the return of the knee-length skirt — and how to wear it

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I have been seeing a lot of knee-length skirts in shops and on social media. Are they back in style? Do I need to take out my heels again?

I’ll get straight to the point. Yes, knee-length skirts are back. And gloriously, no, you do not need to dig out your heels. 

But let me introduce myself. My name is Becky Malinsky and I’m a stylist living in New York. I focus on building work wardrobes: getting men and women dressed for the daily grind, Davos and everything in between. I trained for two decades at fashion publications including Glamour, GQ and most recently the Wall Street Journal. I now write the newsletter 5 Things You Should Buy, a weekly edit of what’s worth your money when shopping online. I look forward to answering your toughest style questions.

Now back to the skirt. It has returned to the fore because of its ability to navigate the grey area between formal and casual. Serious yet not self-serious. Daytime and evening. It won’t drag on the ground like a maxi or risk showing too much skin on an escalator like a mini. While a dress might involve less thought in the morning, it leaves little room for dress code ambiguity and, more importantly, personal style. 

Today’s best knee-length skirts offer either relief in the form of comfort — straighter and A-line options are more prevalent than skin-tight pencils — or some sort of sensory spark, be it feathers, shine or print. At the highest end of the fashion spectrum, designers are experimenting with fringe and outlandish knitting techniques (see Phoebe Philo, Bottega Veneta, Loewe). These work because you could pair these feathery pieces with a cardigan and brogues, making their statements less . . . overstimulating.

But let’s start with simpler options. An A-line skirt that sits on the natural waist seems to be the most universally flattering way to tackle this trend. Reach for something like Toteme’s Garderob leather skirt (£1,520, int.toteme.com) or Officine Generale’s Kendra skirt, a navy wool pleated (and belted!) skirt that eases out from the natural waist (€395, officinegenerale.com). Skirts in this shape make tucking in a crisp blue button-down shirt or short-sleeve cashmere crewneck for work feel comfortable and current. Try Buck Mason’s crisp blue button-down ($138, buckmason.com) or White & Warren’s cashmere T-shirt ($265, whiteandwarren.com).

For something slightly more casual, cotton versions such as APC’s Vicky skirt (£255, apcstore.co.uk) and Cos’s voluminous cotton bubble skirt (£95, cos.com) both look great with a grey T-shirt (£69, soldout.nyc) and city sandals (£210, soeur.uk). 

Which brings me to the second part of your question. The best thing to come out of this no-rules, post-Covid era of dressing is demand for comfort first. Designers have responded by styling skirts we once thought called for a heel with flats and barely-there lifts. In fact, it’s the flat shoes that make this style feel more modern.

Loewe showed skirts on the spring 2025 runways with floppy men’s lace-ups. Rachel Comey’s comic-print pencil skirt was paired with red perforated leather flats (£530, rachelcomey.com). Everyone from Marks and Spencer to J Crew is styling their mid-length skirts with loafers. 

Prada, patron saint of the knee-length skirt, shows almost every skirt on its website this season with flat shoes. A chocolate brown poplin wrap skirt is paired with chunky walking sandals (£1,200, prada.com) and a polka dot chiffon number with backless leather slippers (£2,500, prada.com). Though Miuccia Prada herself is often found bowing after a show in a knee-length skirt and the highest of heels, it is telling that her runways, often statements on current affairs, do not demand the same. Her long love of these skirts means there are bounties of second-hand options; Resee.com has 28 available from Prada alone. This yellow and tan ombre skirt could easily be paired with a navy cardigan and white sandals (€390, resee.com) 

For those more vertically challenged, it is helpful to reach for a flat that avoids any interaction with the ankle. Try a pointed toe ballerina to create continuity between the leg and the top of the foot. 

Also feeling fresh these days? Variations on the shiny, silky slip can easily be styled back to daytime separates. The Row’s spring collection featured a blush-coloured version, tucked up under a longline button-down shirt and turtleneck sweater, making the otherwise flirty style feel quite buttoned up and appropriate for a lunch date (£1,070, net-a-porter.com). Tibi makes a version trimmed in highlighter shades of green and blue that would look great on a sunny afternoon paired with a white T-shirt, Mary Janes and Wayfarer-style sunglasses ($445, tibi.com). And Commission’s creased version in brown would look impossibly cool with a slouchy grey sweater, ankle-skimming duster coat, loafers and a classic top-handle bag ($395, commission.nyc).

Speaking of coats, unless you are trying to make a very dramatic fashion statement, keep your outerwear around the length of the skirt itself or up around the waist. On a drizzling day, a knee-length or cropped trench is an easy layer. The current trend in blouson-style jackets that cinch at the bottom creates a nice natural break. With blazers, anything goes. A two-button blazer with straight sides can create a column effect, while a cropped, collarless jacket might look sleek on someone more petite. It’s that flexibility that makes this skirt so great. Throw it on with just about any jumper or jacket in your wardrobe and go! 

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