Tibi Nylon Lantern Skirt

A lantern skirt is named for what it looks like: cloth that swells away from the body and then turns back in at the hem, so the outline is a curve rather than a line. It is a shape that cannot be draped into existence. It has to be held, which means the fabric has to have enough structure to stand out from the frame and enough recovery to keep doing it after a day of sitting down. Compact nylon is close to the ideal cloth for it. Tightly constructed, smooth-faced, and durable, it is a technical cloth that behaves architecturally without adding weight, so the skirt holds a sculptural shape while remaining light enough to wear in summer. The side pockets are cut oversized deliberately, which is the detail that keeps the whole thing from reading as precious: a skirt with a formal silhouette and pockets you can actually put things in is a considerably more interesting object than one with either alone.

Why we selected it

We are drawn to garments that get their shape from the cloth rather than from stiffening, boning, or a lining doing secret work. This is one of them, and it is why the skirt still works in August.

Materials and construction

Eighty-three percent polyester and seventeen percent polyamide, in the Japanese compact nylon the house uses across this group. Black. Back zip closure and oversized side pockets.

Fit notes

Sits at the waist with volume through the hip that collapses in at the hem, so it reads full without reading long. A compact technical cloth has no give, which makes the waist the fit decision. The silhouette does the work, so what goes on top should be close rather than full.

Styling

With the Washable Cashmere Oversize Easy T tucked, which is the pairing the shape wants. With the Sculpted Cotton Long Sleeve Top for structure against structure. Under the Cavalier Twill Shrunken Blazer, where the cropped jacket and the lantern hem are drawn on the same logic.

Care

Technical nylon and polyester wash easily and will not take heat, which glazes the surface and flattens the shape the cloth is holding. Wash cool, hang to dry, and never use a dryer. Our care guidance covers nylon and technical cloth.

Related pieces

The same cloth cut as a trouser is the Nylon Zipper Trouser, and the warm-weather short is the Italian Sporty Nylon Bubble Short. For a pleated skirt in a serious worsted, the Grain De Poudre pleated skirt. More on the house is on the Tibi designer page, and everything we currently hold from Tibi is listed together.