Beauty in Skirts

（单词翻译）

Beauty in Skirts

Throughout the decades, the skirt has undergone countless¹ transformations². 1)Hemlines have gone up and down, but four basic styles have proven that they have what it takes to withstand the test of time.

When women want to feel dressed up or sometimes just for fun, the full skirt hits the bill. It was Christian³ Dior who put the full skirt on the fashion map with his first collection in 1947. After the lean years of World War II, Dior’s new look was a 2)revelation with some of his designs using up to fifty yards of fabric⁴!

With the rock-and-roll era of the 1950s came the full poodle-skirt named for the 3)appliques sown on by teenage 4)bobbysoxers. This 5)whimsical look became an instant classic. Kevin Jones, collections manager at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, explains, “The poodle-skirt is absolutely synonymous with the 1950s. You really cannot get away from it you mention the name the poodle skirt and girls today hark back immediately to, to the bobbysocks.”

Another important 6)silhouette⁵ is the pencil skirt. It’s ultrafeminine and brings a touch of mystery to the woman wearing it. Betty Grable showed off this 7)streamlined style in the 1930s. Marilyn Monroe chose the same silhouette to show up her curves in the 50s and the look has endured for decades to come.

If there’s one little word that fits with skirt, it would have to be mini. Introduced in 1966 by Mary Quant, this shocking silhouette created quite a stir.

Kevin Jones: It’s just like a brand new skirt nothing like it had ever been seen before, uh, it’s not quite the miniskirt we have today, it was about two inches above the knee, but when Women’s Wear Daily stated that Jacqueline Kennedy looked wonderful in her miniskirts suddenly it was the fashion to wear.
 
Andrea Linett: We always see a fickleness⁶ in the hemlines from season to season, but it seems that the miniskirt will always come back round.

Our next style might be the most timeless of all, the A-line skirt has just enough 8)flair⁷ to flatter any figure. Fashion icons⁸ like Audrey Hepburn made the A-line a stylish⁹ staple¹⁰ and today the look continues to be as popular as ever.

Andrea: If I were to have to pick one style of skirt that every woman should own it would probably be the A-line skirt. It’s very comfortable and it’s very flattering to the hips¹¹.

Full, pencil, mini and A-line even with these four favourites there’s still a dizzying variety of choices out there, and women love to wear them.

Useful Tips

Remember for petites, avoid excessive detail and look for simple designs that hit just below the knees.

If you’re top-heavy, stay away from plunging¹² necklines; search for dresses that are slightly loose and draw the attention away from your bust¹³.

For a fit waist, avoid a baggy¹⁴ fit; wrap dresses work best.

If you’ve got more of a boyish figure stay away from straight dresses, look for biased¹⁵ cuts and formfitting silhouettes¹⁶, and for a pear shape avoid clinging designs—a full skirt or an A-line dress are ideal. 

注释：
1) hemline [5hemlain] n. 底缘，底边
2) revelation [7revi5leiFEn] n. 新发现，启示
3) applique [A5pli:kei] n. 嵌花，贴花，缝花          
4) bobbysoxer [5bCbi7sCksE(r)] n. 十三岁至十九岁的少女 
5) whimsical [5(h)wimzikEl] a. 古怪的，奇特的      
6) silhouette [7silu(:)5et] n. 侧面影象，轮廓 
7) streamlined [5stri:mlaind] a. 流线型的
8) flair [flZE] n. 才能，本领

婀娜裙姿

    数十年来，裙子的款式经历了无数次的变化。裙子时长时短，但有四种款式是经历了时间的考验而历久不衰的。
    想要穿得隆重一些或者只是想弄点新意思时，长裙便是最合适的。是克里斯汀·迪奥在1947年把他的第一个长裙系列引入时装界。第二次世界大战后，他的新设计令人倍感清新，部份设计甚至使用了长达50码（约46米)的布料!
    20世纪50年代的摇滚时期，出现了贵妇狗图案裙。它因为少女把贵妇狗图案绣在裙上而得名。这种新奇的图案立刻就成为一种经典。凯文·琼斯，服装设计与贸易学院的系列经理是这样解释的: 贵妇狗图案裙是50年代的代表。当你提到贵妇狗图案裙时，即使是今天的女孩子也会立即联想到50年代的少女。
    另一种重要的样式是贴身及膝裙。它非常女性化，使穿着它的女性具有一种神秘感。贝蒂·嘉宝曾在30年代展示过这种流线型的样式。玛丽莲·梦露在50年代也选择了这种款式来展现迷人的身材，数十年来这种样式经久不变。
    如果说有一个词和裙子最贴切，那么它可能是“迷你裙”。它在1966年由玛丽·奎特推出，这种大胆的设计掀起一股热潮。

凯文·琼斯:这是一种全新的设计，前所未见，它跟现在的迷你裙不完全一样，长度在膝盖以上大约两英寸处，当《女性时装》说杰奎琳·肯尼迪穿迷你裙很迷人时，穿迷你裙突然间变成了一种时尚。

安德里亚·李纳特:虽然每一季的裙子长短不一，但迷你裙一直大受欢迎。
下一种样式也许是最耐看的，A字裙适合各种身材。一些时尚引领者如奥黛丽·赫本使A字裙成为一种时髦主流，并且时至今日这种样式仍然大行其道。
安德里亚:如果我要挑选一款每位女士必备的裙子，非A字裙莫属。它非常舒适又能够突出臀部线条。

    长裙、贴身及膝裙、迷你裙和A字裙，虽然这四种款式是首选，但还有各种各样的选择，令人眼花缭乱，深受女士欢迎。

小贴士

    身材娇小的要避免过于花巧的款式，而要选择刚过膝盖的简单设计。
    上身较胖的，不要选择太夸张的领口，应选择较宽松的款式，把视线从上半身转移开来。
    腰围适中的话，千万别选择宽松的样式，紧身的款式最合适。
    如果身材没有曲线，别选择直线型的款式，而应选择斜线的剪裁和合身的设计。梨型身材的，不要穿贴身的款式，长裙或A字裙是最理想的。