LaBalancia Pleated Skort, Mini Skirt with Built-In Shorts

A pleated skort that looks like a mini skirt

From the front this is a short skirt with wide pleats. It is a pleated skort, though, which means shorts are part of the design. LaBalancia describes it as the comfort of shorts with the charm of a skirt, and that sums it up.

The fabric is 95% viscose with 5% spandex. It comes in pink, orange, beige and black, in two double sizes: XS/S is 37 cm long and M/L is 38 cm. So it is short, and the shorts are why you can wear it that short.

At a glance

The piece: a LaBalancia skort in four colours

LaBalancia is a womenswear label we buy through a fashion wholesaler in Poland. The supplier lists this style as a skort, one model number per colour. The descriptions differ by a word here and there and say the same thing: skirt-pants with an elegant cut, pleats at the front, and a hidden zip.

Four colours are available now: pink, orange, beige and black. The first photos in the gallery show an off-white version. The supplier no longer lists that one, so we have left it out of this text.

In the photos the waist is high and the waistband is smooth. Below it, wide pleats fall across the front and open as the model moves.

Who it's for

For you if you like the look of a mini skirt and not the worry that comes with it. You can cycle, climb stairs and sit on a low sofa in this, because the shorts are part of the piece.

It is a short piece on anyone. On the model the hem sits at the upper thigh. If you are tall, expect it to feel shorter still.

Closer look: what the maker's data and the photos show

• Skort: skirt and shorts in one piece (maker's data)
• Pleats across the front (maker's data); wide box pleats that start below the waistband (photos)
• Hidden zip (maker's data)
• High waist with a smooth waistband (photos)
• Hem at the upper thigh on the model (photos); 37 or 38 cm long (size table)

The supplier does not say where the zip sits or whether the skort is lined. One photo of the black version shows gold-tone buttons on the waistband and narrower pleats. The other photos and the supplier's text do not, so do not count on buttons.

Fabric and feel: mostly viscose, a little stretch

The maker lists 95% viscose and 5% spandex. Viscose is a fibre made from cellulose, and fabrics made with it tend to feel smooth and cool against the skin. The spandex adds some give at the waist and hips.

In the photos the fabric is matte and has enough body to hold a pleat: the folds stay sharp and the hem stands a little away from the leg. The supplier says nothing more about weight or weave, so we will not either.

Fit and silhouette: high waist, short and flared

There are two sizes and each covers two regular ones. According to the maker's table, XS/S has a waist width of 68 cm and a hips width of 98 cm. M/L has 72 cm and 104 cm. The difference in length is one centimetre.

The waist is the measurement to watch, because the pleats leave plenty of room lower down. If your waist is close to 72 cm or above, take M/L. The table does not say whether the numbers are measured on the garment or on the body, so hold them next to a high-waisted skirt you already own.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table. It does not say whether these are garment or body measurements, so compare them with a piece that fits you.

Styling: tuck in the top

Every look in the photos has the top tucked in or cropped, so the high waist shows. The pink is worn with a coral cardigan and with a pink striped blouse with a bow. The peach-toned orange gets a bright pink cardigan, the beige a dusty pink shirt or a light blue one, and the black a dark pinstriped shirt.

Shoes change the mood. White trainers make it a daytime outfit, and heeled sandals take it out for the evening. When it gets colder, add tights and a long coat over the top; the short hem looks good under a long line.

Occasions

The supplier says everyday and special occasions. We would put it like this: a city day, a lunch, a birthday, a first warm evening on a terrace. The black one with a shirt can pass in a relaxed office.

Because of the shorts it is also a good travel piece. You can sit on a train, walk a lot and still look dressed.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data we receive has no care instructions, so please go by the label sewn into the skort.

Viscose usually does better with a gentle wash, and pleats keep their shape longer when you hang the piece by the waistband to dry. If the label says something else, the label wins.

The wow detail: nobody sees the shorts

The pleats do the hiding. They are wide and they overlap, so from the front the piece reads as a skirt, even when you walk. You are the only one who knows it is a pair of shorts, and you notice it every time you sit down without thinking about it.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the skort is unworn and still in the original packaging with the tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More skirts, short and long, are in our skirts collection.