I am not happy with the skirts avaible this year. I am slim and have decent legs but I need work appropriate looks, and tights just don’t work that well in Florida when temps are still in the 90’s in late October. Also, I am over the pencil skirt trend. As a slightly pear-shaped woman, excessively narrow skirts don’t work well and I would like to see some a lines.

I really need skirts (I don’t wear pants at all), but so far this year, I have purchased one just above the knee length tulip skirt that looks great, but needs tights as it rides up when I sit down and two knee lenght straight skirts. These are the only skirts I have found that have been acceptable at all and I have tried on many.

I do not want dowdy clothing, just some choices.

This would be why I sew. I have horrible looking knees, big, square, lumpy, perfect for an elephant knees. I also have really short legs (and a really long torso). I am also over 40 so I did the mini trend in the 80’s when everybody thought it was the return of the 60’s. Not doing it this time but I have raised my hems but from the ankle to just covering my knee. It gives the illusion that I am wearing shorter skirts but not “short” skirts. I also cover up with leggings or hose but then I live in WI so warmth is a plus not a minus.

Quite right, Lissie. A retail season should always offer choice of style. At the moment, it’s all about the pencil skirt or paper bag skirt and that’s it. If you don’t like to wear either style, your options are limited unless you move onto frocks or thrift. You have my sympathies living in FL where it’s still 90 degrees and you can’t wear hose.

I guess you have more skirt length options if you’re on the shorter side. You’ll find the longer lengths, or be able to hem to your heart’s content. The taller you are, the shorter those hemlines are going to get.

Much to my dismay, we’re moving onto a resurgence of 90’s fashion which means that we’ll probably see ankle length day time skirts surface pretty soon. This is a look I do not find flattering at all.

I like to wear a mini skirt. I feel it depends how tall and body shape

Since YLF i am wearing shorter lengths than I’ve ever worn before. However only with leggings, tights or boots as Angie recommends.

I did plenty of short mini skirts back in the 60’s but can’t go there again and feel age appropriate even with tights. Leggings are a possibility. I like frocks and skirts to fall near the knee, maybe an inch-1.5 inches above with hose. Boots help too. I’m hoping there are a variety of length choices available.

I am 5′9″ and slim, with disproportionately long legs (33″ inseam in stocking feet). The new shorter skirts would seem made for me–but then I am 41 and self-employed, and I need to look authoritative when I meet with clients. I also live in a cold climate, which further reduces my impulse to show a lot of leg! I have slowly weeded out some long skirts and added a few new skirts that hit right at or just above the knee.

This fall, I’ve had the luck to thrift two shorter skirts (brand-new, I believe): one is an A-line denim skirt with interesting seam details (about one inch above the knee), and the other is a chocolate-brown fine-wale corduroy skirt with a sort of tulip cut (at the knee). I’ve been wearing both often, usually with tights and boots. I’ve added several pairs of brightly colored tights to my wardrobe this year, too, to make the most of the relatively modest stretch of leg I’m showing.

I am certainly not planning to get rid of my favorite longer skirts, though. I have one in particular that I love and will continue to wear (usually with boots–in Sundance catalog style!). I have enough leg to play with that I feel free to take a few liberties, even if a look does not create the longest possible line.

The truly short – crotch-scraping, as you’ve dubbed them – alarm me. Talk about an uncomfortable, unflattering garment that broadcasts all sorts of sexually charged messages. NO THANKS. But since my legs look best in an above-the-knee skirt, I’m glad that we’re no longer living in mid-calf-hemline days. I do prefer my shorter hems with tights or leggings, though.

Eeew, as much as I love the 90s, I hate ankle length skirts. Bleah. As far as the skirt lengths go, I’m glad I’m on the shorter side, or I couldn’t wear a lot of the skirts that fit me at the waist — too short! Even with skirts that end 2 inches above the knee on me, I feel uncomfortable w/o tights.

I prefer skirts no shorter than an inch or so above the knee. I’m tall, with very long, curvy legs, so a length that might seem decent on a shorter or straighter-framed woman can look racy on me. As well, skirts hike up a bit when a woman is sitting, so I like to have a margin of error. If the skirt looks short while I’m standing, it’s going to be obscene when I’m sitting down.

I’m not a fan of long (maxi) skirts either. For me, a hem that ends somewhere around the knee is most flattering.

I am short with short legs. I definitely prefer shorter or mini skirts. Anything that hits my knee always makes me feel dumpy. I like my skirts at least an inch above my knee… preferably 2 or 3.

