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Your Stylist: Slipping into a long skirt this spring

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Image stylist and market editor Melissa Magsaysay soothes your sartorial woes in the weekly Your Stylist post.

Unless you’re following the Gwyneth Paltrow dressing plan of ‘the more leg the better,’ spring’s big trend in long, almost-floor-grazing skirts might just appeal to you.

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True, it’s yet another trend that could drown those of us under 5-feet-5, and so far every long skirt I’ve seen worn has been on a runway model (Michael Kors did the long, lithe casual version, while at Jil Sander it was more crisp and polished) on whom the skirt drapes and pools so elegantly and perfectly I want to cry. But by taking into consideration your proportions and pairing the skirt with the right top and shoes, you can certainly carry it off without looking like you were attacked and rolled up in a bolt of discount fabric.

I love the everyday casual look of wearing one of these skirts with a white T-shirt or white men’s button down, tucked in, maybe with the sleeves slightly scrunched up. Ballet flats, simple flat sandals or even a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors looks adorable peeking out from the hem. If you don’t want to tuck in your shirt, then leave it loose and hanging out, but think about winding a thin leather belt around your midsection to define the waist and create some shape, especially if you’re on the shorter side.

If you’re going for a dressier look and want to wear heels, make sure the skirt isn’t long to the floor, but rather more of a tea length (in the front) at least, like the beautiful smoky gray version from Club Monaco. The way long skirts were presented at the Jil Sander spring 2011 show is also a perfect example of how to take the look into nighttime. The skirts here were more structured and came in a palette of happy, vivid colors. A crisp white T-shirt tucked in and the right statement accessories make for a modern, chic and unexpected evening look.

On the other end of the spectrum, long skirts can certainly bring out your inner grunge girl, by pairing a neutral-colored skirt in a gray or black with flat lace-up boots, a slouchy shirt and a draped tissue-thin scarf.

The length of these skirts may seem a bit daunting to try and wear, but because the colors, fabrics and silhouette are so simple and elegant, think of pairing more casual and minimal pieces with them, so you’re not engulfed in fabric. And hey, long may be a new concept for us for spring (especially in L.A, save for the cotton jersey maxi dresses so many women love) but they sure beat booty shorts.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Top photos: Left, a look from Michael Kors’ spring 2011 runway show (credit: Yannis Vlamos); right, a look from the Jil Sander spring 2011 runway show (credit: Monica Feudi).

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Upper left photo: Club Monaco ‘Joan’ skirt in gray, $149 at Club Monaco stores. Credit: Club Monaco

Upper right: Club Monaco ‘Hellas’ skirt in white, $395 at Club Monaco stores. Credit: Club Monaco

Lower left: Top Shop long, polka-dot skirt, $60 at www.topshop.com

Lower right: J. Crew sequin skirt from spring 2011. Credit: J. Crew

Send your style queries to melissa.magsaysay@latimes.com

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