Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs. The hemline can vary depending on time, place, and personal taste. They are usually considered women's clothing in the western world, though some exceptions like the Scottish kilt or the Muslim izaar.
In history
Skirts have been worn by men and women from many cultures, from the sarong worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia to the kilt worn in Scotland. While skirts are often the part of many culture's traditional dress, skirts as a women's fashion item in western culture is a more recent trend, with women of the Middle Ages usually wearing a garment closer to a dress.
In fantasy
Costumes of fantasy cinema often feature skirts of varying size.
In Amtgard
People who would rather not wear trousers in Amtgard often instead opt for a skirt. These can vary in size and shape, from full-bodied skirts reaching down to the ground, to tailored kilts sometimes worn by men. The skirt is a unisex leg-covering option, though men often lean toward skirts more closely resembling kilts instead of the more feminine billowy skirts.
Making a skirt
At its simplest, a skirt can be a draped garment made out of a single piece of material (such as pareos), but most skirts are fitted to the body at the waist and fuller below, with the fullness introduced by means of dart, gores, pleats, or panels. Modern skirts are usually made of light to mid-weight fabrics, such as denim, jersey, worsted, or poplin. Skirts of thin or clingy fabrics are often worn with slips to make the material of the skirt drape better and for modesty. The hemline of skirts can be as high as the upper thigh or as low as the ground, depending on the whims of fashion and the modesty or personal taste of the wearer.
Materials
Skirts are commonly made out of lightweight fabrics to allow airflow and ease of movement, though some shorter skirts can be made of a heavier material. Fabrics made of cotton, linen, polyester, wool, hemp, and blends are common.
