Are Bed Skirts Outdated? (Find Out Now!)

Style trends come and go in just about all facets of life. When it comes to decoration and design, fads and trends come and go. Some manage to last a lot longer than others and some still manage to come full circle and find themselves back in style again.

But what about bed skirts? Are they in style or are they outdated? Bed skirts are very much outdated. They have been popular for decades but really started to fall out of favor from a design standpoint in the 1990s and early 2000s. They have an outdated, “traditional” feel that just is not in style in today’s modern contemporary landscape. While there are some exceptions, they are generally a faux pas.

Bed skirts, once upon a time, were primarily used to “hide” the underside of the bed. With a bed skirt, you would not be able to see the legs nor any items that were stored under the bed. While beneath-the-bed storage is still a thing, it is not nearly as prominent as it once was.

The bed skirt was oftentimes the same as the comforter, though it could be a complimentary color as well. Even as late as the 2000s, bed skirts were still common. That said, they were in a much thinner fabric that involved far fewer frills.

There are few fashion or design styles out there where it can be decided emphatically that it is out of style. But bed skirts are emphatically out of style. They have not been popular in quite some time and don’t look like they are coming back any time soon.

Like some other design features, they harken to the past and not in a good way. Bed skirts have a way of feeling “old” and out of date. Especially in today’s modern and mostly contemporary design scene, a bed skirt can stand out like a sore thumb and be just as painful.

There is still an audience for more traditional décor, oftentimes in a more rustic country design. Having a really tall headboard would make for a great pairing opportunity with a bed skirt, for instance. The entire style motif here is something more rustic and bed skirts fit in fine.

If you really want to pull the look off, silk bedding and a draped silk bed skirt would go together wonderfully. Just make sure that they are a matching shade as complementary colors may not play so well.

If you are the type that doesn’t like to see the underside of your bed exposed, there are a few different solutions potentially at play. The first is a bed wrap, which has been structured to fit more snugly to the box spring and base to provide the same effect.

Structured bed wraps are much more sleek than their counterparts. Everything stays snug and tight, and you can even find them in a wide variety of colors. You can match up with your bed spread or find something complimentary instead. They are easily interchangeable as well, which can’t necessarily be said about bed skirts.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to use anything. If you don’t mind people seeing under your bed, going commando works just fine. The key is making sure that you do not have a ton of junk under your bed as that can look really messy and unappealing.

That’s not to say that you can’t use the underside of the bed for any storage. Just make sure that you keep items pushed back closer to the wall where they won’t be readily seen when someone walks into the room.

No having to worry about matching up with the bed spread. No having to worry about bed skirts getting dirty or torn. Going with an exposed frame generally works but it may be a little bit of an issue with a metal frame and the wheels. You might want something to cover that and provide a more “finished” look.

These are really gaining in popularity where space is of the essence. Not everyone has a huge bedroom and making the most of that space becomes important. Replacing your frame with underneath storage options opens up a world of potential.

Keep in mind that this can be an expensive upgrade, but it can be the most modern, fashionable, and practical. You won’t have to contend with a bed skirt and you can maximize storage space without having to take up space anywhere else in the room.

When you don’t want to have anything extend down to the floor but also don’t want to see the box spring, there is a solution that is similar to the first option. A box spring wrap can make the box spring look more appealing and help it blend in more seamlessly with the rest of the décor.

This is the alternative if you like the exposed underneath but don’t want to see the box spring, too. Like the exposed bed frame option, you will want to ensure that the space under your bed is not cluttered or dirty. But with the wrap, your bed can look stylish without the cumbersome bed skirt.

If you want to implement a bed skirt in a contemporary home, it isn’t impossible but there is a simple rule to follow. Keep it simple. People with metal bed frames want to use a bed skirt because seeing the legs and “skeleton” of the frame are not necessarily appealing.

Don’t go with anything that is fluffy, flowing, or has ruffles. Keep it simple and go with one that has been tailored. That way, you keep the look nice and tight and blending with the rest of the design.