Drop-Waist Skirts Are Set to Topple Pencils This Summer

For years, I considered myself a trousers person through and through. Whether denim, cotton or wool, trousers were an important component in my uniform, while skirts sat at the back of my wardrobe, largely ignored. Then something shifted. Somewhere between the tail end of winter and the first glimpse of spring, skirts started making much more sense to me.

Now, I see them in a whole new light. Pencil, pleated, mini and maxi—each silhouette has found its way into my rotation this season. But there’s one style in particular that has captured my attention more than any other. A little less expected than the staples that have been in steady circulation for decades, the drop-waist skirt trend is the one I can’t stop thinking about.

Unlike traditional A-line skirts, the drop-waist design features an elongated panel that extends from the waist down to the hips—or even lower—before flaring out. The effect? A striking silhouette that visually lengthens the torso while adding fluidity and movement from the hips down.

Who What Wear Editor-in-Chief Hannah Almassi styles Peach Den’s Deba Midi Skirt (£120).

Fresh-feeling for 2025, there’s there’s no shortage of covetable options hitting the market right now, and the Who What Wear team has already singled out a few favourites. Peachy Den’s cotton drop-waist skirt, for example, has quickly become a go-to, already finding a home in the wardrobes of our Editor-in-Chief, Hannah Almassi, and Assistant Social Media Editor, Annie Wheatland-Clinch. Meanwhile, styles from & Other Stories, Massimo Dutti, and Isabel Marant are offering equally compelling takes, with tailored finishes and elegant draping that solidify the trend’s wearability.

Who What Wear Assistant Social Media Editor Annie Wheatland-Clinch styles Peach Den’s Deba Midi Skirt (£120).

A playful departure to the pencil and column skirts that dominated the winter months, I don’t think it will be long until this swishy silhouette is affirmed as a wardrobe staple.