The pleated skirt has long occupied a strange position in the grammar of dress, a garment associated with discipline, instruction, and the architecture of institutional life. Its origins trace back through European scholastic dress, where pleats were valued not for ornament but for order: a controlled expansion of fabric that allowed movement while maintaining visual restraint.
By the late twentieth century, designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Rei Kawakubo began to dismantle the grammar of uniform dressing. Westwood through the confrontational school-uniform distortions of her Seditionaries era, Kawakubo through the anti-fashion discipline of early Comme des Garçons, transforming garments associated with order into subtle instruments of dissent.
The riveted band that cuts across the hip line echoes that tension. Part belt, part structural interruption, it recalls the hardware of punk garments that emerged in Britain during the late 1970s, an era when youth culture repurposed elements of uniform, tailoring and workwear as forms of dissent during the political unrest surrounding the The Troubles.
During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, school uniform like blazers, ties and pleated skirts were worn within a landscape of checkpoints and divided streets. By the late twentieth century, designers such as Vivienne Westwood would seize on the tension embedded in uniform dressing, transforming garments associated with discipline into gestures of rebellion.
Named the Derry Seditionaries Pleated Skirt, the piece draws on that historical tension. The title references the confrontational vocabulary of the Seditionaries era associated with Westwood, while invoking Derry, a city whose streets became an unlikely stage for the social fractures of the Troubles.
| Size |
Skirt Length |
Waist |
Hips |
| XS |
56 |
67 |
88 |
| S |
57 |
71 |
92 |
| M |
58 |
75 |
96 |
| L |
59 |
79 |
100 |
| XL |
60 |
83 |
104 |
Ally is 173 cm tall with a 79 cm bust, 59 cm waist, and 88 cm hips. She wears a Size S.
Composition
Crafted from a dense and structured blended suit fabric. Finished with a concealed side zip for ease of wear, the garment balances structure with practicality.
Polyester fibre 64.2%, viscose fiber 29.7%, polyurethane elastic fiber (spandex) 6.1%.
Styling notes
Designed with a slightly elongated pleated silhouette, this skirt offers a flattering fit across a range of body types.
The structured pleats create a sculpted yet fluid shape that holds its form without losing movement. The high-waisted design enhances the silhouette, delivering a clean, streamlined look while providing comfortable coverage through the hips and thighs.
A versatile staple, the Derry Seditionaries Pleated Skirt pairs effortlessly with classic tones like black and grey — adaptable across polished, preppy, or relaxed styling.
Finished with a concealed side zip for ease of wear, the garment balances structure with practicality.
Care instructions
Hand wash recommended using a mild detergent in cold water.
If machine washing, use a gentle cycle and place garment in a laundry bag. Do not bleach. Dry cleanable.
