The Anti-Skort.

In my last extensive outfit post I mentioned something concerning the warping of a United Bamboo button-up skirt.
This is the post concerning that! At first-- as with all my posts-- I had trouble finding that photo of my tangled-up (aka, marrying buttons with holes that weren't their mates) skirt which I had taken before since I knew it would be hard to recreate again. But since I couldn't find it during the end of the semester, I tried to redo it using a diagram I drew when I unbuttoned it.

Problem with that was that I didn't number the order in which the buttons were done up in (which I found out was important).

I spent like a few hours just sitting in my dorm looking at my skirt so confused like, "how did I do that before?! There's only 7 buttons!" But when you take into account the order, there's really something like 5040 ways to do it [7x6x5x4x3x2x1...at least I think that's how combination math goes] And that's not taking into account doubling up two buttonholes with one button, buttons that weren't buttoned etc, buttoning backwards or forwards, and the folding complications.

Anyway, basically it was really really complicated and late last night I was trying to recreate the magic again, even though I knew it would be futile as before. Finally, it occurs to me 2 hours later [well I was also talking to friends at the same time] to check in the trash bin on my desktop, and lo and behold I find my warped united bamboo photo! Such joy! And even with the photo and seeing how I did it, I couldn't even redo it and so I gave up and was like, "well, ____ [insert any verb] this".

The salvaged photo


I would even show you the little diagram I made but I threw it out at the end of the semester since it was kind of useless! Also, after the countless twisting and pullings of the buttons due to my constant efforts to recreate what was lost, the skirt was no longer the same and a lot of the buttons are loose now, even despite my best efforts to tighten them. sad :( It's my only united bamboo piece!


So I got to give some love to dreamecho for having tackled the button-up skirt a while back. I always wanted to try to mix up a button-up skirt (I mean it's just dying to be switched up!), but I was like, "eh it'd probably turn out silly and amateur... in a bad way" but when I purchased the skirt [one size too large, which is actually good for mixing it up] a while back at a Creatures of Comfort sale ($40) I said to myself, "If dreamecho did it, I can brave myself to do it!"...and the rest is history.

Believe it or not, that was just a side story! The real deal is, as the title explains, the anti-skort. I don't even know if that's the appropriate name for "a skirt that gives off the impression of shorts". But if I try to combine the word skirt+short in the other way, I get "shirt" which is pretty lame.

My "anti-skort" is real simple: just a little kind of solid one-pleat crease in the front that makes a skirt give off the impression of shorts. This came about since I was really sad that I was mutilating my precious united bamboo piece and I didn't want to stress out the buttons anymore and I was frustrated with trying to recreate the wrapping/warping I did, so I tried for something less complicated but still "warped" (aka, wearing it in a way the garment was not intentionally made to be worn in), creating: the anti-skort.


How to do the anti-skort? Simple! Take your button-up skirt, and instead of buttoning the holes over the top of the button, fold over -inward- the row of buttons, and button it up through the holes and in the end the front of the buttons should be facing the inside of the skirt. IRON the crease! [I didn't, but in retrospect it would have been better] (FYI DIY: I suppose you could do it with a normal stiff skirt--mine is like slightly stiff denim cotton material-- and just iron the single pleat really well or you could even permanently stitch it into place).

The whole philosophy behind this anti-skort is kind of strange, since the purpose of a "skort" is primarily to make girls feel more comfortable with wearing skirts and not accidently showing anything.
The anti-skort...is not the same; it's obviously not a short, it doesn't look like a short from the back (unless you did the same one-pleat in the back) and from the front they would only truly be convincing if you were wearing a long top to cover up the crotch area as you see on the right. And since it involves a button-up skirt they are normally mentally less comfortable because um, between the rows of buttons, there are spaces, and if you sit down in a certain way, people can see your skin and maybe unmentionables through the side.

