Remember Sarong Skirts? Well, They’ve Already Won Summer And This Is How To Wear Them In 2024

If you already own a sarong, chances are it only gets the briefest of showings, guest-starring in your height of summer wardrobe before it gets bundled away with your bikinis. Except this summer, the sarong is quickly emerging as one of the skirts of season, graduating to main-character material just in time to make it not just into your suitcase but into your everyday outfit rotation whether you're nursing a cocktail by the pool or on the commute (yes, really).

What's changed is that as well as squares of fabric that you can knot around your waist to create your own sarong, brands have started making sarong skirts that are pre-tied for your convenience and less see-through that previous iterations, meaning you no longer have to be out-of-office to wear them on the reg. Because while they'll never be as whip smart as a pencil skirt, or perhaps as versatile as the denim skirt you've been wearing all spring long, a sarong skirt has more feel-good summer energy than the two combined - and you shouldn't let it go to waste.

You certainly won't want to when you see the options on the high street, which hasn't just got the memo but is leading the charge when it comes to skirts that are tantalisingly beach-adjacent but that will, crucially, still work when your holiday bubble has sadly burst.

With Nothing Underneath's sarongs are made of hemp and aren't pre-tied, meaning you can style them both as a wrap skirt and as a strapless top. Clever, no? Nanushka's, meanwhile, isn't gathered with a knot but with a metallic ring, giving it a distinctly luxe vibe that's perfect for a beach club styled over a minimal swimsuit, but would also pass muster once you're back on dry land with a simple vest top or even a long-sleeved body.

Shop: The Best Sarong Skirts

What is worn under a sarong?

That depends on what setting you're in. If you're near a body of water, it's highly likely that, for ease, you'll be wearing swimwear underneath. But for everyday life, I would recommend buying an under-slip skirt that means you can wear it without worrying that you might be flashing your undergarments to the world.

At Skall Studio's SS24 show, the brand's scarf was styled as a sarong with an easy, breezy white button-down and rope sandals that fastened around the ankle. I can't imagine a better way to waft through the warmest months of the year. Can you?

Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).