HOW TO STYLE MIDI SKIRTS

I have 2 of these ribbed knit midi skirts in my wardrobe and I reach for them constantly throughout the year. Probably the least appropriate season for them is winter, though I do mainly work from home, so I still wear them when it's cold - but never fear, I will show you how to style a midi skirt for winter later on.

These ribbed midi skirts are great for that awkward weather where it's warm, but raining. You want to be covered up to protect from the rain but you don't want to overheat. I love wearing these types of skirt with a plain black cami, I feel it looks relaxed yet polished, and covering up with a classic camel trenchcoat. It can be hard to know what style of coat to wear with midi skirts and I would recommend to always go for something long rather than short, to avoid cutting up your silhouette.

If you're a beginner when it comes to long skirts, a pleated midi skirt is a must-have! It's even more versatile than the previous ribbed style and can be easily styled for winter, though in the photo above I've styled my khaki one for summer with the same black vest top, a straw bag and trainers.

I like to use the 'sandwich' rule when putting outfits together - at its most basic, this means having the same colour on the top and bottom and a different colour in the middle, like a sandwich filling, but here I've just made sure that I bring some white higher up, from the bag, to stop the trainers looking like a sudden flash of white. This way, the trainers look planned, rather than what they actually were - a comfy pair of shoes I can walk around and drive in!

Here we have another ribbed knit midi skirt, this time in white. I like this style of midi skirt because I feel it's a more grown-up version of the 90s and Y2K trends we've been seeing over the last few years - it reminds me of something Sabrina the Teenage Witch would have worn, or my original style icons, Mary-Kate and Ashley.

You can see here how I've styled a knitted skirt for summer and I can confirm I did not get too hot at all. The crop top of course helps, since it puts a little flesh on show, which looks contemporary and stylish while also keeping you cool. ( The crop top is actually knitted as well!)

I like to limit myself to 3 colours in any outfit if possible. This makes the outfit look more intentional and chic. Technically we have 4 here, but I always think of cream and white as the same colour when I'm planning outfits since they tone in well and there's so many shades of white you're never going to completely match anyway!

I promised you I'd show you how to style skirts for winter! This was a cold, rainy day in Covent Garden and I felt absolutely fine, though as you can see, my hair got a bit bedraggled...

A pleated midi skirt is definitely the way to go for a winter look. The secret is in the layering - underneath the skirt are hidden thermal tights and thick socks, and then of course you could wear ankle boots but I would recommend knee-high or over-the-knee boots to lock in some extra heat.

My favourite way to style any skirt is with a jumper so of course that's my next step, and again, there's a nude thermal top hidden under there. Finally we have the Burberry scarf on top - I've said so many times that it elevates all my outfits, and it's functional too - and a beret to add interest to the look. Hats also guard against the rain!