Thursday, April 25, 2013

Denim Maxi Skirts

It's always hard to find denim maxi skirts, and it's even harder to find denim maxi skirts that are at least 38" in  length. But I found two different denim maxi skirts at Zappos while browsing the internet this evening, and I'd love to share them with you.

Before I introduce the skirts, I have to be honest that I have no experience with either brand I'm featuring. The good news, however, is that Zappos provides free 1-day shipping and free returns. So, if you buy a skirt and you don't like it, you can return it. Or, you can buy multiple sizes and keep what fits you best.

The first skirt is the $79.50 Blank NYC "The Maxi Skirt" in Crank Shaft. This skirt is 40" long and has a small slit in the back. The color "Crank Shaft" seems to be a medium blue, and perhaps too saturated for a pure denim look. If you search the internet, you may find some other sites selling this skirt in white, but it is only available in very limited sizes for very small-waisted people. It's also 98% cotton and 2% spandex, so it won't look exactly like a pair of 100% cotton jeans. Note, that in my experience with "denim" skirts, 98% is a pretty high cotton percentage. I have only owned one denim maxi skirt that was 100% denim, it was from the Gap, and I put more holes into that thing before I threw it out than I care to admit. There was nothing wrong with the quality of the Gap skirt. I just wore the thing to death because it was actual denim.

I still think the skirt looks pretty nice. I'm debating whether to buy one myself, and if I do buy it, what size to get. If you have any experience with the "Blank NYC" brand's sizing, please feel free to leave a comment regarding it! Here's a picture of the skirt, so you, too, can debate whether you want to buy this skirt.



The second skirt is the $67.99 Blue Belle A Line Skirt by Roper in Blue. It's a darker denim color and is also supposedly light-weight. Zappos states that the skirt is 36" long and is made of 97% cotton and 3% spandex. Roper states that the skirt is 38" long and is made of 98% cotton and 2% spandex. I contacted Zappos' customer service to see which site is correct, but their best recommendation was to order the skirt and measure for myself. If you already own this skirt and know it's material content and length, please feel free to share in the comments section.

Despite not knowing the skirt's specs, I really like that this skirt doesn't have a slit, yet still looks like it's easy to walk in. That's very important given that there are so many skirts that make walking nearly impossible. Here's a picture of the skirt, which helps to show how much material the skirt has on the bottom.



Basically, both skirts seem like good options for casual days. Both skirts have a mature look (e.g. you won't be mistaken for a teeny bopper while wearing one) and look like they're decent values. Given that it's currently about 1:15 AM, I'm not making a decision tonight about whether I will purchase one of these skirts, but I'll definitely give it a lot of thought tomorrow.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Tznua School Uniform Skirt

Lands End has a pleated school uniform skirt available for $40 for girls and $45 for women. It comes in black and classic navy and can be bought in every size from a little girls' size 4 through a women's size 16. (It unfortunately does not come in plus sizes.) According to Lands End it falls to mid-calf, but no specific length is provided on the website. Best of all, it's machine-washable and it supposedly stays pleated after washing!



As I have noted previously on this blog, I'm a big fan of Lands End clothing. While this skirt may be slightly pricey for a school uniform skirt, Lands End often has sales (for example, through the end of today, you can receive 25% off your purchase, but sales often provide 30% or even 40% off), and the quality is excellent. If something ever happens to your skirt, you can exchange it with Lands End for a similar skirt in the same size. So, if you have multiple daughters, you'll only have to pay for the skirt once to make it last through all of them (assuming Lands End continues to produce this skirt).