As skirts featured so prominently in this year's SS fashion shows, at Fabrics Galore London we thought it was time to showcase some amazing skirt patterns. Skirts can be quick to sew, require less fabric than a dress, and with so many skirt styles there is one for every skill level. We’ve asked our sewing community for their favourite skirt patterns and the suggestions are as varied as we’d hoped. From beginner friendly options to seasonal favourites, read on to discover your next favourite skirt pattern.
Our Sewing Community’s Favourite Skirt Patterns
We surveyed our newsletter recipients at the end of last year and our social media community this month and these are the skirt patterns our sewing community told us they love to make and wear.
Best Skirt Patterns for Confident Beginners
Style: A deceptively simple and versatile pattern featuring a flat front waistband and elasticated back so there is no need for a zip. An A-line silhouette with side splits and a choice of 4 lengths with pocket options for in-seam or patch pockets with flaps.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Recommended fabrics: woven fabrics such as chambray, cotton, viscose, cotton voile, linen and linen blends, denim, sateen, seersucker, silk or wool. Heavier fabrics will create a more structured shape while light weight fabrics with drape will create a relaxed, flowing shape.
Seasonality: an all-season pattern depending on which fabric you choose.
Why our community loves it: our community call it a great pattern, love the versatility and praise the helpful instructions.
Style: A beautiful flowy, A-Line shape with a comfy elasticated waist, generous pockets, and an optional lining. The vertical panels create length and there is an option to add godets for extra movement. And in case you don’t know what a godet is, it’s a triangular or wedge-shaped piece of fabric set into a seam or a slit—usually in the skirt—to add fullness, flare, and movement at the hem without adding bulk around the waist or hips.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Recommended fabrics: lightweight woven fabrics with drape such as cotton lawn, viscose, cotton voile. If you are adding a lining or godets, Syd Graham recommends using fabrics 136gsm or less. Avoid kit or stretchy fabrics.
Seasonality: a Spring/Summer skirt pattern which works well with lightweight fabrics with good drape.
Why our community loves it: our community loves the pattern for its relaxed, flowy feel and the option to create different looks with the godets.
A few of our latest cotton lawn fabrics
Style: A summer maxi dress with a halter neck and dramatic wide A-line skirt and cutaway pockets. Hugely versatile, it can also be made as a skirt (see above!) with an elasticated waist.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Recommended fabrics: Cotton lawn, cotton poplin, linen and linen blends, chambray, double gauze, broderie anglaise, viscose and crepe.
Seasonality: definitely a summer make.
Why our community loves it: people love the massive pockets and amazing swish!
Style: A Skirt, Skort and Shorts pattern all in one with the option of straight or full shorts and skirt. The skort is created by adding undershorts to either skirt option.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Recommended fabrics: suitable for light to medium-weight knit or woven fabrics such as jersey, rib knit, viscose, poplin, cotton lawn, lightweight denim. The biker shorts require a knit with 50% stretch. The full shorts and skirt need a drapey fabric such as viscose.
Seasonality: more of a Spring/Summer skirt pattern.
Why our community loves it: makers love the option to make shorts and skorts as well as skirts plus the flexibility of a fitted or flared silhouette.
Best Skirt Patterns for Advanced Beginners
Style: An elasticated waist, tiered skirt with a drawstring front tie, inseam pockets and an optional lining.
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Recommended fabrics: Main fabric: light to medium weight drape fabrics in a wide width like linen, crepe, viscose, cotton lawn, voile, silk
Optional Lining fabric: lightweight drape fabrics like cotton lawn and voile.
Seasonality: mainly summer if using lightweight fabrics like cotton lawn, viscose or voile and good for autumn if made in a medium weight linen or crepe and lined.
Why our community loves it: versatility of the pattern with the optional tiers and lining.
Style: A flexible skirt pattern with three length options, optional colour blocking, a button front or ruching and generous pockets, and an elasticated waist with a flat front. It’s described as a quick, satisfying sew with a polished finish.
Skill Level: Advanced Beginner
Recommended fabrics: light to medium-weight woven fabrics such as cotton poplin, linen or chambray.
Seasonality: more of a Spring/Summer skirt pattern but could easily be worn in Autumn with tights and boots.
Why our community loves it: there are teen and child versions of this great pattern.
Style: a floaty and flared mid-length bias skirt with the choice of a bound waistline and side zip or a pull-on elasticated version. If you choose a linen fabric it also has instructions for a fringed hem.
Skill Level: Best for Advanced Beginners, Intermediate
Recommended fabrics: woven such as silk satin, crepe, viscose, wool or linen
Seasonality: works well in summer in viscose, linen or satin. In winter crepe or wool.
Why our community loves it: they love the paper pattern instructions and the hang of the skirt. It is an effortless style which can be dressed up or down.
