You thought you’d never wear another denim skirt… How to dress like a grown up with SHANE WATSON 

Everyone remembers their first denim skirt. I made mine at school out of a cut-up pair of jeans and, like all the skirts made in that summer of 1974, it was pencil tight and barely wearable.

My friend Annie’s was shorter, darker and stretchier because it was the 1980s. In the 1990s, there was a roaring trade in second-hand midi jean skirts with frayed hems, and another friend, Laura, wore hers with cowboy boots and fell in love for the first time.

I mention these skirts going back nearly half a century (gulp) because summer 2023 is going to be denim-drenched. 

And in among the oversize denim jackets, the new-look wider jeans, the soft denim shirts and the belted shirtdresses, the new denim skirt is looking a lot like the smart buy of the season.

This is a surprise. I love a denim skirt but I haven’t worn one for a few years because I no longer look good in them: too much bare calf and too square-looking.

I’ve toyed with an A-line midi style with an inverted front pleat, but that made me feel like the oldest wife of a Mennonite. Same with a wrap, and a button-through skirt adds five years. 

In any case, for me, the only denim skirt to have is the zip-fly, slit-front ‘call me Carly Simon’ variety, so I was happy to call it a day.

But then I wasn’t expecting a longer version of this skirt to come along, or that it would be so wearable.

You might think a midi denim skirt is the worst of all possible worlds: heavy, flappy, impossible to find an occasion for unless you’re a character in hit Amazon Prime series Daisy Jones & The Six.

I mention these skirts going back nearly half a century (gulp) because summer 2023 is going to be denim-drenched. Pictured: Katie Holmes wearing a denim skirt

This is a surprise. I love a denim skirt but I haven’t worn one for a few years because I no longer look good in them: too much bare calf and too square-looking. Pictured: Reese Witherspoon 

But you’d be failing to take on board that this denim is soft with stretch in it, the cut straight and lean, and rather than pavement trailing, the hem is an inch above the ankle or finishes at the bottom of your calf.

Either way, with a manageable split (the sort you’re not aware of until you sit down, and then not too aware of), this is a denim skirt for grown-ups.

You’re wearing it with a half-tucked-in cotton shirt with the sleeves pushed up and boots (or flatform mules when the weather picks up); or a soft puffy blouse and slim platform sandals; or a hip-skimming neat sweater or a cropped wool jacket and chunky-heeled slingbacks.

Your footwear is important. Boots work with the midi length on cooler days. Pictured: Olivia Palermo paired black boots with her denim skirt

Your footwear is important. Boots work with the midi length on cooler days (less flesh to flash) and a bit of a heel keeps it looking chic. 

You won’t be wearing this skirt with trainers, flip-flops, espadrilles or anything that makes it look remotely grungy.

Think of it a bit like velvet palazzo pants and wear your denim skirt with a silky shirt and gold sandals. There’s a long, lean skirt out there for every budget, from Raey’s panelled maxi (£165, matches fashion.com) to Uniqlo’s basic midi (£34.90, uniqlo.com).

Exactly the same rules apply with a maxi as a midi; just be sure to wear it on the waist not the hip, to keep it tidy and elegant, and keep the top half simple and tailored — no smocks allowed.

If you want to go smarter, go darker. The indigo ‘midaxi’ denim skirt in Marks & Spencer’s Autograph collection (£49.50, marksandspencer.com) is smart enough for work with a stripy shirt; and Mango does a straight style in black denim (£29.99, shop.mango.com), which would look good with a cropped, navy, tailored jacket and white blouse.

I prefer midwash, classic and more versatile; you can dress it up or down, wearing it at the weekend with a sweater.

Cos does a midwash longer midi (£83, lyst.co.uk) and Massimo Dutti has a chic darker style (£69.95, massimodutti.com) though the splits on both are on the high side. Some splits are slightly cut away, like a tepee opening: you want straight.

If the narrow tube look is not your thing, Whistles’ relaxed fit midi skirt in black is extra long and extra easy (£55, whistles.com) and Zara has a panelled midi (£49.99, zara.com) with a bit more flare. Just remember, no trainers allowed.