wool skirts
* This site is a work in progress.
Contextual research conducted to date, listed in reverse chronological order.
Title: Guide to Wool Skirt Features and Silhouettes
Description: A guide to historical skirt features and silhouettes from the 1940s to the 1990s illustrated with photos of skirts from the collection.
Author: Carol Colburn
Date: Winter 2025
Description: A guide to historical skirt features and silhouettes from the 1940s to the 1990s illustrated with photos of skirts from the collection.
Author: Carol Colburn
Date: Winter 2025
Look for straight skirts with kick pleats in the back, fine tailoring, and restricted yardage. See as reference this photo illustrating designer Marcel Rochas and Hélène Rochas with model, Paris 1944. Note the straight silhouette with kick pleat paired with the closely-fitted jacket with peplum.
Look for pencil-thin skirts slightly longer than you see in the 1940s. Look also for pleated and gathered New Look silhouettes. See as reference this photo illustrating a suit from London boutique, Lachasse, known for “classic English tweeds cut in a sophisticated way.” Note the pencil-thin skirt silhouette and precision cut of the jacket.
Look for crisp A-line silhouettes and mini, above-the-knee hemlines. See as reference this photo illustrating a Pierre Cardin suit. Note the A-line skirt silhouette with bias cut, showing use of large-scale plaid wool fabric.
Look for flared skirts with gores and fluid, bias-cut fabric, hemlines to the calf or lower, midi and maxi lengths. See as reference this photo illustrating tweed suits and woolen accessories by designer Guy Laroche. Note the four-gore flared skirt silhouette with soft flutes emphasizing movement.
Look for large and oversized patterns, front panel tucks, features of men’s tailoring, and below-the-knee or longer lengths with kick pleats. See as reference this photo of New Look sewing pattern 6322. Note the plaid skirt with two tucks on either side of the front panel, belt loops, and slash pockets worn with the oversized jacket, and pants option shown with similar ensemble.
Look for straight skirts and skirts that are ‘pegged,’ or narrower at the hem than the hips. Look for lengths below and above the knee, and slits rather than kick pleats at the front, back, and side. See as reference this photo of a pin-stripe flannel suit and skirt with patch pockets and front slit.
Description: A collaborative annotated bibliography we prepared for our New York Textile Month presentation, 600+ Wool Skirts: Collection Preview and Conversation.
Authors: Sarah C. Byrd, Carol Colburn, Mae Colburn
Date: Summer 2024, ongoing
We welcome your contributions. Email writeme@maecolburn.info with your suggested citations, and a brief annotation that describes each text’s relevance to this project. We also invite you to email us with your own annotations for citations already listed here, or additions to existing annotations.