How to Wear a Peasant Skirt Without Looking Old

If you grew up in the ’70s, you’d remember peasant skirts. These flouncy tiered skirts seem to resurface every summer, and there’s always a handful of 40 +women who love to embrace this gypsy look. The problem? More often than not peasant skirts make mature women look old and frumpy. Here’s how to style a peasant skirt in 2019 so you don’t look dated.

1. Don’t Hide behind a Peasant Skirt

Some women think that just like sweatshirts and mumus, peasant skirts are a great way to cover up a big stomach or an overweight bottom half. After all, these skirts are big, loose and comfortable. But in reality, peasant skirts just make big women look bigger. They don’t hide pounds. In fact, all the tiers and flounce add extra weight exactly where you don’t want it, around your middle and hips. You definitely want to avoid peasant skirts if you have a big tummy or heavy bottom half

If you are slim, not too short and adore this look, ( it resonates with your carefree flower child soul), then proceed with caution by going for a  less flouncy skirt-no extra material at each tier.

2. Get the Right Length

Peasant skirts can also be unflattering when they end at the widest part of your leg, right at mid-calf. You start looking short and dumpy in such a long loose skirt that cuts you off in the middle of your lower leg. Wearing your skirt just below the knee, or just a touch above or at the ankle, is more flattering.

2. Make your Peasant Skirt the Starting Point for an Entire Outfit

A peasant skirt has a dreamy boho quality to it, so it’s not good to wear it with any old thing you have hanging around your closet. This type of skirt looks best when you put some thought into your outfit and create an entire look that sets a mood. Make sure your top, shoes, bag, and accessories all communicate a laid back, creative vibe that goes with the skirt. Don’t wear anything stiff, tailored or boxy with your peasant skirt.

3. Proportion is Key

This is a biggie. The rule is you are wearing something wide on the bottom; you need to wear something more fitted up top. A wide flowy peasant skirt looks best with a close fitting top like a tank or a wrap top, and not something big, loose and blousey or with too much flounce. When you wear wide on top and wide on the bottom, you end up looking look heavy and wide. No loose peasant blouses with a peasant skirt or you’ll look 70’s retro.

As for necklines,  a scoop neck or v-neck is much more flattering and slimming than a crew neck. It will open up your chest and reveal more skin, make you look longer and leaner in a peasant skirt.

4. Don’t Wear your Skirt too Low

You’ve probably seen this on some women, and it looks really sloppy. If you have a slim, flat tummy, you are fine to wear your skirt a little lower or to wear a wide low hip belt, but when you have a tummy, a low skirt or belt looks horrible. It emphasizes your gut and makes you look super fat and frumpy. Avoid this look!

5. Your Peasant Skirt Doesn’t Have to be Tiered

Peasant skirts have evolved since the ’70s and while there are still tiered peasant skirts out there that women wear ( floral has always been most popular) will also find other variations that look more modern and can also be more flattering. For example, a flat front peasant skirt with a single ruffle at the bottom, or a wrap style peasant skirt or a high low hem peasant skirt.

Different prints can make peasant skirts more modern too like this tiered peasant skirt that has stripes instead of a traditional floral print.

6. Wear Cute Shoes

Peasant skirts draw the eye down, so it’s important to wear really cute shoes with your skirt. You can wear pretty flat sandals or slides, or a block heel sandal or even a finer heeled sandal). Even a pair of ankle booties can look really cute with a maxi dress. Shoes to stay away from – ugly, chunky heavy, practical walking sandals – such a dowdy look!

7. Try Adding a Jacket

You can also experiment with a cute denim jacket, a casual, soft 3/4 length sleeve jacket, or a jacket with pushed up sleeves to make it chicer. Even a button up shirt worn open over a tank top and peasant skirt is a nice look. A button up cardigan worn with a peasant skirt looks dowdy.

Final Note

Peasant skirts look best worn on a sun holiday in Mexico, the Caribbean or for a cruise when you are walking barefoot by the ocean or dancing by the pool. They can look a dated and frumpy if you wear them while walking around a big city, or even out to the mall. They’re really a vacation look. Save your peasant skirt for your beach holiday.

Do you have ideas for how to wear a peasant skirt?  Let me know.

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