I don’t like the crotch scrapers, though. I’m too old (and modest) for that short of a hemline. (I admit to wearing them occasionally, actually, but only because Hubby really likes to see me in them. It’s something I do for a “special” night out with him.)

I’m short, so I don’t mind the short skirt trend. I have found several skirts that I haven’t had to hem, which has been a nice change. I can commiserate with the taller ladies, though. When my friend and I were trying to find skirts for her (she’s tall and needs skirts that hit at the bottom of her knee cap), it was very difficult.

I have bought two skirts that are much shorter than the ones I usually wear, by about 2″-3″ on one of them, and the other by 4″. The second one I plan on only wearing with stockings or leggings and boots or flats. It’s faux leather and has a slight A-line shape rather than hip hugging. It’s kind of an exciting change from my normal routine. I wouldn’t wear it anywhere I’d want to look very professional however, it only comes out for socializing.

As for the “crotch-scraping” styles (that description made me laugh), no thanks. Every skirt has to pass the sitting down test for me. If it doesn’t cover my rear when I sit down, it’s too short.

I don’t hate shorter skirts, but some of us have dress codes and/or want to look professional at work. Minis don’t cut it in a professional office. It seems like even the mainstream resources for office apparel such as Ann Taylor and Banana Republic are not even being reasonable. Finding otherwise work appropriate skirts in regular (not petite) sizes in 18 to 20 inch lengths just doesn’t make sense to me.

I would be somewhat ok in seeing longer lengths come back. At least we have the option of hemming longer skirts. I had many ankle length silk and wool skirts turned into just below the knee lengths during the 90s.

One solution to those who are a more average height is to look at pencil skirts in petites. I love J Crew’s perfect pencils (worth every dime!). The petite are usually about 22 inches and the regular are usually around 25 inches long. They are very comfy as they are not excessively fitted unless you size down. I purchased a plum one in the regular and a grey one in petite (have to size up one size for the petite). They hit my 5′4″ frame just below and just above the knee, respectively. The petite makes a shorter, but not overly short skirt that is comfy for the weekend with tights (if it ever cools off) but is still office appropriate with bare legs. The longer one is elegant and professional with heels.

I’m with you, Angie. I prefer my skirts at the knee unless I’m wearing mid calf boots. Then I’ll go a couple of inches shorter. I don’t like anything shorter because I just don’t think it’s flattering on me. I will wear mid-thigh dresses with jeans and love the selection available now. Like Ana, the short trend hasn’t affected me as much since I’m shorter– less need to hem is a welcome change.

At 48 years old (5′9″ tall and slim) my long, shapely legs have always been my very best physical asset, however I have stayed away from shorter hemlines for years now for fear of dressing mutton up as lamb. I avoid anything more than an inch or two above the knee.

While aging has taken its normal course on most everything else, my legs still rock. I would LOVE to wear some shorter hemlines again but am afraid of looking foolish.

Any advice Angie? How fashionably short can a woman nearing her 50’s go? Are shorter hemlines on an older woman more acceptable with tights, leggings and short heeled boots or “shooties”? Or should I play it safe and err on the side of class and dignity?

If I lived in North America I’d probably be okay with this trend. In fact, I’d welcome it: at 5′2″ with short legs I definitely look better with a shorter hemline, even if it’s just above the knee.

But here in the UK trends are often taken to the extreme, and this one definitely so. I can’t say how many times I’ve seen a cute skirt in a shop and gone to try it on, only to find the hem alarmingly short. And as I said before, I’m petite! This should not be happening, but it happens to me all the time.

I’ll go a few inches above the knee if I’m wearing dark hose or leggings, but no higher. Once something becomes mid-thigh, I can’t go there.

I think shorter hemlines (no higher than a couple inches above the knee) look great, but they’re really difficult to wear to work. I either wear tights with heels or boots, or if I am barelegged I wear flats. I’m tall with long legs, so that extra inch or two can seem like a mile if I’m not careful!

(Which is great around town or out with my husband, but is not as great for the office.)

I like the look that short-ish skirts have on the right set of legs. If the skirt is not of the crotch scraping length and the whole outfit is appropriate, showing a little thigh looks nice, as in the AT website where the models showing the shorter skirts look like they are dressed in a nice manner. I will keep mine closer to the knee to be age appropriate but as the eye adjusts to shorter I think even for us mature gals the hems will go up just a little bit.

I like skirts at the top of the knee or about 2″ above the knee. This feels modern and easy to move in. Any shorter, or with super high heels, can look trashy.

