Quick, get your ankles out before autumn!
ARE you wondering what to wear as we get towards the end of summer? Ideally you would like this fashion item to last well into autumn, as well as hit the nail on the head trend-wise.
Well, here’s your answer: ankle Exposers. ankle grazers. ankle advertisers. anything with a hem that finishes just above the ankle, in other words.
It could be a not-quite-maxi dress. It could be a skirt that skims your ankle bone. It may well be cropped trousers. Either way, starting now and into the winter months, your ankles are the focus.
It doesn’t matter how you reveal them — all that matters is that they are on display, showing you know what’s what on the fashion front.
(Note: if, by chance, you hate your ankles and suspect them to be on the cankly side, do not despair. No one said these ankles have to be bare, and boots are an excellent solution — short and light for now, slouchy and long for later.).
This ankle exposure moment is good news: it not only gives us lots of options, it also provides us with some new ones.
Those of us who love a maxi dress (and wish we were young enough to carry off the floor-scraping frocks from Susie Cave’s cult The Vampire’s Wife label) can now get in on the act with a Maxi Midi.
WEARING an actual maxi dress is liable to make those women old enough to remember the Laura ashley milkmaid years look like Miss Havisham. But raise the hem six to eight inches and you’re in safe, breezy, but not girly territory (provided you avoid ruffles and puffed sleeves).
The Maxi Midi is the best of both worlds: less swamping than a maxi, but more elegant than a regular midi and twice as good for the evening.
The secret to keeping the Maxi Midi flattering is a narrow torso and a bit of skin on show at the front — the detail that makes it look modern is a trailing neck tie.
Loose and long can look like a sack, so find wrap styles that nip you in at the waist and curve up at the front, such as Warehouse’s daisy print dress (£59, warehouse.co.uk).
Mango’s neat button-through flowery shirt dress (£29.99,
mango.com) is another great option. Stepped hems and big strong prints work better than a plain block colour. Try Zara’s printed tunic (£69.99, zara.
com). It’s a bit like wallpaper: the bigger the area, the bolder you can afford to be.
For now, you’ll be wearing your Maxi Midi with flats or a low block-heeled sandal. Later on, you’ll pair it with a slouchy boot or a suede heel (nothing too high or spindly, or you’ll look top-heavy).
Next up, the ankle-grazing skirt, especially if it’s satin, is looking tempting for late summer evenings, such as Topshop’s waterfall skirt (£85,
topshop.com), worn with a silk tank now.
Come autumn, choose a dark caramel skirt (£59, stories.com) with an oversized sweater.
Plenty of us are champing at the bit to get back into trousers, but full-length pairs felt all wrong when it was hot.
Come winter we might feel differently, so if you want to hedge your bets, Me + Em have the two-in-one, optional turn-up (£199, meandem.com). Called the Transformer, this wide-leg style can be turned, with the aid of buttons, into a cropped style.
Otherwise, the secret of ankle-baring trousers is to wear them waisted, straight and not skinny. & Other Stories have a wonderful version (£69, stories.com). They look best with a fitted round-neck and loafers for now, and in months to come, slim ankle boots. It couldn’t be easier.