The Puffball Skirt Is Fashion’s Newest Favourite

Grab your feather boa and pluck your tallest platforms: this season we’re going to the (puff)ball! Cropping up in crowds across fashion week, peppering runway shows throughout the season, and quietly seeping into the Instagram scene, all of a sudden, the puffball skirt trend is officially back everywhere we look.

The pencil skirt‘s polar opposite, with a playful silhouette that cuts through the ’90s and ’00s noise to deliver full-blow ’80s fun, the puffball skirt trend achieves a high volume, high drama look that Carrie Bradshaw would fawn over.

Rifting off the ra-ra and skater skirt silhouettes that came before it, spring’s slew of puffball skirts and dresses flare out before folding under the hem, creating a puff-like finish. Often constructed from fabrics such as nylon, duchess satin and jersey—which better hold the voluminous shape—the skirt is cropping up in the form of everything from mini skirts to extra-long dresses this season.

Offering a fanciful retort to the pencil skirts and tailored styles that dominated across the winter months, the playful silhouette embraces the fun side of fashion. Whilst this isn’t the first time we’ve celebrated this trend—the skirt was a popular staple throughout the eighties and across the ’10s, the past few years focus on quiet luxury makes the return of the puffball this time around feel entirely fresh.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Appearing in fuchsia pink on the Molly Goddard autumn/winter 2024 runway, the dramatic skirt was cut to a longline length and styled with an oversized blouse in a similarly billowy shape.

Also featuring in the latest collections of Marques’Almeida, Aaron Esh and Aknvas, it’s clear to see that designers are backing the rising trend in a big way for all of 2024.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Whilst at first glance you might have assumed the skirt was difficult to style, the breadth of options available across designer and high street brands means that finding a style that feels wearable for you is easily achievable. Whether you’re curious about the trend and interested in fitted dress with a subtle flare, or keen to go for an ultra-mini ultra-puffy style, there’s an option out there to suit your preference.