While we're on the subject of marvellous midis, I need to beg your indulgence and some help -- which I hope might also be of help to others.

I'm 5'4" with a longish neck, short waist, longish rise, average length legs but proportionately short calves.

As you all know, I've been wearing the VC tube skirts all summer with great pleasure. While I think the proportions are best on me with a 2 inch wedge sandal, I've also been sporting them with my Cons, and even low vamp flats. And my eye has pretty much adjusted to the ladylike midi-length. (Pics 1-4)

Recently I updated my skirt wardrobe to include 2 new Halogen pencil skirts. These are a bit more substantial and work better for me in our cooler weather than the VC tubes.

I already own one of these skirts. (Pic 5) But it is a petite and hits just above my knee. I asked on the forum if I should lengthen it to the mid-knee to bottom of knee length of my new pencil skirts, which are regular sized, looser on me, and a bit longer. (Pics 6-7)

Responses were mixed. Some felt lengthening was the way to go. Others voted to leave the black one shorter for the sake of variety. But then CocoLion spoke up with an interesting observation: She felt that it would be the proportions were better on the shorter skirt if I planned to wear with boots or booties.

Denise has an exceptional eye and I have learned more than a thing or two from her on my time in this forum. In fact, she has never led me wrong yet! (One of my very fave, style-defining looks is a copycat of an outfit of hers.)

So when she spoke, I was bound to listen. Because here is the thing. Unlike my VC skirts, which I wear with bare legs and sandals in summer, these new Halogen skirts will be worn almost exclusively with booties and boots. That is partly a function of my climate and lifestyle and partly a function of my hard-to-fit feet. Low vamp styles simply won't stay on when I am wearing hose. Flattering as I find them for my short calf, they're more or less out of the question in the winter months for me.

And -- in addition -- these skirts will only rarely be worn with bare legs. Sometimes nude hose, yes. But far more often with more substantial hose and tights. That's just the reality of my climate. In winter, you don't wear skirts without coverage.

Now, my knees were never my favourite part of my anatomy. So while I do wear Bermuda shorts, I'm not crazy about above-the-knee skirts in summer. But I have no problem exposing my knees when they are in tights or hose. And as a matter of fact, my shorter black skirt has been a great length with boots in winter -- it has never bothered me. With tall boots, it exposes a bit of skin (or hose) and that gives a sense of "airiness" or structure, and with booties, it works pretty well, too. (Pic 8)

At the same time, I was a bit mystified. Recently, I wore my midi length VC with bare legs and booties and felt the effect was not just "okay" but pretty good indeed! (Pic 9) That made me wonder if length is not even beside the point here. Maybe it is the skirt's TAPER that makes it more flattering to me.

So I decided to do a little side by side experiment.

These are not styled "outfits" (for the most part). I just want to look at length and proportion.

In Pics 10-12, I am wearing the Pliner booties, first with black skirt, next with blue, and then with the VC tube (and no hose, for the most abrupt line possible). Here you can see the "hoof like" quality that some described these booties as having on my feet. (I am okay with that).

In Pics 13-15 you can see the black skirt with the Munros, the blue skirt with Munros, and the VC tube with Munros and tights.

In the end, I am left still wondering, what is the best solution here?

Note: I realize these bootie styles have different vamp shapes and colours, which does affect the overall impression. But I'm aiming at a length or shape that will work with all options.

Thanks for indulging this long post. For me, proportion and line are among the toughest nuts to crack. I have a feeling that for me, here, it may be a combination of factors. Length plays into it. But it may also be LINE -- and a tapered skirt is exceptionally good not just on my body SHAPE but also with my body proportions. What think you?

And should I shorten the new skirts, lengthen the old one, or taper the new ones?