Pleated skirts have been a closet essential for over a century. In the 1920s, pleats were cleverly sewn onto skirts to provide women with extra walking room. Now, a century later, pleats are popular for their classic cool element. Rest assured, today’s best pleated skirts go beyond the parish school versions you wore in tartan as a child (although they are enjoying a resurgence in popularity). Check out the plaid and punk options from British, Bulgarian-inspired Chopova Lowena, which stylist Tyler Minor praises for “giving us a very different kind of pleated skirt [through] bold colors and prints.”
But it’s not just indie brands that are updating their unassuming pleated numbers: traditional fashion houses are also offering redux. “Christian Dior’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection offers many beautiful examples of timeless pleated skirts,” Minor says, and takes a look at mid-lengths made from multifold leather and breathable cotton. styles made from multifold leather and breathable cotton. And then there’s Miu Miu, which kicked off the pleated skirt movement last spring, but has lengthened the hemline to below the knee this season.
Pleated variations are everywhere for spring 2023. Moving forward, more insight from Minor and his stylist and creative director Mary Fellowes on the best pleated dresses to buy now-from J. Crew’s miniature accordion folds and Alice + Olivia’s luxurious leather folds to Banana’s swirling silk style Republic .
