Made-to-measure maxi skirts: length, waist and lining

How long should a maxi skirt be?

A maxi skirt ends somewhere between the ankle bone and the floor. Which end of that range suits you depends on your shoes and on how you spend your day.

• Ankle length shows the shoe and a little of the ankle. It stays clean on wet pavements and stairs and suits trainers, sandals and flats.
• Just above the floor covers the ankle and most of the shoe, with the hem clearing the ground by a finger’s width or two. It is the usual choice when you want full cover.
• Touching the floor looks graceful when you stand still, but it catches underfoot and frays at the hem, so it is rarely worth it for daily wear.

Measuring the length with your shoes on

Put on the shoes you will wear most with the skirt. Stand straight, hold the end of the tape where the waistband will sit, and ask someone to read the number at the point where the hem should finish. Even a modest heel changes that figure by several centimetres.

Send the measurement in centimetres or inches and say which shoes it was taken in. Say too whether the band should sit at your natural waist or lower on the hip, because the tape must start where the band will actually rest. The size guide shows how to find your natural waist.

Straight, A-line or tiered: how much fullness?

Fullness decides how the skirt looks and how easily you can walk in it.

• Straight falls in a column from the hip. It uses the least fabric and looks sleek under a longer top, but the hem limits your stride, so it needs a slit, a back vent or a pleat.
• A-line widens steadily from waist to hem. It gives walking room without bulk at the waist and suits nearly every fabric.
• Tiered or gathered adds fabric in horizontal bands, each fuller than the one above. It is the most generous shape and moves beautifully in light cotton or chiffon, though the gathers add some volume at the waist and hip.

Waistband and lining

A fixed waistband with a zip lies flat and looks smart under a tucked top, but it has to match your waist closely. A fully elasticated waist is forgiving through a long day of sitting and suits gathered skirts, where a little bunching disappears into the fullness. The middle route is a flat front with elastic across the back only: neat from the front, easy at the back.

A maxi skirt in a light or pale fabric often shows the outline of the legs when you stand against the light. A lining solves that and stops the fabric clinging to tights. It can run the full length or stop around the knee, where it does most of its work while keeping the hem light. One detail is easy to miss: a lining narrower than the skirt will shorten your stride even when the skirt itself is full, so ask for the lining to have its own slit or enough width to walk in. Our lining guide explains how to test a fabric against a window.

How to ask for yours

Send a photo of the skirt you have in mind through the quote form, choosing the Western option in the list of garments, with your waist, hips, height and the length from waistband to hem. Say which waistband you prefer, whether you want lining or pockets, and whether you are sending your own fabric or would like us to supply it under Fabric + Stitching. We confirm what is possible on that fabric and design in your written quote before anything is cut.