Flare is fullness concentrated at a garment section’s edge-and it’s a fun and easy way to give a garment flair. It enables you to fashion interesting silhouettes with movement, style, and even drama. Controlling a garment’s flare placement and amount is important. If you’re petite, you may want to add just a little swing to a skirt. If you’re tall or full-busted, you may like more width at the hemline to balance your proportions. Experiment with flare to see what works best for you.

In this article from Threads #189 (February/March 2017), you’ll learn two easy methods for adding flare to a skirt: by closing a straight skirt’s darts, and by transforming a straight skirt’s hem area into a flounce.