An Ode To Running Skirts

In case you haven’t heard … running skirts are freakin’ awesome. They are literally my favorite thing about summer running, yep you heard that right and even though I think I already have 5 I’m still actively shopping for more. Why would you wear shorts if you have a running skirt available? So here are my top loves about running skirts. Side note I almost always find one when I’m thrifting so if for some silly reason you’re still unsure after reading this you can probably pick one up for a few bucks and try it out. Let’s be honest ladies there are lots of things that suck about running and having two x chromosomes but I would like to put forward that we in fact have two distinct advantages. One not having to tape our nipples ever and the other is running skirts. In fact after reading this don’t be surprised if the men in your neighborhood start rocking one!

The magic of 2 layers

This is what makes a running skirt perform so well. A running skirt has an inner layer of shorts and then an outer layer of skirt-y cuteness. Usually since there are two layers the fabric is thinner and lighter than it would have to be for one layered tight shorts so that’s pretty awesome because the running skirt tends to be lighter, airier, and more breathable than a pair of tight shorts but that’s not all! 

Since you have two layers happening you can wear lighter colors in the summer heat. Since we sweat in that region and most of us don’t want to be running around with a sweaty crotch region we opt for darker colored shorts which just attract more heat and the problem is made worse. Not so with running skirts though, any moisture is trapped in the inner shorts layer and the outer skirt layer stays dry or dries out as it flounces around adorably. But wait there’s more!

Most of us wear a belt of some sort that moves and bunches and makes things ride up as we go, not so if you are wearing a running skirt. That bunchy, often rubbery belt doesn’t seem to have the grab to move pants but when you pair it with shorts it’s a different story. It seems to grab the tight ones leading to wedgies that you inevitably end up pulling out directly in front of a carload of people you know or it swallows the loose sort of shorts entirely, how does this happen anyway? But … if you are wearing a running skirt the belt attaches it’s self to the outer layer and gently moves that around but the shorts underneath stay put and correct the outer skirt layer with each step. Isn’t that amazing? It’s for all of these practical reasons that this light pink/peach running skirt os my go to summer long run outfit!

Perhaps more modest definitely more flattering

Here is the thing when it’s really hot I would probably run in my underwear and lots of ladies do at the big races. I’m not ready to go there around my small town yet but the shorter the short the cooler you stay, plus less terrible tan lines right? When you’re wearing a running skirt no one knows how short your inner shorts are below that skirt and that length is how the skirt as a whole performs. Put another way you can wear shorts under your skirt way shorter than you would on their own and stay cool with a slightly longer over skirt that doesn’t really warm you up since you know, air circulation. But if you want to run in your underwear, go for it! PS how many of us got away with wearing short skirts out as teenagers by demonstrating that we were in fact wearing shorts under them?

But no matter who you are, what your body looks like or how you feel about it a running skirt is probably more flattering than either tight shorts or loose ones. For me the loose shorts just never seem to look right am I the only one that feels that way? I’m pretty lean and the shorter loose shorts always bag and blow out and make me look like I’m wearing someone else’s butt. The longer shorts well they look like they’re wearing me! Tight and short shorts are undoubtably the best preforming of the running shorts for me and I wear that sort on my bike all the time but let’s be honest they’re not doing anyone any favors. That’s why I can comfortably predict that this season’s trend of bicycle shorts won’t take off beyond the instagram!

I have all sorts of running skirts, tutu flouncy ones, flared figure skater ones and straight ones. The key is that they flare out from the body and for me at least actually make it look like I might really have hips, exciting right? For a lot of ladies their upper thighs are what they’re most sensitive about. After all they might not be as small as you want them to be, they might have weird veins and we all have a few dimples there. Every lady out there already knows an A-line can fix all the flaws in that area, enter once again the running skirt.

Super cute

You can wear leggings in life same for capris even tights with the right sweater are acceptable in public. You know what’s not really that acceptable running shorts at least in most places. Sure running into the corner store is one thing but going out to eat or to meet a customer not so much. I’m the only driver at our house and I can’t tell you how often after my runs, especially the long ones, we have to jump into the car to retrieve a motor kid 2 dropped off a friend’s boat, to meet a customer that’s freaking out about nothing, to buy something we’re out of before a holiday or to a customer with a legitimate emergency and that was just last spring! While running shorts say “I’ve just been sweating profusely and that area is barely covered right now” a skirt says “perhaps I’ve over dressed for this occasion” which trust me is better. In fact I ran into the kids and their mom this past weekend on a water stop at the grocery store and she wants to borrow the pink tutu one (from the title) next time she goes downtown. We could however be the only two loons that think this way though!

Alright so this next point might be a bit well touchy. We don’t all want to swim or hang around on the beach in bathing suit bottoms. I don’t think that I’m alone in not having a favorable opinion of those ruffled skirt bits that are attached to some bathing suits. They always seem to look so frumpy. But there are other times even if you’re totally cool in the tiniest of bikinis you might want more coverage. Perhaps you’ll be at the beach with your boyfriend’s parents or kids? For me I don’t like wearing just a bikini bottom when I launch my paddle board at the beach when there are 1000’s of people there. I’m already standing out with my 10 ft board enough and all the bending and lugging .. so I usually wear a running skirt. I think that a cute running skirt that matches your bathing suit is a cuter, more stylish less frumpy option than a ruffle or a whole sarong.

So that’s most of the reasons I just love running skirts, the last one is they’re just super fun! Do you have any running skirts? Are you going to pick one up? Do you love yours as much as me?