The bubble skirt is back

You know how it goes. Fashion is all about cycles and recycles. Just when you think you've finally bid farewell forever to those pants so tight they take your breath away or that top with feathers making you look like a hoopoe, suddenly you see them resurfacing on catwalks and in store windows. And if a few celebs start flaunting these trends, they begin to gain traction on Instagram and TikTok. At that point, you might as well resign yourself to the serious possibility of dressing like you did a decade ago, as those photos you'd rather hide remind you. This time, the revived trend from the past is less divisive and controversial. On the contrary, it fits perfectly into the contemporary love for coquette, hyper-feminine, and preppy aesthetics. We're talking about the bubble skirt.

The Bubble Skirt in the Past

Round shapes have always fascinated designers. In the '50s, Cristobal Balenciaga dominated the theme with jackets, coats, dresses, and skirts, but the love for this elegant couture sphere infected many other colleagues, including Yves Saint Laurent, who - by adding a bubble hem to a simple black dress designed for Christian Dior - made the silhouette a standard in fashion, continuously revisited in the subsequent decades. Who doesn't remember the voluminous skirts worn by Madonna and Lady Diana? Grunge and minimalism made us set them aside for a while, before in the 2010s Disney or Nickelodeon stars like Hilary Duff decided to flaunt balloon dresses and skirts on the red carpet, immediately imitated by celebs like Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Alexa Chung, or Zooey Deschanel.

The Bubble Skirt on SS24 Runways

The bubble skirt - with its unmistakable shape, tight at the waist and gathered at the end forming a sort of airy cloud - made its reappearance in the latest fashion weeks. One of the first to reintroduce it was Miuccia Prada, interpreting the ready-to-party piece with a hint of contemporary preppy. A college student mood for Bally, which paired an acid green bubble skirt with a strict light blue short-sleeved shirt and low Mary Jane shoes. More frou-frou and '80s are the models proposed by David Koma, who pairs them with leather jackets, turtleneck sweaters, and pumps; while Paloma Wool references the '90s by dressing its models in micro bandeaus and low-waist skirts to wear over jeans. For those who prefer minimalist looks, adding Helmut Lang's sophisticated leather creations to their wishing list is a must.

Bally SS24

David Koma SS24

David Koma SS24

David Koma SS24

Dawei SS24

Dion Lee SS24

Dion Lee SS24

Helmut Lang SS24

Helmut Lang SS24

Maison Margiela SS24

Miu Miu SS24

Paloma Wool SS24

How to Wear the Bubble Skirt According to Street Style

The bubble skirt is feminine, playful, fun, romantic, and more versatile than you might think. We can choose it in mini, midi, or floor-length versions and style it in many different ways, depending on our personal style and current mood. To find the right inspiration, just take a look at the latest runway shows or scroll through social media for the coolest street styles. Nina Sandbech makes the bubble skirt the focal point of the look by opting for total black, tank top, scarf, high-heeled shoes, and heart-shaped purse. Daria Shcherbakova prefers a long bubble skirt, paired with a gray sweatshirt and sneakers; Héloïse Guillet wears it mini, with a denim jacket and leather boots; Sophia Roe goes for a balletcore look, adding a black bodysuit, sheer tights, and medium-height Mary Janes. Worth copying, especially until the days are truly warm, is Ines Silva's styling, choosing a bubble dress and wearing it over a white shirt and jeans.

In short, we're spoiled for choice. Whether for a sporty or elegant look, preppy or urban ballerina style, the bubble skirt is a trend from our youth that's here to stay, and we're not at all unhappy about it. We can't wait to flaunt it for an evening out, feeling more carefree than ever.