{"id":179777,"date":"2023-09-09T20:42:45","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T20:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/?p=179777"},"modified":"2023-09-09T20:42:45","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T20:42:45","slug":"why-tulle-is-always-cool-a-frothy-skirt-is-a-wardrobe-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotworldreport.com\/lifestyle\/why-tulle-is-always-cool-a-frothy-skirt-is-a-wardrobe-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Why tulle is always cool: A frothy skirt is a wardrobe winner"},"content":{"rendered":"
Floaty and frothy, tulle is the sugar-spun staple of ballerina tutus. The millefeuille of petticoats in a Strictly Viennese waltz. And for kids, it offers pitch-perfect prettiness for parties.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet it’s long been the mainstay of my everyday wardrobe. Even now, at 61.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tulle skirts, whether in dusty pink or electric blue, are my fashion go-to, whatever the season, whatever my mood.<\/p>\n
In summer, I wear them with a T-shirt, fedora and old-school white plimsolls. In winter, I cosy them up with chunky jumpers and sturdy ankle boots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rarely\u00a0do they fail to make an impact. Whether I’m travelling by tube, wafting through a gallery or schlepping round a supermarket, inevitably someone (often younger) will stop and ask me where I got my skirt.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tulle skirts, whether in dusty pink or electric blue, are my fashion go-to, whatever the season, whatever my mood<\/p>\n
Not that I’m saying I’ve singlehandedly brought tulle to the high street. Of course not. In one form or another, it’s been around for ages. But older women like me often assume it’s for Gen Z and millennials (who certainly don’t see it as a baby-boomer basic).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or if they do buy into tulle, they reserve it for fancy events. Shame. Because for sheer versatility, it’s hard to beat.<\/p>\n
Take a black net skirt. I wear it for work and eating out. I’ve also worn it for funerals with a buttoned, black tailored jacket \u2013 a respectful silhouette.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I want to channel a punky vibe, I team a ruby-red version with my vintage Mickey Mouse T-shirt and stompy suede boots.<\/p>\n
At the other end of the occasion scale, I’ll even pull one on with wellies for country walks. Although one time I got caught in a bramble and my husband had to extricate me. And you do have to be careful navigating stairs and escalators, gathering up and lifting layers clear.<\/p>\n
I’m no fan of fast fashion and today’s tulle, like so many contemporary fabrics, is synthetic. But in buying the right style, I’m wearing it year upon year, keeping it for decades, until I pass the pieces on.<\/p>\n
Why did my love of tulle take off? Partly, I pin it on a lifelong love of ballet (I still take classes).<\/p>\n
I also used to write for the Royal Opera House Magazine, a gig that gifted me the opportunity to perch behind those famous velvet curtains during performances. I revelled in the art, the atmosphere, the romance of it all, set against the rustle of swishy Swan Lake skirts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Why did my love of tulle take off? Partly, I pin it on a lifelong love of ballet (I still take classes)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I’m no fan of fast fashion and today’s tulle, like so many contemporary fabrics, is synthetic<\/p>\n
It also appealed to my fashion sense. I’ve always loved juxtapositions, pairing smart with casual, posh with budget, soft with tough. In my 30s, I would team chiffon minidresses with biker boots.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a combo that hadn’t quite gone mainstream, so\u00a0it raised a few eyebrows. Mostly in a good way. But as I got older, I adapted, switching out short chiffon for long tulle.<\/p>\n
I remember people saying I wouldn’t be able to rock the look when I was middle-aged. Certainly, my mother’s generation would have agreed. Before she and her sisters turned 50, their wardrobes pivoted around sensible beige separates and the Dannimac Royale raincoat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But here I am, waving the flag that age is no barrier to getting creative and bending the fashion rules, as long as you don’t go full-on mutton.<\/p>\n
Another net gain has been the compliments. Because when you get to my age there’s a certain expectation that the signature piece in your closet is the cloak of invisibility. That view needs to disappear. Pronto.<\/p>\n
