Review: Butterick 5929 | How I Made the Midi Skirt Work For Me!

11:30 AM


Erica B.'s DIY Style - Orange Midi Skirt
So, I finally jumped on the midi (mid calf length) bandwagon.  I know that some women feel this is a hard trend to pull off.  Even at 5'9", I had been skirting the issue!  (Pun intended.)  My problem with this style was not the length, because I've made dresses before in this style.
Erica B.'s DIY Style - Orange Midi Skirt
I decided that the full skirts with all of those pleats (God forbid gathers. Eeekkk!), at MY waistline are not my friend!  No ma'am!  However, I do love my full faux-leather skirt.  But in my defense, it's shorter than a midi length -- meaning less fabric!  And the pleats are stitched down from the waist.  A sleeker, fit-and-flare circle skirt works best for me in this length!  That's why I chose Butterick 5929, view C.
Erica B.'s DIY Style - Orange Midi Skirt
My formula for making this skirt work for me is to combine it with a form-fitting top -- tucked in.  A button down or a close-fitting sweater would work too.  Volume on the top AND bottom is not a good look for most women.  You need to pick!  And a waist-cinching belt.  Snatch it in ladies!
Erica B.'s DIY Style - Orange Midi Skirt
And you MUST wear a heeled shoe.  Seriously, there are no exceptions.  Flats are simply not flattering with a skirt this length.  And my number one recommendation would be a classic, single-sole, lady-like pump that exposes the top of the foot to give you a nice long-leg line.  But since I had never worn these booties, I decided these would work.  They're very light, being that the majority of the bootie is mesh.
Erica B.'s DIY Style - Orange Midi Skirt
And I added a my vintage mid-century Stylecraft Miami lucite purse that use to belong to my grandmother.
Erica B.'s DIY Style - Orange Midi Skirt
For me, I chose a leather biker jacket to top off this look.  

Now a "review"...

This pattern is sew-out-of-the-envelope simple and beginner friendly.  I added additional length and a lining.  My fabric is this gorgeous orange silk twill from Mood Fabrics.

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43 comments

  1. I do not, in anyway, follow fashion trends (LOL!) but I'm pretty proud of myself for having the *NEED* right now for this midi length Burda skirt. It's going to happen this weekend now! :)

    Except we're struggling to say above zero so uhmm...boots it is! :)

    Love the skirt and the color is fantastic.

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    1. It would look great with a boot! Thanks Mrs Smith!

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  2. Amazing! Is there anything that you don't wear so gorgeously?

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  3. Love love this. I'm in love with midi anything right now. I wore mine with a sweater that I "cropped" lol.

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    1. Cropping is a great idea! Thanks Adrienne!

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  4. You look beautiful! Love the skirt so much! xox

    www.ruzinscloset.com

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  5. Great styling advise! You look fantastic and love that picuter were you can see the silken swish of the fabric.

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  6. That's a great outfit, Erica, beautifully styled. Love the neckline on that top!

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  7. You look smashing! No heels for me...no way, and I wear mid-calf skirts all the time. I cannot walk in heels. LOL

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  8. Lovely color combo :)

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  9. Gorgeous. I agree about the styling too. I wish I was the body type that looked elegant in ballet flats with this kind of skirt but I'm with you. Heels all the way baby. Love the fabric too.

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  10. 5ft 9in? Lucky you! I'm barely scraping 5ft 4.5in but full, flared skirts are the business. They are so classy and timeless. I love the colour that you chose. Perfect pop of colour for a dull winter day.

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    1. Thanks Shades Professional Makeup!

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  11. Gorgeous. Beautiful color and styled perfectly.

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  12. It looks amazing! I agree with you - a girl has to choose between volume on top or bottom, wearing both of them is utterly unflattering. I also love the shoes, they're gorgeous!

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  13. Incredible! I just love this look on you!

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  14. Beautiful, love the style and the color of the skirt, it's a match made in heaven!

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  15. Wonderful job! You killed the game!

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  16. That looks fabulous! That length is super flattering on you, too! I'm quite short (5'0"... barely) and I also find I need a form fitting top to make that kind of skirt work for me. Love the color, too!

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  17. I love this look! The skirt is very flattering on you! Thanks for the tips on wearing this style as I prefer longer skirts but they often times do look 'frumpy'....which I guess is as a result of wearing flats with them.

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  18. Great idea, but its strikingly familiars to Nicki's over at 'Beaute Jadore'
    http://www.beautejadore.com/2013/10/diy-full-skirt.html

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    1. The midi skirt is a TREND! Maybe for you, Nikki's version and styling was "groundbreaking". Nikki has fantastic taste and so do I and every other blogger that has posted variations of this look. Here's a few other examples for your reading pleasure, since you seem to have limited knowledge:

      http://www.jadore-fashion.com/2013/12/Different-take-on-choies-full-skirt-and-asos-leopard.html

      http://intheircloset.com/tibi-silk-faille-skirt

      http://www.lateafternoonblog.com/2013/12/pure-poison.html

      Just to list a few. And I didn't even bother listing how many times and ways Blair Eadie (Atlantic-Pacific blog) has rocked a colorful midi skirt with a black top. (I mean... seriously, a black top and a midi skirt. How UNcreative of pairing! It's really cliche' if I do say so myself!) You should really broaden your blog reading so you'll recognize when an item is currently trending.

      Happy Holidays and thanks for taking the time to comment!

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    2. Thank you for the information and I understand that its a trend. I only pointed out it was very familiar right down to the leather jacket and belt - hers date back to October.

      Everyone recreates the wheel when it comes to art and fashion so I'm wouldn't say that someone is the 'creator' of a specific style. Trends come and go and reappear again with a twist and so on.

      I'm not a spokesperson for Nikki, but as a creative and a person who does visit multiple fashion blog sites daily, I'm not that oblivious to notice a similarity.

      If you did see the styling from her blog first then sourcing or linking her would be great.

      And if thats not the case just plainly say it's a coincidence.

      Theres also no need to take on a sweet and sour dismissive tone.

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    3. Ooooohhhhh, I get it now. You're one of those crazy internet chicks, right! One of the ones that have absolutely nothing going on in their lives and take on other bloggers in which they "stan" for as their personal cause. Gotcha... I haven't had the displeasure of dealing with your type in a while. It's about that time. Maybe my blog is not your cup of tea. My demographic is adult women that have an interest in fashion and sewing. Not silly girls talking about somebody copying another person's look and not "sourcing" them. Chile, bye...

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  19. I like the colour of your skirt and the way you're dressed too !
    You are really talented !

    http://parentheses2.blogspot.fr

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