Consider this a formal apology to the maxiskirt: I’m sorry I’ve maligned you all these years. Truth is, growing up in Texas in the late 2000s, I had just seen too many bad takes on the style. Remember those billowing turquoise-and-coral chevron maxiskirts? Paired with a chambray shirt and—of course—a chunky statement necklace? I even wore a white-and-blue striped maxiskirt for my senior portraits, making the bold decision to wear it with a blue-and-white striped Ralph Lauren polo shirt. So I hope you understand why it took a long time to regain an appreciation for the look of the ankle-length skirt.
But I’ve succeeded in replacing it with another, more sophisticated image: specifically, Stella Tennant in an ad campaign for Jil Sander in spring 1997. In the black-and-white campaign, she wears a tee I assume is gray and a black maxiskirt that hugs her backside and thighs just so to create an elegant curve. The ensemble is punctuated by kitten heels and slicked-back, boyish hair. It’s the antithesis of the loud maxiskirts of the 2010s; it’s so quietly elegant it’s almost painful.
This style was popular in the mid to late 1990s, when simplicity reigned supreme. Of course it made an appearance at Jil Sander (search “90s minimalism” on Pinterest, and you’ll likely find Tennant in the first 10 scrolls) and also at Chanel in fall 1998, Prada in spring 1997, and again at Jil Sander in fall 2002. Our Lady of ’90s Minimalism, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, was partial to long, mid-calf, or ankle-length skirts. Who can forget the image of her in a full-length black Calvin Klein skirt with a white Yohji Yamamoto oxford top? I can’t, and it’s enough to erase the memory of coral-colored chevrons.
