Straight Skirt with Elasticated Waist Sides
A long, lined women's straight skirt with a waistband that lies flat at the front and back and is gathered by elastic at the sides, four belt loops, a centre back zip and a back vent.
When To Wear
- For office and daytime wear in autumn, winter and spring, with blouses, shirts and fine knitwear.
- With a matching jacket as a skirt suit.
Key Design Features
Silhouette: Straight, shaped by darts at the front and back waist.
Length: Long, to mid-calf.
Waist: Straight waistband, flat at the front and back. At each side, between the front and back darts, the waistband forms a casing with elastic, which gathers the skirt. Four belt loops are stitched at the darts.
Closure: Zip in the centre back seam; button and buttonhole on the waistband, with an extension on the right back end.
Back: Centre back seam with a vent at the hem; the vent facing is cut in one with the left back, and the left back is topstitched diagonally at the top of the vent.
Lining: Full lining, hemmed 2 cm shorter than the skirt and slipstitched to the vent edges.
Level Of Difficulty
Intermediate. A zip and a vent in the centre back seam, elastic casings in the waistband, a lining attached at the zip and vent.
Fabric Recommendations
Wool, wool-blend or mixed-fibre suiting fabrics; the sample is made in wool crepe.
Additional Supplies
- Lining fabric
- Fusible interfacing (waistband, vent facing)
- Zip
- 1 button
- Elastic for the two side casings of the waistband
Cutter's Must
- From main fabric:
- Front Skirt - 1 piece on fold
- Back Skirt - 2 pieces
- Waistband - 1 piece
- Belt Loop - 1 piece (a strip, cut into 4 belt loops)
- From lining: Front Skirt - 1 piece on fold and Back Skirt - 2 pieces, cut without the vent facing and the hem allowance.
- From fusible interfacing: the cut-on vent facings and the waistband (except the side casing sections). Each side casing runs from the front dart to the back dart.
Sewing Instructions
- Stitch the darts on the front skirt and back skirt pieces and press them towards the center.
- Stitch the center back seam between the zipper mark and the vent mark, then stitch the side seams. Insert the zipper.
- Press the hem allowance to the wrong side and stitch it in place.
- Press the vent facing to the wrong side and stitch it to the hem. On the right side, secure the vent underlap: topstitch the left back skirt diagonally from the top of the vent, 5 cm downwards.
- Lining: stitch the darts and seams as on the skirt. Edgestitch the lining allowances at the zipper opening. Place the lining in the skirt, wrong sides together, and baste the upper edges.
- Press the long edges of the Belt Loop strip 0.75 cm to the inside, edgestitch, and cut it into 4 equal belt loops. Baste the belt loops to the upper edge of the skirt at the darts.
- Place the waistband on the upper edge of the skirt right sides together and stitch, leaving the extension for the fastening on the right back end. Finish the ends of the waistband. To form the casings, topstitch the waistband along the joining seam between the front and back darts.
- Cut the elastic into 2 equal parts. Insert one part into each side casing between the darts and stitch it to the waistband in line with each dart, adjusting the length to fit. Stitch the open lower fold of the waistband into the joining seam. Topstitch along the middle of each casing between the cross stitches, stretching the elastic as you sew.
- Turn under the free ends of the belt loops and stitch them to the upper edge of the waistband. Make a buttonhole on the left end of the waistband and sew a button on the right end.
- Hem the lining 2 cm shorter than the skirt; turn under the lining edges at the vent and slipstitch them in place.
