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How to wear a skirt when you don’t wear skirts much

— by Alyson Walsh

The way to subtly introduce a new style or silhouette into your wardrobe is to surround it with much-loved, old favourites. Not being much of a skirt-wearer myself (this is the first time I’ve worn an A-line style), any uncertainty is diluted by bringing on a utility jacket and black leather ankle boots. Now it feels like the supporting cast are on my side. I’m in an A-line, dipped hem skirt but haven’t swerved too far out of my Gentlewoman Style comfort zone. Or as Frances commented on Instagram, ‘What you’re wearing seems very congruent in spirit with the way you wear trousers.’ And that’s the sound of a nail being hit on its head. The clothes that I enjoy wearing and feel confident in allow the stealthy introduction of something new. And, ta-dah. No more skirt shyness. Other ways to wear a skirt when you don’t wear skirts much, include taking the edge off a knee-length or midi style with a slouchy sweater or denim jacket, whooping things up with a white shirt and silk scarf – a look beautifully perfected by Carolina Herrera  – and pairing knee boots and opaque tights for a winning winter combination.

The Arket skirt was a style challenge and a gift. It has pockets and French seams, comes in a heavy cotton-mix fabric and is long enough at the back to cover my varicose veins. My legs rarely see the light of day but as this is the summer that keeps on giving, here they are in October, pasty as you like. Soon to be enveloped in opaque tights, now that I’m longer skirting the issue…

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The way to subtly introduce a new style or silhouette into your wardrobe is to surround it with much-loved, old favourites. Not being much of a skirt-wearer myself (this is the first time I’ve w…