I spent an entire summer avoiding blue maxi skirts because of one bad denim version that made me look like I’d wandered off the set of a low budget western. Wide leg, stiff as a board, no give at the waist. I wore it once to a barbecue and my sister took one look and said “are you being deputised.” That’s the risk with blue as a colour on something this long, it can tip into costume territory fast if the fabric doesn’t have any drape.
The good ones do the opposite. They move. That’s the whole thing to look for, whether you’re after navy, cobalt, a washed denim, or something closer to ink, the fabric has to fall rather than stand.
Cotton with a bit of viscose in it, a soft crinkled cotton, a lightweight denim that’s had the stiffness washed out, anything that skims rather than tents. A proper blue maxi skirt should make a sound when you walk, a sort of swish, not a rustle that announces you before you arrive.
Styling wise, resist the urge to match it with anything else blue unless you actually know what you’re doing with tonal dressing, because two blues that clash slightly is a very specific kind of wrong. I go for contrast instead.
A plain white t-shirt tucked in properly, sleeves rolled, is doing most of the work in about eighty percent of my outfits featuring one of these. For evening, a simple black top and gold jewellery turns it into something you’d wear to dinner, not a festival. Cream knits work too, especially with the darker navy shades, there’s a whole quiet luxury thing that happens there without you trying.
Where they earn their keep is anywhere between smart and relaxed. A long lunch, a wedding where you’re not sure how dressed up to go, a work event that’s technically after hours but you still have to be professional at nine the next morning. They’re forgiving on a body in a way that a lot of skirts aren’t, they don’t need much done to look finished. What they do need is the right shoe. Flat sandals for day, a heel for evening, trainers if you’re brave, but never anything too structured or it starts fighting the softness of the skirt rather than working with it.
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