I used to be able to sew...

Can any of the seamstresses out there give me an idea of how much fabric I'd need for a knee-length A-line or wraparound skirt, bearing in mind that I'm not particularly stick-like (where stick-like < size 18). Is it largely a matter of seeing if the fabric width is more than enough to go around me, and if it is then assuming a metre will give me pleanty of room to maneouvre on the length?

I've decided that for this summer I'm going to acquire/make a couple of skirt patterns and make my own skirts. I've even found some gorgeous cotton for the first, which is only about £7/m.