Three Cute Ways to Style a Maxi Skirt

by Jennifer van Leeuwen

I’m a fan of modesty, don’t get me wrong. But there’s something about the typical, traditional modest attire that makes me run for the hills. Maybe its because I grew up wearing frumpy, dowdy, baggy clothes in the name of modesty and now look back on photos of my teen years and see only “doesn’t know how to dress” instead of “is dressing with delightful modesty.” I don’t like frumpy.

For that reason, I am intensely particular about my skirts. I do love the comfort of a denim skirt, and adore the ease of my khaki knee-length skirt, but I unwisely wore too many flowery long skirts back in the day and abhor even the token hint of “dowdy” in a skirt.

So, when I saw the first striped maxi skirt of the season at Kohls, I jumped for joy. (Almost literally. The salesperson around the corner didn’t see me. Promise.) This is a style of skirt I can wear.

I found my budget-friendly maxi skirt at TJMaxx and have chosen to style it three ways (so far) for three different occasions — highlighting the versatility of this one skirt, while also honoring its delightful comfort and complete wearable ease.

By pairing the maxi skirt with wedge heels and a structured jacket, I created a look suitable for a client meeting (I am photographer; pant suit not required) or attending a casual wedding. By adding the scarf, I combined colors and textures and pulled together my multiple shades of coral into one cohesive look.

It’s amazing how much the “vibe” of an outfit changes by simply removing the jacket. By keeping the heels and the scarf, I am still a notch above “casual”, but I’m not overdone. Because it is a t-shirt, though, it’s still very functional and delightfully comfortable.

Changing the look completely, I switched to a contrasting color t-shirt, kept the layers, enjoyed my flats, and included jewelry. I’m ready for a family gathering, a community barbecue, or a normal, boring weekday where I want to look cute and feel comfortable.

The delightful reality of a maxi skirt lies in its cotton-cozy-comfort and its easy-to-wear versatility. With one skirt, I am ready to face a variety of social obligations with stylish ease. And sit-in-the-grass comfort.

Jennifer is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a photographer, a storyteller, an adventurer, and (most recently) a patriotic American learning to love her new home in Canadaland.