MAKE MINE A
Short, tall and everyone in between can wear a maxi without being swamped. It’s all about keeping things balanced, writes
Ihave plenty of friends who balk at the idea of wearing a maxi skirt. Either because they are worried they’ll be lost in all that length, or they are concerned about the drama of superlong styles that require too much effort and extra thought. Where to start? For those convinced that only the properly tall can wear a maxi without looking overwhelmed, it’s a matter of redirecting the gaze from length to silhouette. “Keep the proportions balanced,” says Juliet Souter, founder of Marle. She suggests putting a fuller-style maxi skirt with a more fitted tophalf (a top tucked-in works too), and conversely, a form-fitting maxi with a streamlined longer top to lengthen the entire line.
A shirt works worn over a slim skirt, too. That long-slimtop-with-slender-skirt and cinched-waist-with-full-skirt are tips that also extend to jackets (and by the way, a neat denim jacket and any kind of maxi skirt is a thoroughly 90s combination that still translates well three decades later).
The street style at recent fashion weeks provided a masterclass in maxis and keeping things in proportion. A swirling, filmy skirt put with a basic white T-shirt, pulled-in at the waist with a broad belt, provides definition. A baggy sweatshirt looks casual over a skirt that’s lightweight enough to describe the shape of the legs underneath it – add some trainers and the whole look becomes casual and easy. And the way to rock a loose look from head to toe? Choose a fabric light enough or sheer enough to provide a subtle reminder that there’s a body beneath.
When it comes to footwear, wearing a maxi with a pair of serious high heels can make you feel as though you’re wearing full-on, evening dress. If you want to go delicate during the day, then a small kitten heel pretties things up but won’t look too formal. But to be modern, the most popular option comes in the form of altogether heavier-looking shoes. Platform sandals and platform loafers bring whatever else you wear right down to earth. You can rely on a pair of trainers to make short work of diluting any over-dressed vibe.
This summer’s maxis have come a long way from their standard incarnation as either full eveningwear or boho bikini cover-up. The new maxis fit just about every style requirement. Look at the funky vibrant florals on the Fields dress ($520) from Twenty-seven Names. Or Glassons’ minimalist maxi slip skirt that runs along with the 90s theme and could be smartened up with a silky cami or made casual with an untucked tee. The straight, textured, full length orange Toledo skirt from Camilla and Marc looks ultra-glam with a cropped top, but all it takes is a crisp shirt and some chunky-soled shoes to make it ready for work.
“For me, a maxi skirt is an essential piece,” says Natalie Procter, co-founder of womenswear label Mina. She likes to wear maxi skirts cut on the bias because they, “Perfectly flatter the figure without any restrictions.”
It’s also a style that can benefit from the most comfortable of minimalist details: an elasticated waist, which is how Mina’s Essential skirt ($345) is designed. “This gives absolute ease and comfort with the option to softly tuck a top or wear a nice crisp shirt over.” Comfortable cool coverage and a broad spectrum of styles – a maxi is this summer’s gift that keeps giving.