How To Own A Closet Full Of Black Skirts

I love black skirts. I love them a little too much I think, I have a ton of them, and sometimes it's kind of hard to justify owning so many skirts that are essentially just "plain black skirts". That's right, just plain black. Not black with some other color of lace or a black colorway, but Black x Black. If you are more into Gothic Lolita than other styles of Lolita, the black skirt is a staple of your wardrobe, but it can get a little boring. So in this entry, I'll be looking at all the different kinds of "plain black skirts" there are. By no means are these all the different kinds of styles black skirts can come in, and these different styles can be mashed up almost endlessly. But hopefully this will show you that you don't just have to stop at one or two black skirts before you start to feel guilty that you're filling your closet with things that look too much alike.

Basic black Lolita skirt

Skirts from Mary Magdalene and Baby, The Stars Shine Bright

First up is the basic Lolita skirt. It could come in any color and it would still be perfectly Lolita, but you want it in black. It's a cotton gathered skirt, fancied up a little bit with some ruffles or lace. This kind of skirt is perfect for just about any look, from Kuro to Gothic to Classic, it all just depends on how you accessorize it!

Different material choices

Skirts from FanPlusFriend and Metamorphose

Up next is the black velvet skirt. This can be exactly the same as the basic Lolita skirt, except it's made out of velvet. The velvet will provide instant contrast and interest to any traditional cotton pieces you are wearing. Embossed velvet is also a good thing to look out want your skirt to really stand out. Velvet pieces add a bit of maturity to an outfit, and can easy give an outfit a Classic Lolita look.

Skirts from FanPlusFriend and Rose Melody

Next is the black brocade or jacquard skirt. Which is a fabric choice that is a little bit harder to find in Lolita, but a lot of indies or Gothic brands will tend to carry a few brocade or jacquard pieces. These skirts are usually done in a different style than the traditional Lolita skirt. Instead of gathered, they are often A-lined, and they usually rely on the interest of the fabric texture, rather than additional lace. These skirts tend to be very Gothic, and often very Aristocratic.

Skirts from Moi-même-Moitié and h.NAOTO

Finally we have chiffon, and chiffon-like skirts. They are often made up of lots of ruffles or layers, to really emphasize the sheer, light look of chiffon. Many chiffon Lolita skirts will look like a very fancy petticoat! Skirts made out of chiffon can be very versatile, it all depends on the skirt and what you accessorize with. Chiffon skirts are used often in Punk, Gothic, and Ero coordinates.

Different shapes

Skirts from FanPlusFriend

Besides different fabric choices, there are also many different shapes that you can consider when looking to add a new black skirt to a wardrobe. For Gothic Lolitas, one of the most obvious choices is the bustle skirt. There are a lot of different ways a skirt could have a bustle, the two most common ways are tiers on the back of the skirt, or fabric gathered to create a runched up effect. Bustled skirts work best with Victorian inspired Gothic Lolita coordinates. But can sometimes even work nicely for Classic Lolita.

Skirts from FanPlusFriend and Peace Now

Asymmetrical skirts are a great way of making a coordinate look unique. There are many different kinds of asymmetrical skirts, from one side being longer than the other, to a ragged handkerchief hem. Skirts like this will work wonderfully with Punk, Gothic, or almost Aristocratic coordinates.

Different details

Skirts from Angelic Pretty and Innocent World

There are many different kinds of details that skirts can have that will add a bit of variety to a wardrobe based on one color. One of these details is pleats. They can either be a few large box pleats, or the whole skirt can be covered in them. Pleated skirts are often times plain, since there isn't much you can add to pleated fabric besides a bit of lace on the hem. Pleats can either give a simple and mature look, or a spunky Punk look to an outfit.

Skirt from Moi-même-Moitié

A few brands out there that put out black skirts with black or dark gray prints. This always looks incredible, the ink of the print giving off a subtle shine, and is a really great way to buy a printed skirt that you don't have to worry about matching the print to your blouse or accessories.

Skirts from h.NAOTO

Distressed details are also an awesome way of making a plain black skirt really interesting. They can either be torn hems, overlapping prints, or a crazy mishmash of different kinds of black fabrics. Heavily distressed skirts, in the style of h.NAOTO, can be paired up with a very plain and traditional cotton Lolita blouse or even another distressed piece. The best part of skirts like this is that you can never really go overboard with the look. The more rips and tears the better!