Coat and skirt lengths - does anybody care?

[latrucha]

I, like all others, am currently hunting a winter coat. All those that I like are, to my mind, very short i.e. above a knee-length skirt length.

Now, a skirt showing underneath a coat, especially quite a mart coat, is horrid and wrong.

Am I hopelessly living in the '50s or am I absolutely right?

< Awaits definitive answer >

I think a skirt showing underneath a coat is fine, depending on how long the skirt is in proportion to the coat ie mid-thigh length coat could look funny over a maxi skirt. Apart from that sort of disproportionate situation, fine.

A coat should always be longer than the skirt/dress, unless of course the coat is a jacket in which case obviously your skirt/ dress can be longer

Maxi skirts should never be worn with a coat, only ever a jacket.

i think coat length should be about the same as skirt length or longer - it's ok to have a small amount of hem peeking out of the bottom of the coat, but not e.g. mid-length coat with a maxi - a look that shortensthe leg and looks like you just ddn't think about the outfit.

jackets can still be shorter - waist or hip length with a longer skirt - though i used to wear a fitted jacket with a maxi skirt with the specific aim of looking victorian..

I think so too. So why are all these so-called coats so short?

You would have to be wearing mini skirts for them not to show. Not prepared to at 37!

I agree with you. A skirt showing below a coat looks awful. I always end up getting long coats to cover everything but there isn't as much choice. There's a lovely Boden velvet coat I like but it would only cover a mini which I can't wear.

Look. This is just ludicrous.

Zara1

Zara 2

Zara3

But if you wear a longer coat with a shorter skirt, doesn't it look like you have no skirt on?

But they all look horrid, & the first one looks particularly revolting.

Not a problem in Aberystwyth. No one would dream of such a thing!

bleurgh

they all look horrid!

but trillion..... maybe i don't

I am shocked at Zara. That's supposed to be a place where you go to get things to make you look nice. What are they thinking?

Aside from whether a skirt should show below a coat - that first Zara outfit is minging - could see my Mum in that

I like those Zara looks.

The only thing is that if your skirt peeks out, you have to make sure it matches the coat but that's not a huge problem.

FrancesF - Now I'm shocked at you But I agree you might be able to get away with a matching peep.

Jajas - It's 'the look' I object to. Who would put those things together?

latrucha - you are absolutely right and that first Zara photo shows why. The point of a coat is that it's meant to keep you warm and dry. If you wore that first Zara coat (supposedly a raincoat) in anything more moist than a light drizzle, you would get your skirt wet. And then you would have to wear your wet clothes around once you got inside. A coat that covers your skirt would take care of that problem

I claim the definitive answer.......

(Although not sure whether that argument works with trousers )

The last Zara pic is probably the worst IMO. Chunky coat over what appears to be floaty evening dress.

And to think I've been lusting after a trip to Zara for ages now. I'll maybe not bother.

They do seem to be putting things together in odd ways; there's obviously a New Silhouette they're trying to make look edgy to exclude us mums.
I suppose teenagers don't necessarily see it as droopy and daggy - they've no memory of it first time around!

I was looking at Zara the other day, couldn't believe how bad some of their stuff is.

like this

and this

oh yes and coats should be longer than skirts, you are right.