Yes, I got swept up in maxi fever with everyone else.
I drafted a simple, elastic waist long skirt, added pockets with an inverted pleat. (Of course it was a bit harder than that, but let's forget about the hard stuff). I wanted something sort of loose and flowey but when I first tried it on I immediately thought of this,
and realized it needed a lining too. (Who else remembers the shock of lady Di with NO SLIP !) According to my extensive online research, my impulse to mask the shape of my legs is another sign of my elderly generation. Tell me readers, do you wear slips? Do you even own one?
I do love wearing this skirt, and it gets bonus points for repelling mosquitos.
I'm finding the maxi skirt trend interesting because it hit my neighborhood hard about 10 years ago when 20,000 Somalis moved to Minnesota, and the majority settled in Cedar Riverside, just two train stops away. I used to work smack-dab in the center of that East African community and I found it amazing how some women could look so seductive in clothes that covered so much up. Of course, some teenage girls wear their knit skirts as tightly as possible. But even women in looser styles look consistently pretty good in their long skirts. And they are spared the pain of trying to find pants that fit. (Of course, all the Muslim women wear opaque slips and (often even jeans) under their skirts to assure modesty.)
That was my immersion in the maxi skirt world and so it's been interesting to see it move into the mainstream where I see exactly the same things: young things looking hot in tight knits, bright prints finally getting the space they need to explode, flowy skirts on shy women like me. They look good on everyone, I think. Catherine might have the loveliest hand made collection, though.
The other huge trend among the Somali ladies is what I called the hijab head-set. That's when the cell phone is jammed tightly under the head scarf so that women can yak on the phone hands free. It makes so much sense to be able to use your hands while talking, and it doesn't look dorky like a blue tooth. Maybe this will be the trend of 2022 ?
