Walking my dog is a key (twice a day) activity for me. We go for long walks, which sometimes include stops for coffee and socialising at the dog park with other dogs and their humans. It’s important to me to feel good about what I’m wearing without sacrificing comfort or practicality.

Spring is tricky. Daytime maximum temperatures can be pleasantly warm but morning and evening temperatures are still quite cool. When I leave home for my morning walk it can be anything from 13-18C. By the time I get back it can be anything from 18-26C. The reverse applies to my evening walk.

This spring I’ve been trying out a new for me formula for casual daytime wear:

Long denim skirt + tee + lightweight (cotton) jumper or jacket + flat boots + crossbody bag or backpack

I was inspired by Rita Hayworth’s look in the movie “They Came to Cordura”. In the second half of the movie she wears an a-line denim skirt (could be culottes, but it looks like a skirt), shirt and boots. She is dressed in a practical way for hiking in the desert and dragging railway carts but still manages to look fabulously feminine. (It helps to be Rita Hayworth of course.)

I modified the look for me by:
*substituting a tee or knitwear for the shirt,
*wearing coloured denim, rather than just the traditional blue,
*wearing urban (not western) style boots,
*adding some bohemian touches, like jewellery, pattern and texture.

What I like about this formula:
*At the end of winter I am longing to wear skirts more but it feels a bit early for my summer skirts, which are mostly linen, silk and lightweight cotton. Denim feels more substantial and more appropriate for spring temperatures.
*A denim skirt has the same advantages as jeans for everyday wear: casual, hard wearing, easy to wash.
*A long denim skirt offers good sun coverage.
*The a-line shape and back slit makes it easy to walk in.
*Denim looks good with boots, and I like to make the boot wearing season last as long as possible.
*Denim is easy to overdye, so I have some good colour options besides blue.

I have bought denim skirts in the past and never, ever had success with them. I actually had them on my “no buy” list. (Ha ha. That went well.) Past versions were shorter and more pencil shaped. I usually wore them with sandals in summer. The problem was that in warm (sandal) weather I often found them too heavy and hot. They work much better for me in the transitional weather of spring. They also work well for wet days.

I can start out the day wearing a denim skirt, tee and cotton jumper. Because the jumper is cotton, I can wear it directly against my skin. I can then strip down to the tee as it gets warmer. The jumper is easily popped in my bag or tied around my waist. Or, if I’m going out in the afternoon, I can head out wearing a denim skirt and tee with a cotton jumper in my bag in case I need it as it gets cooler.

The pictures show some iterations of this formula. Please keep in mind that this is a *casual* outfit formula.

It’s now getting pretty consistently warm here. I think boot season may be over. Sad But I look forward to reviving this formula in autumn.