All About Gypsy Skirts

Gypsy Skirts

For those who enjoy wearing hippie clothes, gypsy skirts are a real treat. The sense of freedom and nostalgia coupled with what could only be called true femininity make these peasant skirts really attractive fashion options.

If you are unfamiliar with these boho skirts think back to what girls wore frequently in the 60s or might wear now to a Renaissance fair. Besides the bell bottom jeans, girls were most noted for wearing dresses and long skirts made of flowing materials. Sometimes they were broomstick skirts that were tie dyed or tiered. Either way gypsy skirts are now iconic symbols of the 60s fashion for women.

Because the clothing in the 60s was often patterned after that of other cultures, tribal Indian skirts or gypsy clothing and motifs were often worn. The light cotton fabrics were well suited to tie dye, or might be embroidered on the hem or around the pockets.

These hippie skirts were also often patterned after cholis like the harem skirts or pants you think of as well, tight fitting to the body, or draped over with a piece of matching fabric over the shoulder or over the face. For Renaissance fairs you might throw in a coned hat with matching cloth draped from it.

Such gypsy costume pieces were not readily available at the local 5 and dime and had to be handmade in the 60s. Today, you have more outlets for finding gypsy skirts like the internet, but you may also want to make your own like the women of the 60s did.

Embroidered skirt hems make a nice addition to your gypsy skirt. Yellows, golds, greens, and primary color embroidery floss were typical color choices for the skirt designs. Such lovely designs as flowers, rainbows, peace signs and the like were frequently used. However, in modern times, simple words could also be used to great effect, much like tattoos.

You can do this embellishing by hand with needle and thread or with a sewing machine as most typical sewing machines come with an embroidery stitch these days. Since we live in modern times, you can even pay someone to do it with an embroidery machine. This works great for gypsy costumes or hippie costumes because you can make several with the same template, but use different threads to make each costume different.

If you want to be really fancy you could choose to add a metallic embroidery thread to the mix. Gypsy clothing often had a metallic look, like sequins, which made them seem so mysterious and magical.

You can find a gypsy skirt pattern online or at your local sewing shop. Just check the section under Halloween costumes. If they don’t actually have a gypsy costume, look at the peasant skirts, or the belly dance skirt patterns. For all practical purposes any circle skirt pattern will do. It is this circle cut that makes these skirts flow loosely the way they do. You should be able to find them for most sizes including plus size patterns.

No matter whether you buy one new or used, or make your own, gypsy skirts makes a great fashion statement.

• India crinkled Bellydance Boho Tie Skirt 36″ Length
• Rich colors and eye-catching print create a comfortable, attractive wrap-around skirt.
• Gorgeous black gold color bring you an aura of exotic India
• Measurements:Length: 36″ Inches, Waist Non Stretched: 26″ Inches, After Stretching: 36″ Inches,Bottom Circumference upto 92″
• Fabric:Rayon. Hand wash or machine wash in gentle cycle, drip dry.

Our classic rayon boho tie skirt are perfect for all long and short kurtis. A fun & fashionable skirt by Mogul Interior! This crinkle skirt offers a bohemian style, tie design, and elastic waistline. Skirt is stylish, easy to wear, and is one of this season’s hottest looks!

Price: $ 28.50

• Skirt in printed cotton from India
• Waist 32 inches Length 35 inches, elasticated
• For outdoor casual wear
• Hand block printed
• Shipped in 24 hours from Gurgaon, a New Delhi Suburb in India.

Long Skirt in handloom woven cotton fabric is especially suitable for women in late twenties and beyond. Hand-block prints in Indian motifs make them attractive casual apparel. Drawstring at waist adds to their casual look and feel. Urban women in India in the age group twenty five to fifty prefer to wear these skirts in spring and summer. Long cotton skirts have airy feel in summer.

