“You must be joking with that skirt! Does she think she’s leaving the house like that?”
That or a very similarly themed exclamation can often be heard from my mum whenever I try to discreetly leave the house, and even this skirt in question ended very respectably at my knee. Given my muslim background my poor mum is still coming to terms with my unconventional fashion sense and has spent most of my post-pubescent years trying to convince me that long skirts can be cool.
These days she watches me leave the house with a smug smile on her face since I discovered the power of the midi skirt thanks to our Tanzanian brand Chichia London. It seems I’m not the only one ditching my short-shorts for longer dresses and skirts. Leandra Medine, aka The Man Repeller, recently wrote a blog post asking “Are Legs Out?”, while the summer’s best style moments were filled with a midi-length glamour that will continue well into autumn.
This is deeper than fashion trends however. Having recently turned 26 it feels like with the acquisition of a whole new age group tick box, my style is also going through it’s own coming of age as we try to build the careers and relationships of our future. Looking ‘office appropriate’ can quickly descend into a dull swathe of navy and black skirt suits however so Chichia’s colourful midi skirts keep everything from getting too serious- and the ‘Mzuka’ one even has sneaky slit on the side to keep things playful out of office hours.
Kiran and I have been embracing this look everywhere from lazy days in the park with sneakers or after work dinners with friends at a chic West End restaurant in simple heels. Our mother’s have been so pleased we haven’t had the heart to show them the snaps of our trip to Ghana where it was so hot short shorts were basically a health requirement, besides which you just can't do the azonto in a midi. While we haven’t given them up completely, we certainly have more time for longer lengths. Let’s just give thanks for Facebook’s parent friendly limited sharing settings!
By Alae Ismail, Co-Founder SBA