According to the hemline index theory, skirt hems rise and fall with the stock market. In boom times miniskirts prevail, reflecting the flirty party mood. When stocks are down, hemlines fall to the ankle, reflecting concerns that beget conservatism and the need to be demure.
At Melbourne Fashion festival this week, hemlines off and on the runway were floor and ankle length. Perhaps reflecting the times – a cost of living crisis, without a recession – the outfits were far from prim and proper. Instead, the mood was defiant, optimistic sartorial chaos. The skirts may have been long, but some were also transparent.
Suzanne Browne’s favourite look is a floor-length tulle skirt paired with layers of tailoring, a cocktail hat and statement pearls. Wearing tulle, Browne, a festival attender, feels completely comfortable and relaxed. “There’s no need to worry about creasing when you’re sitting in the car,” she says. “Tulle is also great for travelling because it’s so light in your luggage, you don’t need to iron it and it works with so many options – tops and short jackets.”
Skirts made of ruffled florals, blinding metallics, sheer patterned lace and long tassels also graced the forecourt of Carlton’s royal exhibition building.
Kara Baker, a fashion designer, wore a long purple, blue and pink printed skirt from her own collection. To pull off a big skirt, she suggests wearing comfortable high heels, like a platform or a wedge. “Most women need a bit of height,” she says. “I think everyone looks better kind of elevated, and you can get height without discomfort.”
Yasmin Kurzmann, a content creator, also advises pairing long skirts with heels, otherwise she finds herself constantly tripping over. “When I’m elevated, the skirt is not touching the ground as much,” she says.
A hazard of wearing heels can be a stiletto puncturing the hem when going up or down stairs. “It’s definitely ripped at the back,” says Kurzmann of the vintage, black tulle petticoat she’s wearing. Not that she minds. “This skirt is one of the most loved pieces in my wardrobe and the back of it is not my problem.”
A “cute little lift” of her hem with her hands keeps Lucy Wilkins, a fashion designer, from tripping on the hem of her long, lime green lace skirt (her own design). This move has the added benefit of showing off her shoes. “I love this skirt because it’s breezy, fun and sexy,” she says. “Plus it’s got pockets.”
Long, dramatic silhouettes were present inside the Royal Exhibition Building too, Bianca Spender, Romance Was Born and Alix Higgins all sent full length skirts down the runway. National Designer award winner Amy Lawrence showed an entire collection of dresses that reached to the floor.
Brahman Perera, an interior designer, was modelling one of Lawrence’s designs in the crowd. “Wearing a long skirt that I’m comfortable in is very empowering,” he says. “The drama of interacting with a long skirt – like hitching it up when navigating stairs or a car – adds more shapes and joy to wearing it.”
