great showing off your gams. The bike trip paid off.
    I’m almost positive the front pleat isn’t made to lie shut. It’s for walking ease. Ironically, I find those skirts best for biking with discretion–but at knee length 🙂
    Cidell, do I spy an IKEA Anaboda dresser holding your patterns? Is it the perfect size, or what? I need a new pattern filing system 🙂
    http://www.ikea.com/be/nl/catalog/products/70121758

  38. It is def short but so cute! You are so good about sewing skirts. When I first started sewing, I only did skirts cuz they were the easiest to me. I need to make more skirts now too.

  42. […] Right. We’re also not allowed to wear jeans and khakis were suggested. So… I don’t own khakis. I own two solid colored skirts and they are knits. My black pants are wool and dressy. My summer pants are linen and blue– I don’t want to look like a smurf. So, I quickly (and QUICKLY) sewed up my second version of the inverted pleat skirt after work this week. The first version is here. […]

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