The throes of summer are over, and still, you can’t scroll longer than five seconds on Instagram without spotting a mini skirt, autumnal weather be damned. So to say the mini skirt is having a moment would be an understatement.
They burst triumphantly back on to the scene during 2021’s post-lockdown crusade to ditch the tracksuit and show some skin. And now, renewed enthusiasm for the humble mini – popularised first in the 60s in a similar display of collective rebellion and again in the 1990s by way of more miniscule proportions – is showing no signs of abating.
The modern mini skirt is taking many different forms, and the best news is you needn’t opt for one in a micro barely-bigger-than-a-belt length, à la Miu Miu’s viral beige iteration. And they can also be styled in inventive and grown-up ways.
From skirt suits to unexpected layers, earthy tones and polished pleats; here are five ways to wear a mini skirt as a grown up…
Stick to earthy tones
A sure fire way to keep things chic is via a specific colour palette – think browns, greens and deep reds. By way of silky green mini skirts, paired with knee-high boots and topped with a camel coat, you have a grown-up and luxe look.
This option is perfect for those in between months where you’re not quite ready to commit to knitwear and trousers, but the weather has taken a decidedly downward turn.
Plus, is it possible to be accused of not looking grown-up in a camel coat? I think not!
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Layer up your mini skirt
If you’re looking to dip a tentative toe into the mini skirt trend, avoiding all bum-skimming, rhinestone-adorned, Y2K-inspired iterations in the process, then try the latest novel way of styling your mini (inspired by Burberry), namely on top of another item of clothing.
You can use a maxi skirt as the underlayer, but I’d also argue that a pair of wide leg trousers, adhering to a tonal colour palette, would be just as aesthetically pleasing and practical. Pair with slides and a knit in the same colour scheme and finish with some gold jewellery.
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Seek out a skirt suit
If you thought a skirt suit was the preserve of stuffy board meetings and stringent corporate dress codes, then let me prove you wrong. A houndstooth or check iteration, comprising of a mini skirt and oversize blazer, will grant a skirt suit an easy 80s feel and will be easily reworkable for day and night.
A pair of knee-high pointed toe boots and some crystal earrings will also help banish all workwear connotations.
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Keep it casual
There is ample opportunity to wear a mini skirt that doesn’t involve going out-out. It’s all in how and what you wear it with. Case in point is a utilitarian twist on a mini skirt-oriented ensemble.
Trends this season have seen khaki minis paired with safari jackets, in a pleasingly clashing-but-still-coordinated shade, a chunky leather belt and some strong knitwear, to excellent effect.
The lesson here? Keep it casual! Relaxed fabrics and unfinessed layers will grant your get up nonchalance while being anything but boring.
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Pleats please
Pleated mini skirts might be commonly associated with school uniforms and tennis attire, but there are many ways to wear one as a grown-up, including with a cardigan in a matching shade.
A zhuzhy court shoe or Mary Jane will be the ideal addition, adding a degree of polish, while also nodding to the pleated mini’s preppy aesthetic. But a chunky boot would also work well. A pair of opaque tights will also help add a grown-up twist to your pleated mini skirt.
Complete the look with an embellished brooch or chain belt for a final flourish and you’ve got yourself a look that will see you from work appointments to dinner and dancing.
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