Skirts Advice and Tips

Which Skirt Works for your Body

Ever since skirt hemlines rose to the level of the micro-mini, there was only one way to go, and that was down, because they simply could not go higher and still be called skirts. With the rising feminism of the 70s, hemlines began their way down and did not really get back to the mini until the 90's when women began to feel confident enough in their feminine strength to bring the mini back into fashion.

All these ups and downs have even created a skirt length theory for the stock markets which says that short skirt trends mean bullish, rising markets stemming from high consumer confidence. Long skirt trends, on the other hand, mean that the markets are bearish, on the their way down due to low consumer confidence. Though there may not be much truth in the theory, there is of course endless speculation amongst women about the lengths that are right for them. A few suggestions on this topic may not be amiss at this point:

The length of your skirt depends first and foremost on the amount of leg you are comfortable with baring: the less comfortable you are, the longer the skirt.

Trends are all very well, but it is important to choose your skirt length according to your legs and body shape.

If you have thin legs in proportion to the rest of your body calf length skirts will give you the appearance of more muscular legs. Choose a skirt that ends at the thickest part of your legs. The length of this Fendi black flared skirt is just right for you as is the flared printed skirt here by Sarafpour. Both are shown below

       
_{B Sarafpour Printed calf length on left,  Fendi calf length circle skirt on right}

If you have heavy legs, ankle length is the way to go. This Alexander McQueen faded beige ankle-length straight skirt or the tiered black Valentino skirt shown below would look fabulous. If you are choosing shorter lengths, make sure the skirt does not end at the thickest part of your leg, which will make it look heavier.

_{Alexander McQueen ankle length straight on left,  Valentino Tiered Skirt on the right}

If you are tall and have those endless legs (aren't you lucky), skirts a little above or below the knee, and anything longer at all would suit you. Check out the Alberta Feretti short printed skirt, the Donna Karan beige straight skirt, the Ungaro Black flowy embroidered number, the body-hugging long black Ungaro skirt or the dramatic Gautier long circle skirt: all of these lengths of skirts would look superb on you. All these mentioned are all shown below from left to right accordingly.

If you are short, with short legs, you can wear trim short skirts well above your knee to make your legs look longer. The Chanel small straight black skirt with a slight flare, the loose Valentino purple skirt or the La Perla embroidered fitted short skirt would showcase short legs perfectly, making you look taller at the same time.

The ultimate trick to choosing your perfect skirt length is to stand in front of the mirror holding a piece of fabric entirely covering your legs. Raise the fabric slowly and note the lengths at which your legs are shown off to their best advantage. Do this while wearing all your shoes with different heels so that you can determine the correct skirt length with each shoe you possess and make a mental note of it.

Never wear a skirt that ends at the middle of the knee, no matter what your leg shape. On the other hand, the shadow of the knee where the calf begins to curve out towards the back is most always a safe bet.

Choosing the right skirt length is a vital part of finding a skirt that is just right for you. Armed with the tips given here, you can balance out your figure: look taller, make your legs look longer, and stride your way towards a confident, feminine, and sensual you!

By Damyanti Ghosh