7 Reasons Why Skirts are Better Than Pants

Take one look at my Instagram profile and you’ll notice that I pretty much always wear skirts when I venture outdoors. On the rare occasion that I don pants, usually somebody points and shrieks, “YOU’RE WEARING PANTS!” as though I spend most of my days in my skivvies. Skirts are better than pants. Here are seven reasons why:

Skirts Disguise My Short Legs

Anyone with short legs knows how much pants can suck. I’m a sucker for a good pair of cropped jeans from time to time (Levi’s wedgie fit for the win!) but even then, the cropped leg-style doesn’t exactly benefit my short leg situation.

What’s a lady to do? Don a skirt, of course! With a skirt you can create balance. I like to wear them high to create the illusion that my legs are longer. Typically they say that short girls shouldn’t wear a skirt below the knee, but honestly, that rule is pretty much BS. It’s about the cut (A-line is always friendly!) and wearing it at the smallest part on your waist. Bump up your height with a pair of heels and nobody would ever guess that your inseam is 24 inches.

Here’s me in a long skirt:

Here’s me in a short skirt:

Either way, I have LEGS that I know how to use.

Skirts Offer Limitless Pattern Choice

Sure, you can get coloured pants and floral pants and striped pants and pants with skulls all over them, but do they look good on you? Too many variables. Skirts are better than pants because you just need a good cut and you’re good to go.

I can’t imagine how bad I’d look in a pair of striped pants, but in a skirt:

Skirt Pockets are Actually FUNCTIONAL

IT HAS POCKETS! is the mantra we ladies love with our believed dresses and skirts. Sure, that’s great and all, but nobody ever brags about how practical skirt pockets actually are.

I’d argue that this is the single reason why skirts are better than pants. Can you fit your phone in your jean pocket without it falling out and into the toilet when you pull your pants down to pee? Nope! Can you put anything of value into your jeans without the object ruining the shape or cut of your pants? Nope!

You can do all those things and more with a skirt pocket. During the summer I can jam my phone and my bus tickets and my keys and my headphones and spare change in my skirt and it doesn’t ruin the look of my outfit. Most skirts in retro reproduction markets do have pockets. (Check out Retrolicious for USA-made pocket-friendly skirts.) Live in skirts and you’ll never have pocket problems again!

Skirts Make Summer Tolerable

Everyone knows how much I hate summer.

Shorts are stupid. Especially when you’ve got meaty thighs. Shorts are either too short and your thigh chub rubs together. Also, as I’ve mentioned above with my short legs, I can’t buy longer Bermuda shorts because look like flood pants on me. Life would suck for a petite short-legged lady like myself were it not for the magic of skirts.

If any of these issues affect you during summer, you need to live in skirts. Pair your skirt with a pair of bike shorts and you won’t just be surviving summer. You will actually look good too!

Skirts Evoke Effortless Stylishness

My favourite kind of skirt is a good midi. Rayon is my favourite material because it’s breathable (for summer) and it flows and it also doesn’t get stuck to my tights (in the winter). It’s my go-to comfort piece of clothing for a day out. It’s comfy and movable. You don’t have to worry about sitting in a dignified way.

This yellow polka-dot skirt by Tulip B that I bought from Modern Millie Boutique has become my go-to standard skirt for everyday wear. The polka-dot print pairs with everything. (If you’d like to get into pattern-mixing, check out my Pattern Mixing Like a Boss post for some tips to make it less terrifying.) Here’s my fave casual skirt look I’ve donned with my trusty midi:

Skirts Are Timeless

Denim trends change so often that your new pair of light wash mom jeans are gonna go out of style soon. I don’t know how many “magic” pairs of jeans I’ve bought that went out of style faster than my thighs could wear them out. Now they’re stuck in a box destined for Value Village.

Skirts are better than pants for their timeless nature. Sure, cuts and materials might change, but the classic A-line has NEVER GONE AWAY. I have skirts I’ve owned for years and years. In the light of buying less and having a more sustainable closet, I really do think that skirts are a wiser investment.

Skirts Are Easier to Fit Than Pants

I gave up on pants because as a short-legged curvy but not-quite-petite woman, finding a flatting pair of pants was the most IMPOSSIBLE TASK IN THE UNIVERSE. Not only do you need to find the right waist size, but you gotta find a flattering cut, a proper inseam, the right colour, and the pockets have to sit on the exact right spot on your ass.

If a single aspect of these standards falls the slightest bit out of line, then you look like a heaping pile of disaster and any picture you appear in with your ill-fitted jeans will make you feel like your whole life is pointless and you need to die a terrible and fiery death simply because you don’t look like the stupid Gap model (who happens to not look like a real-life mom in new-age simulated “mom jeans”). Fuck that.

With skirts, you literally just need to find a good A-line in your waist size. High waist is always best. It flatters the narrowest part of your figure and BOOM. You look amazing. You love yourself. Best of all, you can spin around in a circle and it’s movie magic over and over and over and the magic NEVER ends.

So what are you waiting for? Start living your skirt-dominated life now!

Does Your Day-to-Day Life Have Enough Skirts?

How often do you live in skirts? I realize that job-depending, you might have no choice but to wear pants. I’m fortunate enough to work in an industry where dressing up is a part of the appeal, so I’m lucky that I can wear skirts whenever I want.

Are skirts more of a formal garment to you? Do you wear a casual skirt? Are skirts reminiscent of a patriarchal time? Should we burn skirts and wear leggings until climate change kills us all?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!