For three years in a row, midi length skirts and dresses have appeared on the runways of fashion week in New York, London, Paris and Milan. Fall 2014 fashion shows are currently in full swing, and as far as skirts and dresses go, midis are dominating the catwalks, both in pencil and flared silhouettes. 

Note that midi skirts and dresses can be as short as just over the knee (knee-cap-covering), or as long as lengths that cover the calf muscle.

I have been pinning NYFW looks to my Fall and Winter 2014 inspiration pinboard. Lets take a peek at the catwalk:

• Asymmetrical colour block with oversized moto. 
• Long loose layers. 
• Flared midi with short oversized coat.
• Fit-and-flare frock with longer jacket. 
• Avant-garde layers with cropped tailored jacket.
• Front vent pencil with oversized pullover. 
• Arty, loose and oversized. 
• Tailored top and pleated midi with messenger. 
• Volume with flare and beanie. 
• ‘70s Boho with a sporty touch. 
• Modern boho. 
• Fashionably frumpy. 
• Kilted and graphic. 
• Chartreuse tailoring. 
• Gold bubble with preppy pinstripe. 
• Sporty pencil and haute hiking boots.
• Hard-edge volume.
• Pleated midi with cropped and oversized round-shouldered jacket. 
• Paneled midi with oversized cropped jacket. 
• Tailored sweater dress. 
• A-line with boxy top.
• Pinafore and a newsboy. 
• Round-shouldered shell top with a wrap midi and mid-calf boots. 
• Sack midi. 
• Vented with slouch and texture. 
• Classic. 
• Swooshing full skirt with fuzzy crop top. 
• Retro with leather. 
• Swooshing black drama.
• Pencil with high-low pullover, flat mid-calf boots, and lace boot liners. 
• Hooded wrap pencil. 
• Paneled with a bomber. 
• Trumpet with round-shouldered jacket. 
• Glorious colour. 
• Sleeved frock with inverted pleat. 
• Graphic preppy with a sporty and romantic touch. 
• Bad fit is cool. 

Despite all this catwalk action, midi lengths are still awfully scarce in retail stores. At best you will find the odd midi pencil skirt and a few very expensive designer pieces. Minis and just-above-the-knee lengths rule retail. 

When slim-fit cropped pants appeared on catwalks a few years ago, retail made the style mainstream right away. So some trends do filter down at the speed of light. Others take a while, and some don’t filter down at all. 

I would love to know why retail is keeping midis a fringe trend. On some level, it seems that the powers that be believe consumers — and that means you and me — won’t like the length. That would mean plenty of markdowns, less revenue and lower profits. If this assumption is correct, then they’re making an excellent business decision by NOT allowing one of the largest catwalk trends to filter down to retail. But if their assumption is wrong, it’s a huge missed opportunity. 

Granted, I do think that midi lengths are harder to style because of the potential frump factor, and they often require heeled footwear. And many of the fits and proportions shown on the runways this season are challenging, conventionally unflattering, and in some cases quite dowdy. Yet I believe that midis can look extremely elegant. And at the moment they look ultra fresh and “new” amidst a sea of short skirts and dresses. Minis are fine for leisure time, but they seldom work in an office environment. At least you can shorten the length of a midi, but you can’t lengthen a skirt that is already too short. 

It’s anyone’s guess as to whether midis will gain popularity in this and future seasons. Perhaps the trend will trickle down slowly, just like wearing booties and flat oxfords with skirts and dresses took years to become a mainstream look. Or perhaps midis will stay fringe. Either way, I support the idea of having a variety of skirt and dress lengths in stores. Providing minis and maxis without the in-between length is not variety.

A fun new bag is one way to refresh your wardrobe in the middle of a long and dreary Winter. It doesn’t need to break the bank and it doesn’t need to be in a neutral. 

• Bowling Bag with Zips: The ‘90s bowling bag is back and looks fresh and fun. Relatively small and casually dressy. Semi-structured. 
• Leather Shopper with Laminated Interior: This is one of Zara’s best selling bags that they offer every season in a variety of colours. At the moment it’s available in ink, white and cognac. It’s the most modern shopper I’ve seen, and quite large. The handles and stiff structured leather are robust. Great for work if you carry a lot of stuff, and super for travel. 
• Mini City Bag with Zip Details: A fun way to add a pastel to your wardrobe. Small and structured. I have both the light blue and the pink on their way to me so that I can choose between the two when I play with them in my wardrobe. Inge just bought the blue and is thrilled with her new little wardrobe pet. 
• Citybag with Zips: Crisp, professional and minimal. An interesting light colour that is neither grey nor taupe, but something in between. Light and refreshing with dark neutrals. 
• Parkside Satchel: A simple satchel with clean lines and lots of room. It’s larger than you might think. Well made, and fab in emerald green. 
• Flavia Foldover Clutch: A super copy of the Clare Vivier clutch at a fraction of the price. Love the roses and checkerboard option.
• Vince Camuto Mila Satchel: Graphic, modern and structured. Fabulous sturdy handles, textured body, and lots of room. 

