How to get the look: The high-low hemline

The high-low hemline, eh? Well, that's sure to fox economists.

Personally, I'm a big subscriber to the theory that hemlines rise and fall with the economy – those rogue hanky hems I spotted a while back can only be explained by the double dip.

So what does the high-low mean?

That finances have now been rubbish for so long that everyone's given up on charting the post-crisis trajectory – are we up or are we down? The high-low hem means: yes, you earn a decent salary; but no, you cannot afford to buy a house.

And I thought it was just a cruel trick played on those of us with knees like Cornish pasties.

Yeah, it's a blow to those of us whose thighs seem to sit an inch lower on the leg, say, Gwyneth Paltrow's. But be positive – don't think of it as a weird, unnecessarily knee-exposing long skirt so much as a short skirt that has added back-of-thigh cellulite coverage.

Actually, that does put a rosier spin on it. What else redeems this one, aesthetically speaking?

In the case of this colour-block shift dress (£280, dkny.com, above), the hem elevates it beyond the norm – a tiny bit of drama and flounce, but sophisticated and soft. If you want to amp up that drama a little, plump for Asos's candy-floss-coloured midi scuba skirt (£35, asos.com). And sashay!