As any fashion journalist will tell you, the most significant style moment of Milan Fashion Week does not take place on the catwalk. Rather, it occurs during Miuccia Prada’s post-show bow, as the crowd pores over every detail of her outfit. More often than not, Mrs P wears a sturdy, midi-length kilt or a voluminous partly pleated skirt, offset with kittenish sandals. It’s a look that manages to be austere and playful, old-school and avant garde, and has been subtly influential for years.
I’ve absorbed a bit of it myself. Last autumn, I bought a severe black kilt that grazed my ankles (it’s vintage; I suspect it might once have been part of a hockey kit) which I wore for months with socks and sandals. And because kilts defy ephemeral seasonal trends, I intend to wear it next autumn, too. That’s the brilliant thing about them. Though kilts have had their moments over the years – see the punk movement, Guns N’ Roses and Clueless – it’s been a while since they were so ubiquitous as to become either trendy or passé.
The closest kilts come to cool are those by Scottish designer Samantha McCoach, whose label Le Kilt, set up in 2013, produces sleek designs with a 1980s edge using traditional fabrics. But a kilt can be whatever you want it to be: long or short, sexy or modest; it can mean double PE or mosh pit. It can have a hint of the school uniform about it – a stiff grey fabric and opaque tights, à la Hermione Granger – or can be all vivid colours and chrome hardware, as envisioned by Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.
I think kilts work best when they are simple and understated – particularly a traditional design with safety pins and buckles. The muted pattern here is about as jazzy as my tartan threshold gets. I would go fuss-free on top, too – a sleeveless rollneck is perfect; a slim-fit black cashmere jumper and sheer black tights would be cosy in winter. And there you have it: a skirt that unites Cher Horowitz and Miuccia Prada. A quirky fashion classic.
Hannah wears polo, £110, by Theory. from selfridges.com. Kilt, £128, scotlandshop.com. Shoes, £50, asos.com
Styling: Melanie Wilkinson. Hair and makeup: Laurence Close at Carol Hayes Management.