When i was in NYC in April women were wearing long dresses that I would call patio dresses. They looked droopy and draggy — not appropriate for the urban life.

All that said, skirt length can be a matter of proportion and body shape.

I’m short at 5 ft nothing so I do prefer a shorter skirt or dress so that I don’t look like I’m drowning in my outfit. However I usually wear my hems only and inch or 2 above the kneecap and am not fond of the excessively short hemline. As others have mentioned when I do wear short skirts to work, I usually pair it with tights and boots.

I prefer mid-knee or just above. I’m 5′4″ so even skirts designed to be shorter still fit me just the way I like it. The thing I don’t quite get about much shorter skirts is how they are supposed to flatter the leg … I thought the hemline was to emphasize the narrowest part of the leg?

In the 90s I wore mid-calf skirts or short (several inches above knee). My favorite mid-calf skirt was a bluish-gray and burnt orange plaid straight skirt that buttoned up the entire side. I loved that skirt so much. If it still fit, I think I’d still like it, with boots.

I see a problem where the dresses that are promoted are not really dresses-they are tops and no one in their right mind would wear them-the models cannot even move or bend over. I say go to the blog “DaddyLikey.com” and see their regular feature on “Don’t show your chocha”! (last one 10/17) where readers send in the latest pix of celebrities, ads, and photo shoots as examples.

These are great points of view.

I too believe that the most flattering length of skirt or dress on anyone is around the knee or 2-3 inches above the knee cap. Even when someone has a KILLER pair of legs, shorter skirts can look great but a slightly longer length always seems to look better to my eye. Perhaps it’s just an aesthetic preference – the same way we prefer some colours to others.

Claudia, the “mutton dressed like lamb scenario” is a sensitive topic. Since I dress bodies for a living and a large proportion of my clientele are in their 40’s and 50’s, I deal with the subject of age appropriate dressing daily and the right length of skirt comes up all the time. There are always acceptations when it comes to style and fashion, but if you’re looking for a flop proof formula, class and dignity as you put it is the best way to go. Nothing shorter than a few inches above the knee despite your height and body type after a certain age works.

By the same token I will say that very short women (those around 5ft) get away with wearing shorter skirts because they are proportionately showing less skin. They also look better in a shorter hemline.

I am with you Angie. I used to only wear knee-length type of skirts, but recently I starting trying out shorter ones too. Just above the knee is fine, and occasionally I will dare to war mid-thigh lengths too, especially with tights and boots ( like i did for the b-day outfit). Extra coverage is the key. For summer, with bare legs, I would not dare go that short, 2″ above the knee would be the most.

I am not tall (5′6″), but I have a fairly long torso, and find that most skirts/dresses hit me higher than they would other people.

I would actually consider so called micro mini dresses too, only then I call them a ‘tunic’ and war them over pants

I’m not happy about this trend – at 6′ tall skirts are shorter on me anyway so I don’t have much wiggle room. What is supposed to be a mid-thigh skirt would very likely look indecent on me. I prefer slightly above or at the knee if I have a choice.

I generally prefer a shorter hemline. Not mini barely covering my a** short, but definitely several inches above the knee. I only recently started wearing longer skirts with the pencil skirt trend. I have several pencil skirts that hit right above the knee and one that hits below. Other than that, my skirts are mostly shorter. I prefer the look of shorter hemlines on my body.

To my unprofessional eye, I prefer the hem to sit just below my knee cap, but not hiding my knee all-together. When I sit, the hem fits just above my knee. This seems to be the most leg-lengthening look on me.
I do have some dresses that sit about 2-3 inches above my knee (similarly to Angie’s first photo in the gray dress) that I wear over jeans or with tights and boots.
I think it comes down to body type more than anything else. I have to be very careful with hemlines because it can start to look hoochy really fast. Curves are great but there are certain lines I don’t want to cross. I have the same issue with necklines.
I’ve seen Ana in shorter skirts and she looks fantastic, I put my hourglass/pear body in to the same skirt and boom chika wow ow.
When in doubt I take photos so I can see the look entirely and make changes as necessary.

I won’t go very much over the knee these days with skirts, but when I was younger (in the 90s), I definitely did. The key I discovered to wearing shorter skirts and dresses was to make sure to be covered on top — i.e. a short skirt, opaque tights and turtleneck sweater.

