How to get the look: New-season skirts

This implausibly named Birmingham skirt is definitely a mini

Blimey, looks a bit scanty.

This implausibly named "Birmingham" skirt is definitely a mini (£304, my-wardrobe.com, above), as you'd expect from Vanessa Bruno, who makes luxe boho threads for Parisiennes and has almost definitely never been to the Midlands. But don't be fooled by the delicate lace trim, it's a substantial piece, which is partly why it's a great late-summer investment.

And what's so new season?

A touch of Victoriana, plus the inky navy/black contrast. Right now it's lightweight enough to look summery with bare legs, but it will be great with a knit and black opaques come autumn.

Ah, can't wait to get back into my 1,000-denier tights.

Yup, we feel you. Although you'll need to keep your pins in reasonable condition because there are a lot of stand-out skirts around. Think eye-catching prints, imposing, textured fabric and lots of draping, splits and hemline action.

How about something a little less mini in cut and a lot less maxi in price?

Asos Premium has a black midi skirt with embroidered hem that's a flattering A-line in heavy cotton twill. It looks pleasingly folkloric and is strong enough to be the mainstay of either a daytime or night-time outfit (£60, asos.com).