Cheerio from London! 
As much as I adore North American fashion trends, sometimes a few of them leave me scratching my head from time to time. I won’t tell you which ones those would be, because I love you all, and who needs hurt feelings! Besides, trash talk is best left for Friday afternoons, don’t you think? But as often as trends leave me for wanting, I’ve always looked to Europe for inspiration and there is one trend that I saw all over London that I think we should all be coveting and that’s the skater dress.
So, what the heck is a Skater dress? Well, it’s style that’s fitted on top with a flared skirt (also called a fit n’ flare in other parts of Europe and North America). It is probably one of the most flattering dress styles I’ve ever seen, and also the most versatile.
The quintessential skater dress is a style that comes from the era of Ice Capades! Remember those horrendous, bedazzled, nylon dresses? Designers have made the design mainstream by stripping the bling, keeping the general silhouette, and modernizing it by adding pleats, folds and other features that accentuate the curves on a woman. These dresses come in a variety of different lengths, with sleeves or sleeveless and in various different prints and fabrics. Many of the summer style Skater dresses that I’ve found in London shops are made from pretty cotton prints and poly blends to give them a bit more structure.
One of the reasons I’m in love with this style of dress is because it transitions so beautifully into Fall, and while I realize that we’re still only in August, we all know that stores are starting to stock their shelves with light-weight knits and heavier colored denims, the changing of the season is imminent. With the Skater dress, you can pair it with a pair of colored tights, a pair of oxfords, a scarf and a blazer and you’ll look like a page out of British Vogue!
So, if you’re like me, and you enjoy wearing dresses in the cooler months, but can’t find a style that’s flattering, or transitions from day to night easily, you have to get your hands on this style! Check out my look book below if you need a little help throwing an evening version of this look together!
