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Tea length skirts hit the calf or shin and gradually flare out. Originally considered casual, they became more formal in the 1950s. Modern designers produce tea-length dresses for formal events, but the hem can be unflattering on shorter women.
Tea length is a fashion term used to describe a mid-length skirt hem that hits the calf or shin. This type of skirt tends to skim the hips, then gradually flares out gently at the end. It’s usually a slightly more relaxed and casual alternative to floor-length skirts on ball gowns.
The first tea-length hems were worn primarily by women in Western cultures, especially England and the United States, beginning around the late 19th century. These were considered a more casual alternative to long dresses during a time when it was not socially acceptable for a woman to wear trousers. Early tea-length gowns tended to be made of lightweight fabrics, such as cotton, and were generally considered too casual to be worn in public.
During the 1920s, fashion for Western women began to change as women began to wear shorter skirts and pants, so tea-length skirts were no longer considered too casual to wear out and about. Fashion designers began making tea-length dresses and skirts in more formal fabrics such as satin, which became widely used in the late 1950s and early 1960s. After the 1960s, women’s fashion tended to focus on shorter skirts and pants, so western women didn’t wear calf-length dresses as much.
Modern designers produce tea-length dresses, which are usually worn for formal events. Some women prefer the skirt length because they want to evoke the conservative style of the first half of the 20th century. To emphasize the gradual billow at the bottom of the skirt, a woman may wear a slip made of tulle, a stiff fabric that adds more volume to the skirt. Others may choose this shorter hem if they are attending a formal outdoor event, where a longer hem can risk getting dirty or tearing.
A tea-length hem can also have potential disadvantages, particularly due to the area of the leg where the hem hits. If a woman is petite or has short legs, the calf-length hem can hide such a large portion of the lower body that it can appear wider than it actually is. To remedy any particular fit issues, this mid-length hem is often worn with high heels to elongate the lower body and may require tailoring to ensure the hem falls precisely on the calf.
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