We thought it was out of fashion… But this fashion trend is not ready to go away! As proof, it is the most sought-after piece on Vinted at the end of the year. A true fashion icon, Lady Di had also sublimated it.
This is a fashion trend that is resisting. Regressive as can be, it cheerfully evokes the locker room of childhood. Dressed all in volume, she appeared imposing, as much by her appearance as by her presence in the fashion landscape. Ultra popular last spring-summer, worn by all trendy girls, it seems that at the end of the year, it has not said its last word.
Indeed, on Vinted, the enthusiasm around this piece has never been as great as it is now! Between September 15 and November 8, the trend recorded an increase in searches of 266%*! This is the “bubble skirt”, also called “puffy skirt”.
The puffy shape had its first big moment in the 1950s. After some time of sartorial austerity imposed by the war, fashion designers decided to have fun and bring a little lightness into our wardrobes. It is therefore in this post-war context that the lines of this iconic piece were born. In 1954, Pierre Cardin invented THE bubble dress.
Cristóbal Balenciaga follows suit and offers volume in all its forms: coat, dress… Everything goes. Not surprising coming from the man nicknamed “the architect of haute couture”.
The emergence of the trapeze line and a more fitted silhouette made it disappear from the radar for a few years… Before the maximalism of the 80’s brought it back more bombastic than ever. Celebrities, royalty: everyone adopts it willingly and without flinching. Lady Di wears it in a look with blazer that we still remember.
If in 2024, it was mainly its short version that was popular, the bubble skirt can also be imagined in a long version, for cooler days. This winter, you can wear it with a cozy sweater and knee-high boots to keep your legs warm.
To break the overly girly style, some fashionistas combine it with pieces with a contradictory style, such as a barn jacket or biker boots.
To temper its apparent extravagance, other fashionable girls choose the option of elegance, with additional reference to Christian Dior of the 1940s. The long puffy skirt is accompanied by a tailored jacket fitted at the waist, heeled pumps and a designer bag.
If you already have it in a mini version, you can easily reimagine it over structured pants with a wide leg or flare cut, depending on the fit you prefer.
And for those who don’t care about the weather, a little fashion whim that we allow ourselves: capri pants. We combine it with pointed-toe slingbacks, for an expected fashion combo, certainly, but in very good taste.
Alaïa revisited the puffy skirt in her latest fashion show. It must be said that it lent itself perfectly to the architectural and theatrical location in which it was presented: the Guggenheim Museum. For the winter season and the one after: it is therefore here to last.
*compared to the same period in 2023