Compared with the immediacy of, say, a thigh-grazing miniskirt, the allure of an ankle-length number is much more of a slow burn, especially if you’ve spent hours toning your pins in the Bikram studio. But once you break down how to style a maxi skirt, this length becomes even more versatile than its shorter sister.
Before getting into fresh maxi skirt outfit ideas, let's dispel a few myths and misconceptions. Like the one that says only the tall and the long-limbed can wear this style – to that, we’ll point to seasoned maxi skirt wearers Sienna Miller and Miroslava Duma who, at 165cm and 151cm respectively, aren’t exactly towering above the crowd. Duma has a nifty wardrobe trick that can easily be adopted in these circumstances: simply style maxi skirts with nude pointed-toe heels for an instant leg-lengthening effect.
Then there is the so-called 'hemline index' that for decades has equated long skirts with bad economic times. One glance at the sweetly ruffled skirts at Gucci or the tropical printed versions at Rochas, however, and it's impossible to believe these long skirts could be a harbinger of anything bad.
More good news: when it comes to maxi skirt outfit ideas, there are a multitude of styles to choose from, depending on your taste and the occasion. That slow burn is getting faster by the minute…
Best for: a summer holiday
Chloé has seen the world through sepia-tinted glasses for decades, so it’s no surprise that the French house has led the pack when it comes to a swishy, romantic take on how to style a maxi skirt. The brand's SS16 collection is like a guidebook to this style: billowing chiffon fashioned into pleats or sheer panels and worn with a matching blouse and strappy sandals. As for how to style a maxi skirt for summer, without the saccharine edge? A full style with a fitted waist and an eye-catching print was the silhouette of the season for Valentino’s eclectic arts-and-crafts designs, or Rochas’ vibrant hothouse flowers.
Best for: trying something new
With its romantic overtones, the maxi skirt can sometimes be overlooked as an envelope-pushing fashion item – but leave it to Gucci to change all that. The Italian house’s hyper-modern take on the silhouette for Pre Fall 17 follows a narrow A-line shape, punctuated by a wide tier or ruffle along the hemline. Alessandro Michele has played to his signature quirkiness by styling the shape with witchy ankle boots or block-heeled loafers, topped with a belted cardigan. This modern-day prairie skirt was also seen at Valentino for Resort 17, cementing its position as a must-have for avant-garde romantics everywhere.
Best for: playing coy
The interplay between what’s concealed and what’s revealed can often have the most devastating effect. Dries Van Noten is a master of understated sex appeal, and for both his SS17 and FW16 collections, he plays with layering fabrics – some in floral or animal print, others embellished or made from netting – to create a very fashionable game of peekaboo. To keep all eyes on the maxi skirt, he suggests wearing it with a very simple crewneck knit. For a more overt version, Stella McCartney teams her sheer white lace maxi with a matching blouse for Resort 17, while Maria Grazia Chiuri made her much-hyped debut at Dior for SS17 with a series of completely sheer tulle maxi skirts (appropriate underwear essential).
Best for: going minimal
Choosing the best maxi skirt isn’t only a matter of embracing one’s inner romantic. If your taste tends towards the minimal, it’s hard to beat the unbroken line of a full-length column skirt in black or white, as seen at Joseph for Resort 17. It’s a look that works for day and – as Elle Fanning proved when she wore an ivory Oscar de la Renta version to an LA premiere – is just as elegant for after dark.
Best for: evening style
There’s nothing quite as dramatic as a full-length skirt for evening, but it need not look staid or old-fashioned. Kate Bosworth is still modern and memorable in a seafoam Jil Sander tulip-style taffeta skirt and fitted white T-shirt circa 2011 (her finishing touch: slicked back hair and hot pink lipstick). Bottega Veneta picks up on a similar maxi skirt outfit idea for SS17, offering a full, long skirt worn with a rib-sticking knit and a narrow waist belt. It’s simple, but you’d completely own the room.
Best for: a wintry day
There's no denying that there’s something intrinsically summery about a long skirt, but that’s not to say it can’t work for colder weather, especially when it’s styled with a backwards glance to the 1970s. Always one to have an eye on the past, Miu Miu makes the case for a wintry maxi done in heavy brocades, denim or velvet for FW17; the straight shape with only a hint of an A-line keeps it neat and not bulky. The daringly fashion-forward will team it with a matching blazer.