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When I was seven-years-old, my mom bought me a dark-wash, glitter-dusted denim maxi skirt from The Children’s Place and, bless her heart, I absolutely hated the thing. Eventually she gave up on her dreams of the skirt, but not before making me wear it out on one singular occasion. I’ve been a dedicated denim maxi hater ever since.
But because my childhood grudges don’t dictate fashion trends in 2023, the denim maxi skirt seems to be making quite a comeback; Burberry, Givenchy, MM6 Maison Margiela, Balenciaga, Coach, and Blumarine have all sent their iterations of the look down the runway. Vogue contributor Mattie Kahn referred to this new inclination toward a longer denim hemline as “Torah-teacher aesthetic.” (Even from my very limited Jewish schooling, I’m inclined to agree.) While the skirt may be a great option for more modest dressing, many are still showing skin. Thankfully we can look to the stars for guidance on how to wear every iteration of the contentious trend.
A longer hemline can be a great foil to plunging necklines, like Glass Onion‘s Madelyn Cline modeled in a Tommy Hilfiger ensemble earlier this year. As did Gigi Hadid, whose crop top still allowed her to show off her abs while remaining covered up on the bottom. And if you want to show off your legs, or don’t want to feel constricted in a denim tube, consider a skirt with a slit, à la Nicky Hilton, who has been strutting around New York in her maxi. In a testament to the skirt’s versatility, Hilton has already worn it twice within the last week.
The denim maxi is also a valid option for the low-maintenance among us, who love the idea of jeans, but don’t feel like wearing pants. (Denim minus a wedgie is a very enticing proposition.) While admittedly, a denim maxi may seem daunting from a styling perspective, the celebrities below rock them in a way that makes even me, a lifelong skeptic, willing to give them a go.