To protect against any "unwanted peek-a-boo" with the button-up anti-skort-- and so it better maintains its shape-- you can secure each gap between the buttons on the skirts interior with a medium-large paperclip (clip the two fabric sides together..you'll understand if you try it) and that you could not do with a wearing a button-up skirt like normal (there would be no fabric to clip together). Just make sure that you don't try to stretch TOO much that paperclips will start flying everywhere and your coworkers will think you've been trying to steal office supplies in your skirt.

In conclusion, there really is no purpose to the anti-skort. It's just a tongue-in-cheek, whimsical play on a skirt.




Having said that, play on! :)



I call this the, "I feel like I need to have something white on my neck and all I have is this belt" outfit.
[loose large garcon tee $10 -sample sale. white belt, came with a jumpsuit. don't ask]



Simple
[white tank, vintage red oleg cassinis, U/O stretchy gold scale belt, white converse, mom's beachcomber necklace on my head]






Close-ups of the waist [FYI, a tight stretchy belt will help better keep the shape of your anti-skort. and will also give a mini paper-bag waist effect]

Under-dressed. Get it? Ha ha! ha. sorry.
[one size too big H&M trapeze dress, on sale $20]

I really like this sort of accordion shape that I stressed with the dress.
[the buttons weren't very happy with me at this point and I was tired of fussing with them]








This photo is dedicated to dreamecho for her unknowing help in helping me find the bravery to tackle my own button-up skirt. [& the pose is very dreamecho in itself, ain't it?]



Are you going to try out the anti-skort? Send me a photo and I'll put it up!

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2 Actions of the Week! Pick one or do them both! [it doesn't hurt to do both ;)]

One.org

A Simple Request to the G8 //all you have to do is sign a form!//

"2008 is a landmark year in the fight against poverty and disease. The world is halfway to 2015 when the Millennium Goals must be achieved, but Africa is perilously off track. 2008 is also the halfway point between 2005 and 2010 when many G8 promises to Africa must be met such as the commitment to provide an additional $25 billion in effective aid for Africa. The G8 are dangerously behind on these landmark commitments.

In 2008, G8 leaders have the opportunity -- and responsibility -- to put weight behind their words.

The Petition: http://www.one.org/2008g8
We call upon you to build on recent success in fighting extreme poverty by delivering your commitments on healthcare, agriculture and education and by helping citizens in developing countries in their efforts to improve governance and fight corruption." [ONE.org]

HSUS.org

Cruel and Unusual: Factory Farm Cows kicked while industry lags// all you have to do is sign a form! //

The factory farming campaign works to reduce the suffering of animals raised for meat, eggs, and milk.

"Government regulators need to do something about the systemic problem of downer cows.

The Humane Society of the United States very recently released its latest undercover video showing abuses of dairy cows -- this time at an auction in Portales, New Mexico. The video shows workers kicking, hitting, dragging by chains, and electrically shocking cows unable to stand or walk. It sickens me to watch these images, and I know it must have the same effect on you.

This is our third exposé since January, and the horrifying cruelty we've documented shows why it's time for the USDA, the states, and the meat and dairy industries to act -- and to delay and dilly dally no longer. Watch our video, then urge the USDA to immediately adopt a comprehensive policy barring the slaughter of injured and ill cattle who cannot walk, called "downers."

Our investigators visited five auctions and a slaughter plant during the course of these three investigations and found appalling mistreatment at every location -- providing irrefutable evidence that there are industry-wide problems that must be addressed. Besides fostering the terrible suffering of downers, the loophole has the potential to threaten the safety of our food supply: Downers have a higher risk of harboring foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and even mad cow disease, than cows able to walk on their own. How much longer can we afford to wait?

While the USDA has committed to a ban on the slaughter of downers for human consumption, it has yet to implement it. And our latest investigation shows why USDA should not wait another day. While it's at it, the agency must broaden the ban to include downers at livestock auctions and other links in the food supply chain, too. Animals -- and the American public -- deserve aggressive action to solve this problem. There is no more time for hedging or delay. Please tell the USDA to act today."~ Wayne Pacelle, CEO of The Humane Society [HSUS.org]

never be a bystander, be responsible, and always remember ignorance isn't bliss.