The White Ruffled Mini Skirt Is Taking Over Summer 2025 — From Runways to Music Festivals
Something’s in the air this summer, and it’s not just the sound of music festivals or the sight of sun-drenched sidewalks. A new silhouette is sweeping through the fashion scene — or rather, a forgotten one, brought back to life. Enter: the white ruffled mini skirt, also known as the rara skirt, a flouncy, feather-light piece that’s becoming 2025’s style sensation.
Spotted on runways from Chloé and Miu Miu to Loewe, and seen on fashion darlings like Sydney Sweeney and Amelia Gray, this ultra-feminine skirt is no longer a niche item reserved for Y2K nostalgia lovers. It’s officially everywhere — from the front row at Paris Fashion Week to the muddy fields of Glastonbury.
From Balletcore to Boho Rock
At first glance, it may seem like your friends — the ones who used to live in oversized cargos and Samba sneakers — have suddenly joined a ballet troupe. But no, this isn’t about the ballet flat trend (though that’s still going strong). It’s about a new kind of ballerina aesthetic: the ruffled mini skirt that flares from the hips, often in crisp white or soft pastel tones, bringing to mind a powdered sugar dream with a hint of edge.
And it couldn’t have arrived at a better time. With music festival season in full swing, the rara skirt is being styled with everything from boho chain belts and moto boots to cropped tanks and oversized denim jackets. One glance, and you’d think we’re just one accessory away from a full Mischa Barton-in-2007 revival.
A Trend Long in the Making
Despite its seemingly sudden popularity, the return of the white ruffle mini has been bubbling under the surface for a while. Chloé, a long-time champion of dreamy, romantic silhouettes, debuted its airy lace balloon pants and ruffled skirts in the Spring/Summer 2025 collection, garments that looked like whipped cream spun into couture.
Meanwhile, Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2024 show sent out frilled minis that immediately became street style darlings during fashion month, and Loewe’s cream-colored rara skirts floated down the runway with weightless charm. The signs were there. We just needed the right cultural moment — and the right celebrity endorsement — for it to go viral.
From It-Girls to Festival Staples
British Vogue‘s Fashion Features Editor Laura Hawkins, a long-time advocate for the Y2K-inspired rara skirt, summed up its charm perfectly in a recent editorial: “More charming than Diesel, it’s a symbolic guard of status and taste — like the fashion equivalent of a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick or Tom Ford’s Black Orchid.”
The shift from fashion-insider favorite to mass trend happened almost overnight. Last month, Sydney Sweeney was seen strolling through SoHo in a layered white mini that looked like it was made for twirling. Just weeks later, Amelia Gray floated through Chelsea in a barely-there frilled skirt, as if plucked from a vintage music video. And during Britain’s full lineup of summer festivals — from Lytham to Glastonbury — the white ruffled mini has become an unofficial dress code.
A Skirt Even Trouser Devotees Can Appreciate
As someone who swears by wide-leg pants (even in a heatwave), I probably won’t be slipping into a ruffled white mini anytime soon. But even I can’t deny the appeal. These skirts are light, flirty, and charming in a way that transcends trends. Whether you’re a die-hard minimalist or a maximalist at heart, there’s something magnetic about a piece that manages to be both nostalgic and totally current.