Early Indian literature, speaks of the bhairnivasni, a skirt like garment, which evolved from the antariya, a simple tube shaped garment. This was stitched on one side, gathered and held at the waist by a girdle. Women wore it as a lower garment. It later evolved into a skirt with a drawstring called the ghaghri made from five and a half meters of fabric. The skirt in India is known by many different names, depending on the regional style, the most popular, by far, being the ghaghra.It was the flare that made the ghaghra such a sumptuous garment and one so captivating that it was celebrated both in poetry and art. The ghaghra is really a long skirt, which has the construction of a simple gathered skirt or a flared gored skirt. It covers the legs fully or partially, depending on the norms of propriety among different ethnic groups, although a long ghaghra usually relates to more puritanical modesty. Another term used was the lehenga, a compound of the Sanskrit words lanka (waist) and anga (body or limb). The lehenga is generally associated with a panelled skirt that is narrower than the ghaghra. However, there are no rigid definitions and the terms have found more generic usages. This and other styles of the skirt are very popular in North India. The most voluminous skirts could be made up of over 20 meters of cloth.

Price: $ 24.44

• Reversible silk wrap skirt – wearable on both sides
• Made from vintage India silk saris – patchwork
• All Jedzebel clothing is made under Fair Trade practices
• Jedzebel has been working in the villages of India for 15 years making silk sari garments
• One size fits most

This skirt is a long silk patchwork panel skirt. It is approximately 48 inches wide, one size fits most. It is approximately 36 inches to 38 inches long. Made from vintage silk sari fabric, every piece is one of a kind. The colors come assorted from thousands of available prints. The photo is an example only, each piece is different.

This skirt has patchwork sari prints and has lining.

Price: $ 38.00

• Indian turquoise color cotton elastic Skirt with bead and net Designed from India.
• Spectacular design and color. The very best in quality and design. Designer styles from India
• Gorgeous turquoise color bring you an aura of exotic India.
• Length-40″,Waist non stretched 26″,after stretching 34″Bottom Flare-128″.
• Care Instructions: Hand wash ONLY.

Offering an exclusive range of ladies skirts. Aesthetically designed in charming floral, round, stripe and other patterns, these ladies skirts in mesmerizing colors can be tied around the waist with strings. These are wearable with top, shirt and other outfits. These skirts are the ones which are liked by the females who are too much into fashion. Each of these outfits carry a unique aesthetic appeal that have enjoyed the appreciation of the females of all ages. Fabricated using best quality fabric, our collection is comfortable for formal as well as a casual wear.

Price: $ 28.99

In the first half of this 2 hour DVD, Vashti goes over Gypsy stylization and technique. This section includes: Arms and Posture, Skirt Work, The Zambra Step, Vuelta de Pasos, and The Rumba Step.

In the second half of the DVD, Vashti teaches a dynamic Gypsy choreography with skirt. Each section is slowly and thoroughly broken down. There are several optional level increases that will challenge the advanced dancer, but can be left out to make the choreography easier. Vashti is the Artistic Director for Bellydance Odyssey Productions and Dance Odyssey Studio in Soquel, California and the winner of the 2005 Gypsy Stylist award.

A few words from Vashti:

“Welcome to Vashti’s Gypsy Passion. My name is Vashti and I am the Artistic Director for Bellydance Odyssey Productions and Dance Odyssey Studio in Soquel, California.

My goal is to teach you a gypsy fusion dance routine using a full skirt. This DVD is organized in a way that allows you to use it as a beginner and as an advanced student because I have included optional level increases.

A word about stylization. I have used the word “gypsy” to describe a stylization – not a people. This choreography is a fusion of Middle Eastern dance movement and “gitana” or flamenco stylization. I have also included some dance movement from my own cultural heritage – so you will find that some movement resembles the folkloric dances of Mexico and Colombia. Finally, this DVD includes some chapters which break down specific dance steps we will use in our dance but it does not provide a complete technique breakdown. As a point of reference you should know that I utilize some vocabulary and movement from my training in the Suhaila Salimpour format.”

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com’s standard return policy will apply.

List Price: $ 19.95

Price: $ 19.95

Gypsy Skirts are a great item to purchase for your hippie wardrobe. The free-flowing style not only harkens back to the 60s, but it provides one of the most comfortable items of clothing you can wear for work, fun or frolick. Check out the great gypsy skirts above.