How to Tie a Wraparound Skirt

Co-authored by Elle Monus

Last Updated: November 27, 2021

Wraparound skirts are a great way to show off your fun, unique sense of style. They can be a little tricky to tie securely if you’ve never worn one. Learning how to position your skirt and tie it correctly will let you wear your wraparound skirt with confidence.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Positioning the Skirt

1
Make sure your skirt is clean and pressed. Before you start tying your skirt, make sure it’s free of any stains or wrinkles. If you’ve been storing it folded up, press out any creases before you get started.
2
Unfold the entire skirt. Wraparound skirts can get pretty big, but you’ll need to start with an unfolded skirt. Unfold the whole length of fabric. Then, position it so the side with the ties and buttonhole is on top.^{[1]
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3
Grab an upper corner in each hand. Make sure your skirt is facing out first--some wraparounds aren’t reversible. Grab the left upper corner in your left hand and the right upper corner in your right hand. Be sure to grab the corners, not the ties!^{[2]
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4
Hold the skirt up behind your backside. Position yourself so that the back of the wraparound is facing your backside. You may have to shuffle your hands around a little to move the skirt from front to back.^{[3]
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5
Line up the skirt with your waist or hips. Some people prefer to wear wrap skirts at their natural waist, while others like to secure them around their hips. Depending on your preference, line the top hem of the skirt up so that it’s even along your waist or hip line.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Wrapping Your Skirt

1
Wrap the right corner across your front. Take the right corner and fold the skirt across the front of your body. Your right hand should now be in front of your left hip. Be sure to keep holding the left corner in your other hand!^{[5]
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2
Slide the tie through the buttonhole. Your wraparound skirt will have a buttonhole on the upper edge of the fabric. Slide the right corner tie through the buttonhole and pull it taut. Continue holding onto the tie after you slide the tie through.^{[6]
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- Most wraparound skirts have the buttonhole on the right, but if yours is on the left, simply switch the corners around so that your left hand is in front of your right hip.
- Some wraparound skirts don't have a buttonhole. For these, you'll need to secure it with additional wrapping or a pin.
3
Pull the left corner around your body until it reaches the buttonhole. Take your left hand and pull the other corner of the skirt around your body until the base of the left tie is at the buttonhole. Depending on your size and the size of your skirt, you might only go across the front of your body, or you might have to wrap the skirt all the way around more than once. As long as you can hold both ties in one hand easily, you’re fine!^{[7]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Securing Your Wraparound

1
Tie both ties together into a single bow. Once you’ve got both ties over or very close to the buttonhole, tie them together in a single bow. Don’t double-knot it or tie it too tight--you’ll need to adjust the fit after you tie it.^{[8]
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2
Adjust your skirt until you’re comfortable. Your skirt should fit you comfortably and not be in any danger of falling off. It shouldn’t pinch you, but it should rest taut against your waist or hips. If it isn’t sized correctly, untie it and shift the corners until you’re comfortable.^{[9]
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3
Tie again if necessary. If your skirt is too loose or too tight, re-tie your bow after your adjust your wraparound skirt. You might have to re-tie more than once to get it right. That’s totally normal.^{[10]
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4
Secure the tie with a double bow or pin. Tie the ties in a double bow to keep them secured. To tie a double bow, first tie an ordinary bow and then knot the bow loops one more time. If you aren’t comfortable relying on a bow, you can use a safety pin or even a fun decorative brooch to help secure your skirt. Just make sure any pin you use goes through every layer of the waistband.^{[11]
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Warnings

Make sure your skirt is the right size for you. If it's too big, it's going to sag a little. If it's too small, the skirt is going to leave gaps on the legs.^{[12]
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Elle Monus
Image Consultant
Expert Interview. 21 October 2021.}

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Wear layers underneath if you need more coverage. For example, if you're at the beach, you can wear your bathing suit under the skirt.^{[13]
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Expert Source

Elle Monus
Image Consultant
Expert Interview. 21 October 2021.}

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