My Summer Essentials: High Waist Midi Skirt

I have a love hate relationship with skirts. From being forced to wear them as a kid to wanting to wear them as a teen but not finding the right length it's safe to say we have a complicated relationship. So my new essential skirts in the summer and in life are midi skirts usually with a high waist. I've found this to be a versatile and flattering silhouette for me. Skirts have once again become a power player in my wardrobe.

They are so many outfit possibilities and occasions where they can be dressed up or down from just another work day to dancing into the sweltering night. Another reason to love these types of skirts is you can wear almost any top with them. From crop tops that will only show a sliver of stomach to longer tops you can tuck in to show off your waist you can make endless amounts of outfits. If you are into body suits those would also look great with a midi skirt on top.

I used to love denim mini skirts because that's what you wear in high school and college to show off your legs. But my legs are long and these skirts always felt too short. The perfect length was ever elusive. It made me feel self conscious about accidentally showing my underwear to the general public when I was sitting or walking around. I didn't want to be flashing the goods at everyone!

Dancing the night away!

Here is an example of my ingenious way to find a denim mini that fit and had the right length for me. I cut off about ten inches of sparkly denim to reveal the perfect mini for me. Originally swaying around my knees with a slit I went for the bold route since teens notoriously don't like long skirts. Eventually I grew out of this skirt but it accompanied me to many a school dance where I showed off my moves.

I lived for scaring "normal" people with my outfits

This is from a little bit later in high school where I was rocking black a lot as you can see. You can't see my shoes but they were probably Converse. The only shoes I would wear back then were Converse or boots. This skirt and outfit I remember wearing at my swim formal to the horror of everyone else in attendance. It's a little cringe inducing to me in hindsight but I'm glad I stood out as who I was instead of pretending to be something I'm not.

So eventually I found my way to midi skirts which are more flattering and versatile than the denim mini's ever were. I can wear these at work or on the weekends able to dress them up or down with different shoes and tops. These are also great if you have some crop tops but you don't want your whole stomach exposed. With these skirts you can expose just enough skin where no one will think you're lame or a teen. Win win.

Since these skirts are loose but long you don't have to worry about an errant breeze sweeping underneath you for an unwanted Marilyn moment a la “The Seven Year Itch”. It can get gusty in Texas but I haven't had any breezes strong enough to lift my midi skirts above my hips. Another plus for me is you can wear flats or wedges with these skirts. My personal favorite are my Lucky wedges because they look good and are comfortable.

The first skirt I got a couple of years ago and it goes with everything. It's a black skirt from ASOS and it is the work horse of my office wardrobe in the summer. I have a few dresses but when they are all dirty I can throw on a top with this skirt and be ready to go. Basically any tops can be paired with midi skirts the only exception being anything too bulky which will cause weird lumps underneath it. My office environment is pretty casual so I can wear basically anything except shorts and tube tops even when it feels like those are the only things you can wear in August.

A new one I just added to my collection is the Valenti skirt from Reformation made out of linen with buttons up the front. It's a little longer than knee length but can easily be made more daring with a few undone buttons for a higher slit. It is a mix of two neutral colors, black and off white, but they still make a neutral so I'm not afraid to pair it with something fun like a floral tank. You can also twist the skirt around so the buttons and the slit are going up the side or the back. It's worth mentioning these also have pockets! They aren't bulky and they are big enough to put my phone and keys into. Pockets on dresses and skirts always make my day.