From a completely selfish perspective, I am fine–happy even–about shorter hemlines. As a short person, I have never had so much variety to choose from without being banished to the petites department (which is mostly full of suiting and formal/cocktail wear–snooze). As a young person, I don’t mind a mini. As long as I’m comfortable, I prefer to get as much wear out of things like mini skirts NOW, while I can, than wait until I’m older and have all sorts of regrets. Mini skirts don’t really look all that racy on me anyway (which I prefer), since I am so short. No micro minis though. Whatever I wear has to pass the sit down test and be comfortable–I shouldn’t have to yank it down every time I stand up. I also stick to flats with minis. I am not a cleavage or a small-waist girl, so my legs are the only thing that keeps me in my age group.

Crotch-grazing is appalling. Unflattering, uncomfortable, trashy, and unhygenic! I do not wear anything that won’t completely cover my nether regions when I sit. Yuck. But I’ll bet most of them would look very cute with skinnies on the right body type.

On an unselfish note, I do feel for taller girls. Now you know how we petites have ALWAYS felt, and it really stinks! I don’t know what retailers have against variety. If BR and Gap can offer such a wide variety of lengths, why can’t anyone else?

Not looking forward to ankle length at all. I wonder if I should start stocking up on skirts and dresses now before the 90’s is really in full swing…

I don’t mind them because leggings are also back and can be worn underneath. However, I do mind the aptly named “crotch-scraping” hems. I mean, seriously. If what you’re wearing has the very real potential to reveal your hooha to the world during the course of normal activity—such as walking, sitting, etc.—then TOO SHORT.

As a petite, I am totally happy about it. Not only do mid-thigh skirts make petites look taller, shorter skirts also mean more possibility to find regular knee-high or just below the knee skirts from mid-length skirts which previously would be too long for petites. I know this doesn’t work for everyone, especially if you are normal or tall to begin with. But I am definitely stocking up on skirts along this trend!

the good news – i can wear more skirts and dresses without having to have them shortened. However, I won’t wear things more than an inch or at most 2 (would have to be super killer for that) above the knee. Like Tanya, I do wear micro dresses but always over skinnies or leggings. Else, it just doesn’t feel professional to my eyes. and more importantly, i don’t feel good in my body when wearing it.

Age and body type/stature has alot to do with it. These days I prefer my skirts at the knee or an inch or two above at the most. I am petite so the current skirt lengths work great for me without worrying about alterations. I have noticed that the shorter lengths don’t seem to work as well on women who are more “hippy” – the proportions just seem off.

Like Laura, I used to wear much shorter skirt lengths in the early 90’s – paired with opaque tights & turtlenecks too! I don’t think anyone who reads this blog condones crotch-grazing lengths and this is certainly not my definition of short or mini.

My knees and thighs are pretty much my worst feature and I like them covered, so I’m in trouble if this is really true. Fortunately for me, I am neither tall nor on the cutting edge of fashion. I didn’t mind the 90s skirts at all, though they look odd to me now that no one wears them anymore.

Wow – this is my first time posting (well actually my second, but for some reason my first didn’t take). I love this blog – I feel like I’ve come home!!

Unfortunately I am wearing a looooon skirt today, and now I feel so unfashionable….I may have to take a pic and post it for feedback…

Anyways, I am still oooing and ahhhhing over the slouch boots posts from a month ago – I LOVE that look, and the shopaholic in me is now obsessed with finding those dresses (all 3 – not just 1, of course!) and buying them!!!

In summer, I’ll wear a dress that hits maybe two inches above the knee if I’m not going out in public–otherwise I prefer that they hit at or just below. I wouldn’t be comfortable in a miniskirt–I have very athletic thighs and they would just look bulky if I displayed them.

As someone else mentioned, this is why I love knowing how to sew my own skirts!

I am on the taller side, and I find that many skirts and dresses that are around right now are too short for me. I purchased a couple of dresses that I wish were a little longer, but I still wear them with leggings, tights, or over jeans. They hit me about 2/3 down the thigh, and I can’t help feeling that it’s not age appropriate. Although if this trend continues and short skirts become ubiquitous, maybe I won’t be concerned anymore

I love the new hemlines. I have nice looking long legs so I like to show them off and keep everything covered up top, since there’s not much to see up there
HOWEVER, when I say short I’m with you on this Angie. I don’t go much shorter than maybe mid thigh, and that’s risque for me. The dresses that basically are shirts, aka “crotch scrapers” are an absolute NO. I feel to uncomfortable in them, unless I’m wearing leggings.

My opinion on raising hemlines? Not for me thanks, I may do a 2-3 inches above the knee, usually with tights but mini skirts are a NO.

