The Red Skirt Trend Might Overthrow White This Summer

I am, and always have been, a big skirt person. Dresses and skirts make up a huge percentage of my wardrobe, though it’s the latter that I find to be the most versatile, especially at the start of the new season. With spring finally upon us, I’ve made it my mission to work said skirts back into my daily looks—sorry, straight-leg jeans, we had a good run. I had anticipated my white skirts would be the first I’d want to reach for but, to even my surprise, that wasn’t the hue I was instinctively keen to wear. Enter red skirts.

Admittedly I don’t yet own a red skirt—another thing you should know about my wardrobe is that it’s a very neutral place—but a seed was planted when I saw Kendall Jenner wearing a chic red knee-length skirt earlier this month. Styling hers with black loafers, white ankle socks, a roomy navy knit and a Ralph Lauren baseball cap complete with matching red monogramming, this look instantly found a permanent spot in my mental outfit rolodex.

Suddenly, it was like a switch had been flipped in my head, and I started noticing red skirt outfits everywhere I looked. From the streets of San Jose, but also right at home in London, the rate at which fashion people are wearing red skirts right now is unprecedented—so much so, I’m pulling the “trend” card.

While Jenner’s skirt is made from a structured cotton, I’ve seen red skirts in a slew of different fabrics. From rich-looking satin, as seen on my New York-based colleague Eliza Huber, to lightweight linen iterations that will transition well into summer, there’s a plethora of options out there for you to choose from.

Although far from “out there” or daunting to imagine wearing, there’s something to be said about the statement that a red skirt makes. Pulling one on in place of black, beige or white looks like a very considered choice and makes it look like you’ve put real effort into assuming your outfit when it’s pretty simple to make a red skirt work. Although it naturally pairs well with a classic palette, I also find that red loans itself well to shades of blue, pale yellow, pink and some greens. My only tip would be to avoid anything forest-hued to stop the look from becoming too, what’s the word? Festive.