By Saskia Kemsley
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Despite the overwhelming rise of microtrends, designers and sartorial enthusiasts across the board seem to be developing a desire to sport seasonal uniforms.
Much like the heads of fashion houses such as Jonathan Anderson or Miuccia Prada, who are rarely, if ever, seen wearing anything other than their respective go-to ensembles (jeans, trainers and a jumper for Anderson; a midi skirt or dress with a cashmere knit for Prada), the fashion set are sticking to tried-and-tested formulas and capsule collections filled with premium clothing.
Joan Didion’s 1979 packing list from The White Album illustrates this perfectly.
In it, she curates a simple selection of essentials – including underwear, cigarettes, bourbon, legal pads and pens, naturally. Clothing-wise, however, the inherently stylish writer simply packs two skirts, two jerseys or leotards, one pullover sweater, two pairs of shoes, and some stockings. It really can be that easy.
The meteoric rise of brands like Sandy Liang, Après Studios and Damson Madder, who have become known for their versatile and demure schoolgirl-inspired aesthetics, builds on this point. In rejection of the lightning-fast and endlessly repetitive trend cycle, the most stylish of society are busy cutting down on surplus, one-and-done clothing items, while building up heritage sartorial collections that’ll last for years to come.
Gone are the days of shaming outfit repeaters – now, they’re being praised.
Emma Chamberlain is another figure who serves as a brilliant inspiration in this regard. In a recent YouTube video, the social media star addressed her previous obsession with overconsumption as she rid her wardrobe of any non-essentials – donating 90 per cent of it to charity and sticking to perennially stylish capsule pieces instead – namely, well-tailored trousers and pleated midi and maxi skirts.
This return to school uniform chic takes the stress out of deciding what to wear daily, and ensures we buy less and wear more. One such uniform staple – in the UK at least – is a pleated, tartan skirt. Sure, we dreaded having to wear them as kids, but as adults we can appreciate their textual, versatile and endlessly stylish nature. And at New York Fashion Week, the streets were filled with one particular style from COS.
With capsule collections on the rise, it was only a matter of time before we saw tartan skirts of varying lengths and colourways gracing the streets and catwalks for the autumn/winter fashion week season.
Below, I’ve curated a selection of the best checked and tartan maxi skirts on the market to imbue your seasonal wardrobe with endless versatility.