The bags I have pictured are all from Zara, who generally make great quality bags at affordable prices. Always worth a look. And their online shipping service is stellar so by all means go that route if you don’t have a Zara close by.

Remember that the tags, tassels and straps that come with the bags can often be removed for a more minimal visual effect. I strip those off immediately.

Style bloggers starring in international fashion campaigns is no longer a new thing, but this one is a little different. Italian fashion label Diesel picked 26-year old Jillian Mercado to be one of the faces of their Spring/Summer 2014 campaign. On her personal blog MANUFACTURED 1987 Jillian writes about style and trends. She is also the executive editorial director of We the Urban digital magazine. But the thing that has the style world abuzz, is that Jillian was born with spastic muscular dystrophy and is in a wheelchair.

With artistic director Nicola Formichetti, Diesel has been working on a reboot of their brand. For the new Spring ad campaign, to be published in Vogue and Interview in March, he cast 23 people, most of whom are not professional models. Formichetti told Women’s Wear Daily that it “was much more about the group, the gang, the tribe, the community. The people got to us in different ways but they’re connected visually, physically, mentally and denim is the thing that unites all of them. And that’s the theme and the tag line — We Are Connected.”

Jillian, who knew Formichetti through work, entered an open casting call with some friends but never expected to be selected. Over the last few years, the fashion industry has been making an effort to embrace a wider range of beauty, but there is still a long way to go. In The Guardian, Jillian said:

“People should have an open mind. If I’m helping to make it move forward, that’s awesome. It means so much to me because it’s the fact that someone who is different is representing Diesel. [It shows] anyone can rock the clothes and look beautiful. For me it represents way more than just a campaign. A lot of people will see it and will have a change of mind of how they see people who have a disability.”

Here is some additional coverage of this story from around the web:

• Jillian’s ad photo and some personal snaps on The Huffington Post website.
• Watch an interview with Jillian discussing the campaign, her work in fashion, and life in a wheelchair.
• Read more about how Jillian navigates New York Fashion Week.

One consequence of being in my profession is that I’m always paying attention to what people are wearing. Whether I’m shopping in stores, running errands, walking down the street, waiting in line at the airport, enjoying a dinner party or arriving at yoga, I notice the outfits worn by the people around me. 

And, yes, I evaluate the outfits I see. It isn’t a conscious effort, but I find myself making mental notes about things that I’d like to try myself, replicate with one of my clients, or share here on YLF. 

Of course, my thoughts aren’t always positive. Sometimes I don’t like what I see, and I find myself thinking about what it is that isn’t working in the fit of an individual item, or in the combination of an ensemble. Or I might question the appropriateness of the outfit for the setting.

But even as I’m evaluating the outfits around me, I’m very conscious of two things. First, fashion and style are very subjective. Sure, there is a general consensus on what’s in and what’s out at any given time, but even so, my opinion is just that: an opinion. My clients and longtime readers of YLF might value that opinion, but there are also people who don’t. Mine is only one way of viewing the world.

And second, while I evaluate the outfit, I never judge the wearer. It is so easy to fall into the trap of jumping to conclusions about the reasons behind an outfit that seems inappropriate, unfashionable or unflattering, but I don’t go there. I don’t know the person. I don’t  know their circumstances, and I don’t know what motivates them to dress the way they do. My private thoughts on their outfit have nothing to do with what they are like as a person.

I’m sure most of us have caught ourselves making snap judgements about people based on what they were wearing. A while back I found myself doing that and really wanted to get out of the habit. So these days I have a little mental trick to keep things focused on the outfit and not the wearer. When I’m evaluating an outfit, I imagine that I’m seeing it on a mannequin. That way I am free to formulate an opinion about the aesthetics without making unfair and inaccurate judgements about the wearer.

Observing street style: Tokyo and Yokohama in 2012.