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Kit review: skinfit Vento Trail Skirt

Written by Fiona

March 27 2018

I confess I am in love with running skorts. They are so comfortable and the look is very flattering and feminine. Having tested the skinfit Vento Trail Skirt over many miles of running this has become one of my favourite items of running kit to date. That is a big claim – and here’s why.

You will see from this skorts review that I wrote last year I like a longer shorts leg.

The skinfit Vento Trail Skirt has an excellent shorts leg length for me. The under shorts stay in place and do not ride up at all. The fabric feels soft yet supportive.

Love my skinfit skort. Worn here with a FlipBelt and a dog lead!

The inner shorts mean that there is no inner thigh chafing. This is really important if you plan to run longer, further or in warm weather. I have worn Lycra under shorts for many years to stop thigh chafing.

The wide leg hem means that there is no unattractive bulging in the thigh area. I don’t know about you, but when I wear tight shorts with two fabrics and a seam in between I sometimes end up with a fat bulge where the seamline lies.

It would be great if the fabric was a little tighter fitting and more supportive but when worn with my Runderwear pants I feel confident there is a lot less bounce than would occur in a loose pair of shorts. I am at stage in life when things do bounce, despite being fit, and so I prefer to have good support in the butt and thigh area.

The freedom of movement in the skort is superb.

The shorts fabric is quick drying, which is helpful when I get hot and sweaty. After a run, the skort dries quickly and I don’t have to worry about being damp and uncomfortable during my drive home, or wherever I am going next.

Black version of the skort.

The wide-ish waistband is welcomed for comfort and good fit. The waist sits perfectly. It is not too high nor too low. I never have to pull up the shorts because they fit and sit just so, even during hours of running.

The over skirt is a great length. It gives good coverage front and back. If you prefer to hide away some of the lumps and bumps of the bum and thigh area, a skort is brilliant. The shorts give support and coverage, while the skirt flows nicely over the top for a really feminine look.

However, a friend did ask if the double layer or shorts and skirt made me feel too hot. I haven’t found this. There is a highly breathable mesh strip along the front of the skirt so breathability is excellent. The air can travel through this strip of translucent fabric for cooling, while sweat can evaporate out.

The rest of the skirt is made of a windproof fabric and has a water-repellent Teflon treatment. I doubted that either of these details would work but they do. Even on a cold and windy day when the lower part of my legs were cold due to being bare my upper legs and bum stayed warm. The windproofing quality is very good.

Surprisingly the Teflon works after many washes, too. Light rain and water rolls off the outside of the fabric. If you are caught in a full on Scottish downpour it is not as waterproof as a Gore-Tex jacket (of course not) but for light summer rain it works well.

There is a side pocket on the inner shorts and under the skirt. I haven’t used this except once to keep dog poo bags for an emergency. I don’t think the pocket is in a good place to carry anything too heavy and there is no zip top for security. Instead I run with a FlipBelt, which is another of my favourite running products.

I also love the colours and design of skinfit products. The skirt can be bought in a black and white design but the turquoise blue that I own is really pretty.

Running in the Skin Fit skort is great. It feels supportive but also lightweight and airy. It always makes me smile to see the skirt fabric floating in the wind. I know that looks do not really matter but if you can wear clothes that you feel comfortable and confident in then I am sure they help with positive exercise.

The skinfit Vento Trail Skirt is priced at €89 (plus USP delivery cost of €8) and, annoyingly, it is not possible to buy this brand in he UK. However, you can order online. €89 is around £78, which might seem like a lot for one running product, but since I have worn it many times already and I think it will be long lasting due to good quality fabrics I would be happy to buy again at this price. In fact, I plan to buy the black and grey version so I have the choice of two skinfit Vento Trail Skirts this summer.

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