Please help me find a black floor length formal/evening skirt.

June 17, 2008 6:39 AM

Please help me find a black floor length formal/evening skirt.

I am in a performance where I am required to wear black, and I need a black floor length skirt, preferably a full skirt, size 6 or 8. It needs to be long, even extra long since I'm tall. I haven't been able to find anything that would fit me and looks appropriate for a formal, concert occasion. Really the only things that have at least the same idea are on goth sites or are for ballroom dancing.

I'm in NYC and am female.

Anyone have any ideas for formal wear sites that would have something like this (I've looked at Saks, Barrie Pace, Nordstroms, Macy's)?
Are there any performance related sites that sell clothing like this?

Please help me find what I'm looking for. Thank you!

posted by scazza to clothing, beauty, & fashion (14 comments total)

try yoox.

here's a bunch to choose from, all in a medium. but you might want to do a broader search because sizing varies.

i don't think you could go wrong with something like this.

and here's what they have so far for the fall-winter season.
posted by buka at 6:49 AM on June 17

You might try searching not for "musician" "performance" or "recital" and instead look for "choral"--I found these two. You could also call a local university or high school and ask where their choir buy skirts.
posted by crush-onastick at 6:56 AM on June 17

Try David's Bridal...lots of selection, and you can browse by color (Here's black). Plenty of floor-length there.
posted by lemonade at 6:57 AM on June 17

Thanks everyone!

YOOX looks great, but I only found one possibility for floor length, and it's not really a full skirt. But defnitely the best I've found. (I'm tall so need to wear flats, and ankle length really only looks good with heels.)

Choir skirts tend to be polyester, and look good in a group, but not as individual formal wear.

David's doesn't seem to have skirts, just dresses. Correct me if I'm wrong.
posted by scazza at 7:08 AM on June 17

David's has separates.
posted by candyland at 7:13 AM on June 17

if you need it to be a full skirt, you can always just buy a crinoline to wear underneath. the skirt you found looks like it would have enough fabric for a smallish one with fullness at the very bottom.
posted by buka at 7:16 AM on June 17

Alternatively it would be very easy for a good dressmaker to make one for you with the fabric and length of your choosing.
posted by ceri richard at 8:04 AM on June 17

Speigel has long skirts in black - there are a number here. Also, general search terms include "long black circle skirt" and "long black pleated skirt." Searching "circle skirt," it seems like a good source is middle eastern dancing. I like this one. Looks like they may be in Manhattan. And there is this.
posted by Eringatang at 9:26 AM on June 17

This is probably not a good time to be looking for a skirt like that -- they're fairly easy to find in the fall, going into the holiday party season, but by this time of the year, it's hard to find them except in overstocks. Chadwick's had some last fall, but they're sold out now. Have you looked at Penney's?

Polyester taffeta or satin, or maybe a heavy drapey crepe would probably be fine, you just don't want lightweight crepe (my wind symphony skirt is a heavy polyester peachskin, and I've had more than a few people ask me why I was wearing a silk skirt).

If you need it now, you may have better luck having a seamstress make one for you.
posted by jlkr at 12:30 PM on June 17

The David's Bridal separates looks great, except that it doesn't look like they can be bought online (according to the fine print at the bottom of the tool and there being no link to the cart). Speigel has some potential, as does maybe trying to find someone in nyc to make me a skirt that's long enough. Does anyone have dressmaker suggestions?

jlkr, that's good to know (though I don't know what's wrong with it looking like silk; too much like lingerie?).

I think I'm going to try that Penny's skirt, though the commenter says it's sized very small, or I think I'd love to have someone make me a skirt.

Really, thanks everyone very much. I didn't know if I'd get anything on a fashion question.
posted by scazza at 1:20 PM on June 17

heh. no, the problem with silk is that it's often not washable or it waterspots, and it's a Wind Symphony, which means brass instruments with associated valve oil and spit valves => gunk on the stage floor. I have to wash it after every performance.
posted by jlkr at 7:39 PM on June 17

Better-quality thrift stores.

Skirt hems are now in a cycle where the ankle- or floor-length skirts are all in the thrift stores. If you look carefully, you will find one fit for the occasion and nobody will know where you got it.
posted by bad grammar at 7:48 PM on June 17

Dying something black (or having someone dye it for you) is easy, so don't be afraid to buy that hot-pink skirt if it's just the perfect size and shape. You might open up your options that way.
posted by GardenGal at 5:22 PM on June 18

Update: the Penney's skirt that was linked is perfect. The sizes are totally off so I had to buy a bunch to find the one that fit perfectly (I'm a size 6/8 and kept the size 12), but at $50 it was no problem. (One bad is that Penney's doesn't have return shipping included unlike Nordstroms, and Barrie Pace where I bought my gown.)

Tried to have a skirt made, but it would have cost over $300. Maybe one day.
posted by scazza at 10:40 AM on July 5