Suede skirts earn long-term position in wardrobes as statement pieces

Leather’s less durable but softer sibling has found its way from the runways and fashion blogosphere onto UCLA’s campus.

Female students have been spotted wearing suede material made into an A-line and high-waisted skirt. The skirt with its signature button-down is usually worn in warm colors including the classic light brown, a darker chocolaty shade, bordeaux, olive or black.

In the summer of 2015, students began to wear the suede skirt, which experienced its first wave of popularity in the 1970s, said Anna LaPlaca, the co-editor in chief of Denizen Magazine, a fashion and lifestyle publication at UCLA. Although suede can be uncomfortable in the Los Angeles heat, it has found its way back into students’ everyday wardrobes because the skirt is flattering to their body types.

“It suits many body shapes because the skirt emphasizes the waistline,” said LaPlaca, a third-year Italian and art history student.

LaPlaca owns two vintage suede skirts purchased at a thrift shop. She thinks the suede skirt is a flattering piece of clothing, especially for hourglass figures.

Angela Nguyen, a third-year communication studies student, also embraces the trend of suede skirts.

She started to enrich her wardrobe with suede clothing like shorts and shoes after her favorite fashion bloggers Kristina Bazan, Aimee Song and Jenn Im posted pictures with the skirt in spring and summer of 2015. She admires the material’s look and casual vibe.

The difference between a suede skirt and other A-line skirts is the material. The soft texture of suede allows it to adhere to and accentuate the body’s curve.

“It compliments a women’s body and looks sophisticated,” Nguyen said.

Yu Fu, a second-year world arts and cultures student, said she gets compliments from other people on campus when she wears suede skirts. Her favorite aspect is how the skirt holds its shape.

“The A-line shape of the skirt makes me look taller which I like a lot,” Fu said.

However, the suede material is known for being warm due to the napped finish that makes the skirt seem wrong for the Los Angeles heat.

Sydney Sobrepeña, a third-year business economics student who owns a suede skirt, said it belongs in a wardrobe for colder seasons, but that does not hinder her from wearing it when the temperature rises above 70 degrees. For Sobrepeña, the skirt’s fitting shape and feel-good factor makes it an essential summer piece.

“When I decide to wear the suede skirt for the day, I know that I will feel good and confident in it compared to high-waisted shorts and a tight shirt for example,” LaPlaca said.

Since the skirt is formfitting and comfortable, the students agree the piece has the potential of having a long-term spot in their closet.

For them, wearing the trendy skirt properly is a question of combining and matching it with the right clothing to set it apart.

LaPlaca likes to wear suede skirts with basic clothing, like white and black T-shirts, because the skirt is a statement piece already.

“It is a girly skirt, which is why I try to balance it out with tomboy pieces in preferably black,” LaPlaca said.

For Nguyen, an outfit with a suede skirt means adding another piece of suede, like suede shoes. She suggests pairing her classic light-brown skirt with white clothing.

“However you want to combine it or whatever occasion you want to wear it to, the suede skirt adds something to the outfit,” Sobrepeña said. “You just have to make it your own.”