The Mighty Midi

By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 11, 2014 7:00PM

Like clockwork, as Chicago’s first balmy day hits, so do the mini skirts and thigh-skimming shorts. But in the sea of sun-kissed legs, there’s a chic, if not unexpected, silhouette that’s breaking the pattern.

Cue the midi: a vintage, summer-appropriate shape that reads fresh. First mainstreamed by the '50s darlings—Audrey donned her pleated, sky-blue version on the Spanish Steps in Roman Holiday—the midi’s longer length and flattering, flared shape conjure a relaxed yet ladylike appeal. It’s that piece that works as well on a bicycle as in the boardroom.

But for all its demure, below-the-knee reserve, the midi begs for something slight up top, making the case for this season’s hotter items: sporty crop tees, fitted bodysuits and sleeveless button-downs (knotted at the navel, of course). With flats or five-inchers, for work or for play, the midi continues to have its moment.

By: Claire Keys