Bubble skirts are the perfect late summer piece to add…

Bubble skirts are the perfect late summer piece to add to your wardrobe

I have a theory. Whenever you want to predict an upcoming trend, simply look to the fashion archives of the last 50 years and wait until you feel the need to proclaim “That will never come back into fashion!” Then fire up Vinted, because you’ve got next year’s fashion staple sorted.

The latest piece of supporting evidence for my theory? Puffball skirts, or ‘bubble’ skirts - the kind you’d see in one of the less-coveted pictures of Princess Diana from the 1980s, a Cyndi Lauper costume, or perhaps a bad sitcom’s take on a retro prom.

But now they’re looking perfectly at home on models, influencers and all-round London trendy types setting the standard for the months to come. Luckily not all bubble skirts are made equal, so as much as the mini puffballs are in fashion for these last few warmer weeks, expect the midi and maxi lengths (think: deflated balloon, but chic) to last well into autumn. Maybe even Christmas party season, knowing how well acquainted puffball and lamé are.

So how did this relic find its way back into fashion favour? Its been cropping up on runways for some time now, but not to any immediate fanfare. There was Jacquemus’ Lady Di inspired “Le Chouchou” summer show in Versailles last summer, which saw guests positioned in rowboats as puffball silhouette after puffball strode silhouette past on the runway.

Initially the commitment to puffballs was mocked and the show was regarded as a rare miss. But then came more: Miu Miu showed a more modest version of them for autumn/winter 2024, as did skirt experts Chopova Lowena, switching their trademark plaid for patterned puffball aplenty.

Miu Miu’s more modest puffball skirts for AW24 (Miu Miu)

Evie Stothert, a senior stylist at Harrods and resident bubble skirt aficionado, sees it as more of a “bottom up” trend (if you’ll pardon the pun) than something that has filtered down via the catwalk.

“I think a lot of it has come from the coquette trend,” she says, “and this very hyper feminine ballet style. People in fashion really love Sandy Liang and these garments with lots of bows, lots of pinks and whites and reds. I think it’s come more from that street style which has then been adopted by the bigger houses, who are now showing it on their runways.”

This means it’s just as easy to get your hands of a high street staple as it is a high fashion version, because retailers have already recognised the demand. So do future you a favour and invest in a bubble skirt today. Chances are it will outlast your expectations.