Yoyo Cao in a patchwork skirt by Acne Studios. Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images
Fans of the trend include supermodels and style influencers.
Miniskirts have dominated our style consciousness for what seems like forever, but designers have recently made a welcome move away from hitched hemlines. If images of a denim-clad Britney Spears or Jennifer Aniston come to mind at the mention of a denim maxi skirt, you’re on the wrong track. 2023 is about chic, form-fitting styles that are made to flatter anybody and everybody—from 5ft to 6ft and beyond.
Every season, designers entice us with new ways to wear jeans and fresh denim jackets to dream about, but the recent shows have been all about longline maxis. The best hemlines seen at the spring-summer 2023 collections were those that traced the floor, therefore elongating the body.
So long as you avoid challenging terrain, you can willfully embrace lengthy styles like Burberry’s über-high-waist maxi and the distressed skirts seen at MM6 Maison Margiela and GCDS. Clean floors are required for Masha Popova and Stefan Cooke’s takes, too—the former presented low-rise ruffled iterations and the latter debuted textured genderless styles that were worn with hoodies, knits and jackets.
As models demonstrated at the shows in September, denim maxis offer endless styling opportunities. Street-stylers were clearly inspired by what they saw on the catwalks. Scandi influencer Pernille Teisbaek wore maxi skirts non-stop last year, including a style from Ganni—which she wore with a backless top—and an acid-wash number that she wore with a Chanel tweed jacket to the maison’s spring-summer 2023 show.
Emili Sindlev and Caro Daur packed their best denim for the shows, too, and wore double-denim from Ganni (the same skirt as Pernille) and a treated oxblood maxi from Acne Studios respectively. As for Yoyo Cao? She’s also a fan of Acne Studios’s DIY denim offering and wore a patchwork maxi in Paris.
Denim maxi skirts are a hardworking everyday staple, but they are also suited to evening outings—just look to Gigi Hadid for inspiration. The super was papped in two maxis last year: she attended the Fashion Media Awards in new season Jade Cropper—comprising a raw-edged denim maxi and a crop top—and arrived at her sister Bella’s birthday in frothy vintage Roberto Cavalli.
While there are plenty of new season denim maxis available to buy now, resale sites are teeming with preloved styles. Depop recently reported that searches are up 217 per cent compared to last month, with nostalgic bleached versions and low-risers all selling well on the platform.
Still after jeans? Visit Vogue’s guide to the best on the market. Willing to make room in your wardrobe for a denim maxi? Scroll on for our pick of the standout styles available now.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
