Underskirts on a Budget

victorianme rocking a lovely
long underskirt with her JetJ

Underskirts are one of those things that I advocate for. Especially if you're tall or uncomfortable with showing off your knees (like I am), underskirts can make an unworkable skirt workable again. They allow me to wear Bodyline skirts with ease and to keep my budget down. They also add visual interest or an accent color.

But getting underskirts can be expensive if you don't know where to shop.

Before You Start

Get your measurements. You can use a site like this for guidelines on how to measure yourself, though I would recommend getting a friend to do the measuring so your arm position doesn't impact the measurements. The most important measurement for underskirts is the waist.

You should also figure out your ideal length for skirts. You can do this by measuring a skirt that hits you at just the right length or by holding a measuring tape to your waist and using that tape to measure to your ideal length (find a friend to help with this). My ideal length is somewhere between 23” and 25”, so when I look for underskirts that fit into that measurement when I go shopping.

I would also recommend knowing these measurements in both metric and imperial/United States customary systems. Because these measurements are not likely to change all that much, it's worth knowing the measurement in both; I have mine (along with bust, hip, and other measurements) written down on an index card that I keep in my purse for easy reference.





Offbrand Skirts

Offbrand skirts are everywhere if you're willing to do a bit of hunting. There are a number of Taobao shops that carry longer skirts in beautiful colors. They're not my favorite option because they don't always come in my size and they are a touch more expensive. However, if you're looking for skirts ready-made for lolita that can be worn both with another skirt or on their own, this is the place to go.

Malco Modes 120

I really like this skirt because it falls at about the right length for me and because the tiered shape works well with my skirts, offering a fairly full ruffle at the bottom of the skirt without the awkwardness of the very narrow and weirdly stiff ruffles that often end up on square dance skirts. It also comes in a lot of colors, so it’s easier than you might think to match to a coord.

With this one, I recommend sizing down a little for your waist size. It just fits better if you're more in the middle of the sizing range rather than at the way bottom.

These skirts will run you between $10.00 and $50.00 depending on what size and color you're looking for and where you find it. Make sure you shop around before buying just in case it's cheaper somewhere else!

Do It Yourself

And there is always a DIY option!

Whatever your underskirt style of choice is, you can definitely find a pattern. Good tutorials are out there, and I would recommend this one. If your fabric is cheap, a skirt will probably run you about $10.00, but that really does depend on the fabric. It could be much more than that. Again, shop around to find the fabric that suits your vision.

This also comes with the most possibilities for style. Do you want chiffon? Do you prefer cotton and lace? Are you really hoping for something with subtle polka dots or stripes to accent a wardrobe of mostly solids? You can create whatever skirt pops into your head.