The Midi Skirt Is Back on Its Own Terms

In 1970 the fashion industry tried to replace the mini with the midi by decree. Women's Wear Daily pushed the new mid-calf length, stores filled their racks with it, and LIFE ran cover stories on the fight. Women pushed back. They formed protest groups with names like FADD, for Fight Against Dictating Designers, and POOFF, for Preservation of Our Femininity and Finances, and by the end of the year retailers admitted the midi had flopped.

 

That history is why I like the title of this edit. The midi is back on its own terms, because nobody is telling you to wear it now. It is simply a useful length: long enough for an office, short enough to walk fast in, and easy with flat shoes.

 

I split the 32 skirts here by when you would wear them. The first grid is knits, leather and denim, the ones that work with a sweater on a weekday. The second is prints, checks and stripes. The last is satin, sequins and velvet for the evening.

 

The test that matters with a midi is where it hits. Stand side-on to a mirror. A hem that ends at the narrowest part of your calf looks intentional, while one that stops at the widest part makes the whole leg look heavier. If it lands wrong, a different shoe height can often fix it.

 

What I would skip: a midi with a mid-calf boot that ends at the same spot as the hem. Leave a gap of skin or tights, or let the boot go under the skirt.

This is the grid for real weekdays. The Bottega Veneta Ribbed Cotton Midi Skirt in pale blue is the simplest thing here, a straight rib that goes with a white shirt and loafers. The Toteme Fluted Knit Midi Skirt does the same in black, with a sheer pleated hem that moves when you walk. For warmth, Lisa Yang's Torie Cashmere Midi Skirt is a soft grey that pairs with a matching sweater for a quiet set, and the By Malene Birger Liza knit has an uneven hem that falls into points.

 

If you want something harder, the Co Tailored Front-Slit Leather Midi Skirt is the one I would wear with a cashmere crewneck and boots. The Khaite Kendra is dark denim with a deep turned-up cuff at the hem, and Favorite Daughter's Aspen is a brown faux suede A-line with a clean, easy shape. Ziah's sheer knit in butter yellow and Ashlyn's layered jersey, white over black, are the two that feel newest.

 

Try the knits with a fitted top tucked in, since a loose sweater over a loose skirt hides your waist. What I would skip: a clingy rib knit before you have checked it in daylight. Thin knits show more than you expect.

A printed midi does most of the work for you, so the rest of the outfit can be a plain knit and flat shoes. Checks are the strongest story here. Carolina Herrera's Checked Midi Pencil Skirt is pink, green and white and slim through the knee, Bernadette's Kennedy is a softer A-line check, and the Favorite Daughter Meyer is a dark plaid pencil I would wear with a navy sweater and loafers all autumn. SIEDRÉS' Colette is a checked georgette, light enough for a warm October.

 

For stripes, the Christopher John Rogers Morris runs its stripes on the diagonal, and Zulu & Zephyr's ombré knit fades from heavy black stripes to light ones. The prints are louder. Cala de la Cruz's Fabiana is red linen with a white folk pattern, Andres Otalora's Lo Verdadero has big navy florals, and Sea's Emelina is a navy paisley with a full skirt. Christopher Esber's bandana-print silk ties at the hip.

 

What I would skip: a printed top with any of these. One pattern is a choice, and two usually looks like an accident.

The evening midi is the most useful thing most people don't own, because a long skirt and a simple top read as dressed up without trying too hard. Alfie's Valletta in green sequins is the loudest, so I would keep it to a black turtleneck. Des Phemmes' Embellished Midi Skirt is black with pink and silver flowers worked in beads, and Erdem's teal satin skirt has a single embroidered sprig of yellow flowers.

 

For softer evenings, Chloé's Ruffled Silk Midi Skirt falls in cream tiers, Victoria Beckham's Bela gathers the satin down the front, and Brandon Maxwell's Brett lays a sheer overlay over a solid skirt so the hem turns transparent. Harithand's velvet flares at the hem, and Simkhai's Jade is a black column covered in fringe that swings when you move.

 

Try them with a fitted knit and a low heel before you buy the heel you think you need. What I would skip: a sequin skirt with a sequin top. It is a lot of light in one place.

If you own no midi skirts, start with one knit in a neutral and one print you love, and wear both with the shoes you already have. The knit will take you through the week, and the print gives you somewhere to go on Saturday.

 

Then do the mirror test from the side, in the shoes you will actually wear. Walk up a flight of stairs too, since a narrow midi with no slit can stop you mid-step. A slit, a pleat or an A-line fixes that.

 

The women who fought the midi in 1970 were right about one thing: nobody should tell you what length to wear. Pick a midi because it works for you. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Mini, Midi Or Maxi and Fall Skirt Outfits Where the Skirt Leads.