Charlie Gowans-Eglinton The Passion Shopper
Dressing from the ankles up with a few magic tricks along the way
Pin up anything floorsweeping in front of a mirror until you find a flattering length
Summer is here and, as is the case every year, I’ve forgotten to lose those few extra pounds (in my experience, so much easier to find them) that make a thigh-gap an impossibility. And so, safe in the knowledge that this will not be the year that I attempt shorts, I begin my annual show-a-bit-of-leg-but-not-too-much dance.
As President Eisenhower put it, “ankles are nearly always neat and good-looking, but knees are nearly always not”. The key is to find hemlines that show just enough. Too short: untanned leg. Too long: I am a marquee.
Shopping for maxi-lengths is much easier than it used to be, partly thanks to the growing Middle Eastern market. Even the high street seems to have stopped scrimping on fabric – a few years ago, I struggled to find anything past the knee in Topshop or H&M; this spring, Topshop’s bestselling dress was a yellow floral maxi dress with long sleeves and a ruffled neckline, and H&M’S latest Conscious collection included an ankle-length, bell-shape skirt and evening dress. Arket has colourful, easy-to-wear ankle-length dresses just north of £100.
If you have slightly deeper pockets, you’re spoilt for choice. The Modist specialises in curating modest styles from brands you know (Ganni, Preen) and some you might not (Baum und Pferdgarten, Stine Goya). Its newly launched own line, Layeur, has some great pieces: I’d wear this polka dot dress to the races or a wedding.
When it comes to ankle-framing, an inch can make all the difference. Pin up anything floor-sweeping in front of a mirror until you find the most flattering length. Then befriend your local dry-cleaner – they are far more affordable than a tailor for small alterations like this. An expert tailor will be better able to advise you, though, so if you’re considering altering an old favourite or expensive new purchase it might be worth spending a little more.
There are a few other ankle-flattering tricks to look out for. Me+em founder Clare Hornby uses sporty sidestripes to elongate the leg, even on a floral summer dress (£299, coming early July), which is fractionally longer at the back and cuts up into a slight V at the front-centre to show a bit of ankle. This gingham skirt works the same bit of magic, as will longer wrap-style skirts and dresses.
A by-product is that, along with your ankles, your shoes will be framed – but since this length works equally well with flats or heels, trainers, boots or sandals, shopping for those should be a doddle.