In full swing

MANILA, Philippines - While bandage skirts may have their good points (they’re certainly sexy), their limitations far outstrip their positive qualities. Tight bandage skirts have a tendency to limit your stride (think of it as the new millenium’s version of Chinese foot binding). They ride up when you walk, exposing your backside and inner thighs to the world and beyond. And they make it difficult for you to sit like a lady. Unless you’ve mastered the art of hiding your lady bits without difficulty, bandage skirts are essentially more trouble than their worth.

Enter the full skirt. Swingy, knee-length (often found in cotton or denim) with a slight gather, this new skirt is a bit of a throwback to — don’t make me say it — a popular ’80s silhouette. Its dubious origins notwithstanding, this new silhouette feels younger and fresher.

If the bandage skirt is the equivalent of a club kid gone stale, her features hardened, her feet perennially shod in painfully high stilettos, the full skirt’s counterpart isn’t jaded, enjoys low-key things, finds no-nonsense flats adorable and has a playful sense of humor.

Of course, I may be reading too much into it. Feel free to disagree with me here.

But the refreshing part about heading out garbed in this kind of casual skirt is that it offers full coverage, is comfortable and lets you walk or sit any way you like.

And, once you’ve had more than your fair share of the lunch buffet, the skirt offers enough room to breathe without having friends and co-workers eye your protruding belly like an unannounced baby bump. There’s nothing more embarassing than having to confess to nosy but well-meaning people that “It’s nothing folks, just some Mongolian barbecue for lunch.”