My thoughts on this picked up steam last year when I wrote an article about hitting my 60th birthday. Instead of keeping the milestone under the radar, I decided to reframe it as a punch-the-air moment, taking my lead from the Japanese who call it kanreki \u2013 60, they believe, is when you’re born again.<\/p>\n
To accompany the story, I was photographed in a studio in my (old) outfits and tulle featured twice. Once, with a handmade Fair Isle jumper I’d commissioned from a knitwear designer years earlier.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I added crimson tights and Charles Jourdan satin shoes, found for \u00a315 on Ebay. Next, I wore a dove-grey skirt and a baggy cashmere sweater bearing the slogan ‘FUTURE’ in fluorescent yellow. Job done.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I remember people saying I wouldn’t be able to rock the look when I was middle-aged<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Take a black net skirt. I wear it for work and eating out. I’ve also worn it for funerals with a buttoned, black tailored jacket \u2013 a respectful silhouette<\/p>\n
That’s when the emails started pouring in. Sure, some addressed the points I was making about attitudes to ageing. But many were asking about my eclectic ensembles, especially the skirts. When I uploaded the pics to my pro-ageing website, 60.life,<\/p>\n
I was inundated with enquiries. So I worked up a ‘net-hero’ info sheet for every interested reader and hit send.<\/p>\n
I even ran my own 60.life competition. Yup \u2013 the prizes were tulle skirts in a selection of shades. One of the winning readers hailed from New Zealand. After I posted the garment she promptly sent me a photo of herself modelling it the second she unwrapped it. About my age, she looked amazing.<\/p>\n
In fact, tulle travels well.<\/p>\n
I take it on every holiday, no matter the climate or conditions, not least because it squishes flat and stays crease-free. And when I say I’ve taken it everywhere,<\/p>\n
I mean the Arctic Circle, Antarctica and the Eagle Festival in Mongolia. Not that I wore it during daytime exploits.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I’ve always loved juxtapositions, pairing smart with casual, posh with budget, soft with tough<\/p>\n
But of an evening aboard the polar ships or for a camp supper, along with hefty thermal tights,\u00a0it hit the sartorial spot.<\/p>\n
Bottom line? You’re never too old to give tulle a twirl. I say go for it. Experiment. Mix textures. Mingle styles.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Let high-end pieces rub shoulders with budget buys. Throw out traditional rules to see if an unlikely pairing delivers an off-kilter charm.<\/p>\n
You might find a new look you love. The chance to star in your own tulle story.<\/p>\n
Go for a ‘gored’ skirt shape<\/span> with panels that sit narrower at the waist and wider at the hem. This ensures it lies flatter on your hips. If acres of fabric are gathered on to elastic, they puff out and you look like an angry fairy in a musical box.<\/p>\n Do your online research.<\/span> Try checking out Ebay and Etsy. I home in on listings that offer more than a ‘one-size’ option. Sure, elastic stretches, but making it squeal for mercy generally fails to flatter. Chicwish (uk.chicwish.com) stocks the gored style in a range of sizes (always check specific measurements).<\/p>\n I like to size up<\/span> because I prefer a fit that looks (and feels) relaxed, so while I’m a UK 12, it might be that an XL looks better. I treat label sizes as a rough guide only.<\/p>\n Consider your footwear. <\/span>This is crucial. Cue contrasts such as chunky ankle boots or basic trainers. If you wear court shoes with a calf-length net skirt, you’re stepping into mother-of-the-bride territory.<\/p>\n Tops are key, too,<\/span> so avoid the cutesy, like a Peter-Pan collar, which Disneyfies the deal. Pink mesh requires some subversion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Opt for fabric that’s floppy and soft to the touch.<\/span> If it’s stiff, scratchy and sticky out-y, give it a wide berth.<\/p>\n Stephanie Sofokleous rounds up the hottest mesh styles\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A model walks the runway at the Molly Goddard show during London Fashion Week in 2020<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a385, boden.co.uk<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a369, arket.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a399, karenmillen.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a399, coastfashion.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a399, hush-uk.com<\/p>\nOn our swish list<\/h2>\n