Before I get started on this season’s infatuation with dirndl skirts, there’s something you should know: this isn’t a style phenomenon that was designed with you or me in mind. Well, unless, of course, you happen to be Alexa Chung — in which case, welcome! Do you fancy going for a drink some time? I’ll bang on about how lovely you looked in that Christopher Kane dress last season and you can give me a number for Alex Turner.
But back to dirndls … The trouble with this skirt style which, by the way, is a circular creation, gathered at the waist and cut to fall somewhere between your knees and the middle of your shin bone, is that it’s difficult — okay, borderline impossible — to successfully adopt into your wardrobe unless you have a washboard tummy and the body of Alexa Chung. Grossly unforgiving on curvaceous silhouettes and on anyone whose height measurement falls short of five foot seven, the dirndl should, like many a flash-in-the-pan fashion trend, be approached with a generous helping of courage and a canny ability to throw caution to the wind.
Of course, provided you have time to experiment with this look — I’d suggest you put four or five hours aside — a dirndl or circular skirt can look stunning. As perfectly demonstrated by Scottish designer Jonathan Saunders, who put the style back on the fashion map with all the grace of a synchronised swimmer during his last spring/summer show, a dirndl looks best layered with a slouchy blazer and loose-cut t-shirt.
Inspired by Saunders, skirts in variations of this style are available right across the high street this summer. Hobbs has a beautifully printed scarlet pink style that bears more than a passing resemblance to the ones Saunders unveiled on the catwalk, while Jaeger and French Connection are also offering their own take on this trend.
But how to make the dirndl work for you? It is imperative that you opt for a skirt that sits above your waistline — wear one any lower and it will exaggerate your hips. A gravity-defying shoe style is also essential — opt for open-toe sandals where possible. Teaming your skirt with a simple silk t-shirt is a safe option. Just be sure to choose a style that can be tucked into your skirt in order to accentuate the waistline.
And if that all fails, think: “What would Alexa do?”
She is, it seems, our only hope.
