on hemlines, body positivity, and the emotional power of personal style

I’ve been thinking a lot about hemlines lately.

It all started during January’s one dress challenge, when someone commented that I should cut off the bottom of the wrap dress. (In her words, “to be a total badass.”)

But I didn’t want to cut off the bottom of the dress, because the truth is there’s nothing I like better than a midi length dress (or skirt).

But ever since that comment, I’ve been trying to deconstruct why.

Then, a few weeks ago, I wore this outfit at a craft show. Chatting with a few other vendors (some who I was just meeting for the first time) I mentioned I felt weird wearing a shorter skirt, because I was much more comfortable in something a little longer. (To which one of the women replied that she thought I could go shorter still.)

All of which has me not only trying to understand why I prefer one hemline over the other but also why we still feel that the length of another’s woman’s skirt (or dress) is something worth commenting on. (And why going shorter seems to be the default empowering choice.)

First, I wanted to come to terms with whether or not my desire to wear a longer hemline has anything to do with my own body insecurities.

And the short answer is no.

Having been a runner for most of my life, I’ve never been self-conscious of my legs. (Regardless of what size I’ve been.) In fact, I spend most of the summer in short as can be running shorts. (Even when I’m not running.) I feel no shame in showing some leg, so my preference for longer skirts doesn’t come from a place of shame.

What I do think is interesting is that when we look at other women’s bodies, we tend to bring our own insecurities (or subsequent overcoming of insecurities) to them.

I know for many women who have felt uncomfortable showing their legs, shortening their hemlines is a way of reclaiming body parts they’ve previously felt shame around.

For me, a dress like this is actually a much bigger step forward in my own body positivity journey. Most (dare I say almost all) of my own personal body insecurities are tied up in the fact that I tend to carry my weight in my midsection. So wearing a dress that is fitted through the middle is a much bigger step for me than any short skirt would ever be.

So if my preference for longer skirts isn’t about body shame, then is it simply about aesthetics?

Do I just prefer the way longer skirts and dresses look?

I would say that’s partly true, driven mostly by my love of (obsession with) classic Hollywood style. Anytime I wear a skirt that brushes past my knee, I find it easier to imagine I’m in one of my favorite old movies. (Like my holiday favorite White Christmas or my childhood favorite and recently rekindled love for the original Parent Trap.)

But yet, in unpacking my love of longer hemlines, I couldn’t help feeling there was more to the story than simple aesthetics.

And then the other night, while trying on a few dresses I had ordered online, I had a realization.

Shorter skirts and dresses make me feel juvenile.

Now, I want to be clear here. I don’t think short dresses or skirts make other women look juvenile. (And I’m not judging any woman for their preferred skirt length.) Rather, this is about how they personally make me feel when I’m wearing them.

My best guess as to why they make me feel this way is that I was a 90s teen. I came of age to a healthy fashion diet of plaid mini skirts and baby doll dresses.

And just like putting on a midi skirt transports me to a mental state of classic Hollywood, putting on a short dress transports me back to my younger self.

And while some would say that it’s important to reconnect with your younger self, as an artist, I have no problems embracing my inner child. Play is an important part of my creative process.

But in my personal style, I’m much more interested in accessing the woman that a slightly longer skirt brings out. (That woman is much more likely to vamp for the camera while also channeling her inner badass.)

Because that’s ultimately what I love about clothes. (And jewelry.) What we wear has this incredible power to transport us to a different emotional place.

So while it’s important to examine our clothing preferences to make sure they aren’t influenced by cultural biases brought on by years of negative marketing messages, it’s also important to remember that style preferences are deeply personal, and not everyone responds to the same clothes in the same ways.

So while some women may need shorter skirts to unlock their own power, I’ll be over here peacocking it up in every midi length skirt and dress I can get my hands on. (And challenging myself to wear more dresses that are fitted through the waist.)