Good news for those who silently weep when mini dresses creep back into fashion: the style set’s fascination this season is with a longer silhouette. This trend has brought hemlines down to just below the knee – a length suitable for even the most leg-conscious. This season’s mid-length dress isn’t your usual cinched-at-the-waist style borrowed from the 1950s, however. Fast-forward four decades to when Kate Moss reigned supreme and dresses were dainty, shapeless nighties with spaghetti straps and lace-trimmed hems that skimmed the ankles. For winter, the ’90s slip dress has been altered into a cold-appropriate, cosier version that doesn’t require Moss’s slight figure to pull off. Think of the sporty, cable knit tube dresses from Proenza Schouler that elongate the body, or the heavy shift dresses at Céline, favoured by the likes of actress Sienna Miller.

The great thing about this new silhouette is that it lends itself well to layering, thanks to its no-frills cut. Wear as is when the weather starts to get nippy or layer under a coat in the depths of winter. If you want to look particularly on-trend, designers like Calvin Klein and Stella McCartney paired mid-length skirts with relaxed dresses as a more palatable take on the pants-under-skirts fad. If you’re hesitant to forgo all tailoring, shin-grazing dresses from Kate Sylvester’s tribute to author Donna Tartt constitute a happy medium between straight and cinched.

Do:
• Pair with a loafer or a shoe boot to reveal a peek of skin.
• Team your midi dress with a long cardigan
or relaxed coat.

Don’t:
• Buy too big, to avoid swimming in fabric.
• Wear one too tight.
• Choose narrow horizontal stripes

From the editors of Simply You