Lifestyles

With bubble skirts out and about in casual summer incarnations and on catwalks showing fall collections, a question arises.

We wonder whether that effervescent, couture-inspired piece is developing into a trend again or is a mere seasonal fad.

Several high-profile labels included bubble skirts and frocks in silk chiffons, brocades, wool jerseys and tweeds in fall ready-to-wear collections. Miu Miu did a handful of versions, as did Chloe, Vera Wang and Louis Vuitton. Inspired by Cristobal Balenciaga's 1960s couture fabrics and architectural designs, Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquiere included direct references to the estimable 20th-century designer in bubble skirts and dresses for fall 2006.

"I think with fashion being on the 20- to 25-year cycle, it was made popular in the early '60s and then in the '80s, and we're seeing it again now," says Richard Bryan, director of visual merchandising at Saks Fifth Avenue, Downtown.

"Designers are taking the best parts of the '80s and translating it to now. We'll see it for fall in black wool jersey or crushed velvet for evening."

Inspired by, but less voluminous, than Christian La Croix's early '80s more-is-more pouf skirt made with crinolines and stiff, printed taffetas, bubble skirts and dresses this summer are casual pieces in softly draping jersey knits in solid colors, emphasizing slightly pared-down silhouettes.

"It's almost like you took the bubble and popped it and let the air out of it. It's not flashy. It's quieter and a little more introspective," Bryan says.

Primarily targeting a clientele of juniors and young women, Jupe Boutique on the South Side carries a wide selection of jersey knit skirts, dresses and tops with bubble hems. According to co-owner and fashion designer Cara Moody, the bubble skirt and top have been pieces that are difficult to sell.

"The bubble skirt and tops are hard to wear. I think they make some girls feel like they look frumpy, and, so, they don't wear them because they want fitted things," Moody says.

"But the dresses with bubble hems, on the other hand, are really popular and flattering. And girls don't have to spend much time figuring out how to put the outfit together."

Transitioning into fall, Jupe Boutique is carrying semi-fitted knit jersey bubble dresses in dark solid neutrals with cap sleeves by Double Zero.

Some of the freshest fall styles, such as Donna Karan's flirty, flippy bubble minis, might strike one as a bit too effervescent. With fall's pervasive emphasis on volume, the tulip skirt combines the flirty dimension of the bubble without the turned-under hem to create the bubble.

"We are definitely seeing the tulip shape across the board in lines that we are carrying for fall," says Kelley Young, director of the Downtown Saks Fifth Avenue's The Fifth Avenue Club, a personal shopping service department.

"I think the tulip shape does not go away. We'll continue to see that especially in our evening department. There's a lot more femininity in the lines right now, and we're seeing a lot more skirts for fall," Young says.

Dabble in bubbles

Beguile with the bubble with some tips from our fashion experts:

• Try a bubble skirt or dress in a winter-weight fabric in black to balance (the bubble's) eye-catching novelty with restraint.

• Choose from current bubble styles in softy draping fabrics for a flattering fit.

-- Richard Bryan, director of visual merchandising at Saks Fifth Avenue, Downtown

• Pair a bubble skirt with something fitted and simple on top, such as a cropped jacket over a white ribbed tank top.

• Wear leggings under the bubble skirt with a fitted T-shirt.

-- Cara Moody, co-owner of Jupe Boutique on the South Side

• Opt for tulip skirts, which give volume inspired by classic couture style.

-- Kelley Young, Director of The Fifth Avenue Club at Saks Fifth Avenue, Downtown

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