Over the years I have worked out my preferred skirt styles.  A quick glance in my wardrobe shows a predominance of straight skirts in stretch fabric.  There is the odd A-line skirt in there, a maxi or two, and a few straight skirts in woven fabrics, but you won’t find anything with a gathered waist or a great deal of fullness.  My thick middle/pot belly combination makes a straight stretch skirt the most comfortable one for me – remember, they always have that magic elastic in the waist!

I saw the Style Arc Halle Stretch Skirt as a great way to add a little variety to my straight stretch skirt wardrobe. Style Arc describe it as follows:  Fabulous slim line skirt with a cross over front; featuring an asymmetric hemline. A must have skirt in your wardrobe. The elastic waist makes it easy to make and wear. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Ponte, Knit.

I was fairly certain when looking at the pattern pieces that this skirt would probably be too long on me if I sewed it up without alteration – I’m 158cm tall.  I folded a chunk out of each pattern piece (maybe about four inches?) about half way between waist and hem, and straightened the diagonal edges to remove the resulting jog.  Then it was cut it out and sew it up!

(End of the day photos – hence the multiplicity of sitting wrinkles).

If you’re sewing this you need to pay attention to the instructions in regard to what to hem when. Much of the hemming is done before the side seams are sewn, and you do need to get that part right! It’s easy to sew (yes, mostly on the overlocker) and results in what I think is a nice variation on the basic straight stretch skirt. I sewed this one in ponte from Darn Cheap Fabrics – it matches the Nina cardigan I’ve blogged before.

Here’s a good example of getting proportion WRONG – this cardigan, despite being the same fabric, does NOT work with this skirt and top at all in my view. The jacket drapes and ends at the wrong places of the skirt hem and overlap and it all gets visually messy. I will definitely not be wearing this combination out the door ever again (my excuse is that I got dressed in the dark as per usual in winter and didn’t look in a full length mirror before I headed off to work).

I’ve also sewn this skirt in this olive bengaline from Style Arc, but haven’t worn or photographed that one on me yet. Bengaline is a magic fabric for me – it works so well to fit around my shape, especially in pants. And the comfort level is high.

So this pattern has had two outings already. Definitely a positive contribution to the straight stretch skirt stable.