And can I just say I’m 14? (we don’t all wear mini skirts and ugg boots, you know!)

Rising hemlines…..Hmmmm.

As lovely as most girls look showing a bit of leg, I myself am not comfortable wearing this look, even with leggings or hose. I don’t have hideous legs per se, but I don’t have great ones either. I honestly believe that to show something off it should be a really great feature and indeed showing things off should not be forced upon you! This leads me to the limited stock on offer for people like myself who would prefer on the knee or just below. Cue: tumbleweed….there is nothing. I do love Maxi dresses, but a girl can’t live on Maxi dresses alone! Designers, please take heed….!

Hemlines are ridiculously short, there are so many dresses that you must wear as tunics because of this. I wonder if it’s simply because they’re getting so cheap and to cut costs, they trim a few inches off the hemline? Could it be as simple as that…?

I prefer skirts to hit at the bottom of my kneecap but it’s hard to find those because I’m tall – so everyone else’s skirts that need hemming fall across or above my kneecap. This year most retail skirts are falling 3 – 4 inches above my kneecap, which I can’t really pull off. I only like a skirt to the top of the kneecap if I’m wearing opaque tights.
Fortunately, I have lots of skirts from last year and the year before that I’m going to keep wearing. Dresses too. It takes some of the joy out of shopping, though.

Always worried about age appropriatness, I was a bit worried when skirt lengths jumped up…however they actually look better on me when they are an inch or two above my knee…I will wear tights if it just feels a little too short, but I judge by my eye now, I dress fairly conservative anyway.

The rising hemline makes me very uncomfortable, especially with my height. A “shorter” dress/skirt is *even* shorter on me and I feel way too exposed.

The New York Times did a piece last fall, during the thick of the economic crisis, on the “hemline” index- basically, economists trying to use non-economic indicators are some kind of proxy for societal feelings about the economy. The funny thing is that, historically, hemlines dropped with recessions (Great Depression, 1970s, etc.) and rose during flush times (1920, 1960s, later 1990s?). Seems like this index is a bit off, since microminis are all the rage. With thigh high boots, evidently.
I love the shorter skirts, for the most part, because my thighs and knees are prettier than my calves/ankles. But I don’t wear them to work. Hopefully this will go in the way of gauchos, back in 2005-7, when I saw the dress shorts made of the most beautiful materials, but unfortunate cuts.

I have recently learned to not trust a full length mirror when trying on short skirts due to the eye line they often appear longer than they actually are. A straight on photograph gives a more accurate representation of length and a skirt is often 2″ shorter than I perceived.

I have a very small birthmark about 3″ above my knee, I use that as my personal marker for how short my skirts should be.

My preferred length of skirts sits just above the knee cap.

Dress lengths are outrageous right now! The problem: I didn’t even notice the length until I bought the dress, wore it out, and sat down. Clearly, I should have considered the possibility, but I am only 5′2″ and if a dress is that short on me, how can “normal” height people wear these things?! Fortunately, I learned my lesson and added leggings the next time…

My first time posting! (I must say I love this blog). I am tallish with long slender legs – and as someone else pointed out, skirts that are meant to sit just above the knee on a shorter woman often hit me mid thigh. I prefer my skirts to be at or just above the knee, but have difficulty finding skirts the right length.

I will wear skirts that go to mid thigh, but since I have long legs that still leaves me with 8 inches or more of coverage. And when I wear skirts that short I always wear hose or tights.

i don’t know. i’m 5′8″ with nice legs but I’m 36. i wore minis back in the day, but now i just don’t think it’s a good look for me, or appropriate. i think an a-line that hits at the right point on the knee for your height is always a classic.

I hate the miniskirt trend simply because I really don’t need cummerbunds, which is what they they look like on me. If I wanted a cummerbund, then that is what the men’s suiting department is for.

Frankly, I’m more than a little upset because skirts and dresses were the last items I could buy in regular stores in the women’s department, which is important when you get dragged out shopping with all your female friends who are too scared to come with you into the men’s department because they’re strangely scared of it.

My hemline will not get much higher than above my knee. I’m way too self conscious when I sit down that someone will get more a view than I intended.

I’m plus-sized and self conscious about my thighs, so I always aim for skirts that are at or just below the knee. I do have a few longer skirts, but I never really wear them except around the house. Although they are getting to be passé I did wear a couple of maxi skirts around last summer. I hate shorts and couldn’t find any capri-like trousers, but long (ankle length) flouncy skirts were fine in hot weather.