Best Skirt Patterns for Intermediate to Advanced
Style: A high-waisted mini-skirt with a slight A Line shaped hem, an invisible zip at the back and two darts both front and back. It is fully lined with a bagged out lining and internal waistband
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced
Recommended fabrics: Medium weight fabrics which hold their shape like wool, tweed, bouclé, denim, crepe, linen and cotton. Lightweight slippery fabrics for the lining such as satin or viscose. If made with linen or cotton, line with a lightweight cotton or cotton voile.
Seasonality: mainly autumn/winter if using wool, tweed, boucle and denim. Good for summer if using linen or cotton.
Why our community loves it: although it has some advanced sewing techniques, sewists found the pattern instructions and accompanying video very helpful and loved the tailored finish.
Skirt Patterns Tried and Tested by the Fabrics Galore London Team
Team FG is always ready with a pattern recommendation when our customers visit our fabric shop in London, and as avid sewers themselves, they all wanted to contribute their favourite skirt patterns to this blog. Here are the skirts we love to sew at Fabrics Galore London:
Style: A fun, versatile and fully-lined skirt and pinafore pattern with patch pockets, our own Team FG staff just love the Camden. The simple skirt can be worn all year round depending on fabric choice.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner for the skirt, advanced beginner for the pinafore.
Recommended fabrics: Medium-weight fabrics with body, such as denim, lightweight wool, corduroy, velvet. At Fabrics Galore we made it with a linen look furnishing print, which worked really well and we think it looked extra polished with the pocket trims. You will also need lining fabric.
Seasonality: all-seasons as it looks good with a cami and sandals in summer or a chunky knit and wooly tights in winter!
Why our community loves it: a cute skirt with fantastic pocket details.
The Camden Skirt in our Mexican Queen Fabric
Style: A beginner-friendly softly gathered skirt with an elasticated waistband, which has pretty ties at the side, a gently curved yoke and in-seam pockets. It has a midi length falling to just above the ankles and there is an optional lining.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Recommended fabrics: Most light-weight woven fabrics with a relaxed drape will work well such as cotton lawn, cotton poplin, a light-weight linen or linen blends. Choose a smooth, breathable lightweight fabric for the lining such as cotton voile.
Seasonality: The Sabrina is ideal as a summer skirt pattern.
Why our team loves it: the curved yoke and relaxed gathers gives the skirt a soft, romantic feel and the elasticated waist is enhanced by the drawstring ties at each side. It’s simple to sew, easy to make and comfortable to wear in hot weather.
Style: A fun A-line skirt with fun design details such as the adjustable gathered side pocket openings which flow into an a-line skirt which sits just below the natural waist.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Recommended fabrics: Light to mid-weight cottons and linens, tencel, silk or even heavier weight fabrics like denim, corduroy or wool.
Seasonality: The Rowan skirt is ideal for summer while it can look great in a heavier autumn fabric if you want a winter skirt.
Why our team loves it: the adjustable tie pockets give this flattering skirt a unique design which is fun to wear.
Style: A generous skirt inspired by 18th century pannier skirts worn in the wild west, the Henrietta has a comfortable elasticated waist, lovely horse-girl vibes and features a central panel back and front with lovely gathers at the side.
Skill Level: Confident Beginners
Recommended fabrics: Light to medium weight woven fabrics. For a more dramatic silhouette use crisp fabrics such as cotton poplin, voile and cotton lawn. The skirt has a more relaxed and everyday feel when sewn in fabrics that have a softer drape such as linen, viscose,, tencel, and pre-washed cottons.
Seasonality: More of a Spring/Summer skirt but would also work well as an autumn or winter skirt in a medium weight fabric.
Why our team loves it: we love the unique "western” style and it’s super comfortable to wear. Watch this reel of @isewyousee modelling it in one of our linens.
Style: A skirt alternative to barrel trousers, this is a great feminine skirt pattern featuring a unique eight-panel construction. The four panels at the front and back create volume on all sides. It sounds excessive but it actually results in a trendy three dimensional shape which looks elegant.
Skill Level: Confident Beginners
Recommended fabrics: For a maximalist, directional skirt, choose fabrics with some inherent stiffness like cotton canvas, twill, medium weight linen or jacquard. For a more understood casual look, pick fabrics with a gentle drape such as lightweight denim or chambray, double gauze, linen blends or washed linen.
Seasonality: We think the barrel skirt is perfect as an autumn or winter skirt but those preferring the more understated version in drape fabrics could easily make this as a summer skirt.
Why our team loves it: once again, it’s a unique design which looks great when made up.
Find your Next Skirt Project
If you want further skirt pattern inspiration we recommend heading over to our friends at The Foldline who have a dedicated collection of great skirt patterns. You will also find all the skirt fabric inspiration you need in our collection of skirt fabrics from corduroy, wool, crepe, imitation leather, denim and velvet for winter skirts, to viscose, cotton lawn, cotton chambray, cotton poplin, linen, satin, and linen, cotton and viscose blends for summer. Don’t forget to check out our lining fabrics too.
Authored by: Annabelle Rigg, Online and Store Manager at Fabrics Galore London
Reviewed by: Paul Johnston, Owner and Founder of Fabrics Galore London since 1992
