Blouse: Princess Highway
Skirt: Asos
Shoes: Seychelles
I’ve been seeing different incarnation of this midi skirt pop-up on the blogs that I read for some months now. It looks like Asos knows that they’re onto a winner with it, and has released it in umpteen different colours, so I’ve seen it in blue and pink on LuAnne, in hot pink on Sian, in white, and red on Georgette.
It’s called the “Full Midi Skirt in Scuba with Pockets“, and I figured that since I was a fan of four out of five of those adjectives (full, midi, skirt, pockets) and totally unfamiliar with the fifth (scuba) maybe I should give it a whirl.
The skirt doesn’t fasten with a zipper – the scuba fabric is stretchy enough to allow it to pull on, and the reviews online recommended that you size down (I bought the 14, which fit my waist comfortably). I couldn’t go past the peach colour, which ended up being a more deeper coral hue than the blush I’d anticipated, but will probably be more versatile in the long run.
It turns out “scuba” is a very dense stretchy fabric…. like a scuba suit, unsurprisingly. It’s soft and vaguely rubbery to the touch, resists crushing, and stands out on its own so it’s well suited for full-skirted styles like this one. It’s not by any means a “natural” feeling fabric, but I’m a pretty tactile person and I wasn’t repulsed by the touch; it’s not crunchy or plastic feeling, just kind of… squeaky.
First the good: It fits well at the waist, and flares very satisfactorily at the hips. This is an ideal skirt for people with a high hip to waist ratio, and it’s also a good for faking an hourglass shape for those of us who are a little bit more up-and-down The pockets are deep and practical, but be aware that they do add a bit of extra volume because the fabric is so thick.
I liked that the skirt didn’t have any zippers or fastenings, it’s a good length (even on 5’4″ me) and a really classic style for a very good price.
The only thing preventing me from giving this skirt a resounding two-thumbs-up review is that fact that, unexpectedly, scuba fabric pills like a BITCH. I’ve had this skirt for a couple of months now and I’ve discovered that on both hips where my bag bumps it has scuffed up rough patches that have become as pilly as a pair of fleece tracksuit pants. I had a bit of a go with my fabric comb, but that only seemed to exacerbate the problem, so I’m going to try and get one of those electric-razor-fabric-shaver type things and see if that helps.
It’s not a huge issue, and for the moment it’s not obvious enough to prevent me from wearing the skirt, but it’s annoying and means that I can’t wholeheartedly endorse the product without adding the disclaimer that unless you liked a friction-free life, you’d be unlikely to get much more than a few months worth of wear out of the skirt before it started looking tatty.
Necklace: Kim Lyons Jewelry
I love this outfit – its so pretty! I love the scuba skirts but they just add so much volume to my hips which I do not need. I am so envious of you and the other bloggers you listed who can pull this off so elegantly.
Thanks Lindsay. Yeah, I can understand that – for me it’s almost pushing it a little too far, but I liked the colour so much I stuck with it.
This looks gorgeous on you! Thank you so much for providing such a thoughtful review of the product. I hate it when clothing starts to pill quickly. I have an electric shaver. It works well, but it is tedious to use, and it is irritating to have to pull it out after wearing an item only once or twice. Most bloggers review an item after one or two wears (and then never mention it again). It is so helpful to hear how an item is holding up over time!!
Hi Passerina – my pleasure! I always try to be as honest and impartial as possible in my reviews, and pilling drives me bonkers too!
I have the Asos 3 tier scuba skirt in purple and I love it. It sits so well. I just have to give it a “shave” now and again.
You look pretty miss Lil.
Ah, that’s good to know Toni – thank you!
Do you use a proper fabric shavery thing, or just a cheap razor? I read about a few people who just use a Gilette or something similar!
You look gorgeous, I love it!
Thanks Lynette!
A friction free life, wouldn’t that be nice? You look lovely! That color really makes your skin tone glow.
Thanks Aubrey! I’ve learned that I have to keep pale pinks away from my face (for some reason they just don’t suit me up top) but I love them, so I always seem to end up buying blush coloured skirts when it’s an option.
So glad you posted this. Pilling would drive me nuts. I know the post is about the skirt but that top is so gorgeous on you. I love it! You look adorable.
Thanks Monica. I love the top – the wide neckline and the peter pan collar just sold it for me.
Lilli me again……..forgot to ask when you mentioned you read reviews online, where did you read those? I wish ASOS would come with consumer reviews and was wondering where you stumbled upon this great info?
Thank you!
x
Hi Toni, God yes – I wish Asos would follow in Modcloth’s footsteps and allow customers to post reviews and photos. Sigh. I usually just google the product name, and read what people have said in their blogs, and in forums 🙂
A lovely look, so clean and simple. Could not be better.
Thanks, Frances 🙂
Lovely outfit, Lilli 🙂
And thank you for pointing me in the direction of a black skirt that might actually work for my very pear-shaped body! I have just taken the plunge & ordered the skirt (20% off today for Aussie’s made it a little too easy to purchase). Keeping my fingers crossed as my last few ASOS purchases have been returned so I’ve not shopped there in a while…plus I decided 2014 was the year I would shop less & so far I have been very good!
My pleasure! It’s always deadly with Asos, isn’t it? Those codes, and the free shipping sort of lull you into a false sense of security. I’ve returned a few things from them lately, too. Hopefully the skirt works a charm for you though!
Do you have any suggestions for ironing the skirt? I just got one of my own, and I came slightly wrinkled out of the bag. I’ve tried ironing it on the recommended settings, but it’s not helping! Any advice?
Hi Sophie, try dampening the skirt with a mist of water first, then use a hotter setting on the iron (but be careful to test it somewhere unobtrusive first!)