You can spot a cheap tiered skirt from right across a room, and it's always the same tell. The tiers sit like a lampshade, stiff and a bit shiny, holding their own shape instead of yours. A good one moves when you walk, the layers overlapping softly rather than standing out at angles, and it skims rather than bells.
Fit is less about your usual size and more about where the first tier sits, because that's what decides whether the whole thing hangs right. Try it on and sit down, properly sit, not perch, because a waistband that's fine standing up can dig in the second you bend. Check the length against something you actually own, a floor length one can make you look like you're wearing a curtain if you're under five foot four, and a midi version can creep up at the front if the tiers are cut unevenly. Elastic waists are forgiving after a big lunch, but they can also gather at the sides in a way that adds bulk exactly where you don't want it, so have a look at the back view in the mirror, not just the front.
If you've never owned one, start with something in a plain colour, three tiers rather than five or six, sitting at the ankle or just above. That gives you one piece that works under a jumper now and on its own later, without committing to a print you might go off by the time the weather turns.
The difference between a decent one and a sad one is mostly in the seams joining the tiers. Run your fingers along the inside and feel whether it's a flat, bound seam or a raw edge that's already starting to fray on the hanger. Pinch the fabric, a cotton or viscose mix with a bit of weight will fall properly, while a thin polyester one will cling in the heat and show every line underneath. Check the gathering too, even and tight is good, loose and bunched in places means it'll pull apart at exactly that spot within a few washes.
Worn regularly, the lower tier takes the most punishment, catching on shoes, brushing against kerbs, trailing through puddles if you're not paying attention. A cold wash and hanging it rather than tumble drying keeps the gathering intact for longer, because heat is what makes elastic give up and cotton go limp. Mine still holds its shape after a full summer and a few optimistic autumn outings, though the hem's definitely seen a few pavements it shouldn't have.
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