I've never been much of a dress girl. A skirt, yes, but a dress always looks slightly wrong on me, and maxi length dresses have a tendency to drag on the floor because of my 5'4" height. This season it seems as if I'm not alone, as skirts have somewhat quietly taken over - but don't just take my word for it. A quick scroll on your Instagram feed, and you'll see that the most interesting outfits are currently being built around a great skirt, be it the capacious bubble hems from Simone Rocha or M&S, a classic AGOLDE denim skirt, or Olivia Dean's polka dot midi.
Uniqlo has taken notes with its latest offering, the Seersucker Volume Skirt, £34.90. The skirt is designed with a voluminous cut that could be mistaken for a bubble-hemmed midi, but is more flattering thanks to its fitted seam at the waist. Plus, as with most of Uniqlo's designs, practicality comes before anything, and the skirt is finished with two hidden side pockets - they don't ruin the look, and are big enough to fit a card holder in.
Uniqlo www.uniqlo.com
The first of the two colours is this blue gingham, which is perfect for styling with light neutrals, like whites, creams and the colour of the moment, butter yellow. The dress also features a fitted waist and pockets (!).
Styling a printed skirt is simpler than it's often made out to be. Since the pattern is the focal point, you can keep the rest of your outfit minimal - think a plain t-shirt or tank top. For the blue gingham, lean into its preppy feel by styling with a lightweight cardigan, a pair of chunky leather loafers and white socks. The black print is arguably even more versatile, whether you're planning on wearing it with a basic white tank top and fisherman sandals (COS has a great pair), or with the matching Seersucker Volume Blouse for a full gingham-on-gingham look.
Uniqlo www.uniqlo.com
The black iteration of Uniqlo's skirt is likely to not be in stock for much longer - it's selling out, and fast. If you do manage to get your hands on it, however, style with a thin sweater vest, white t-shirt and Havaianas flip flops.
At the end of last summer we watched gingham make its shift from primary school dresses to something more modern and grown-up. Brands like Ganni, with its Seersucker dress, and DÔEN, with its and Ischia and Mallory dresses, both experienced immediate sell-out successes with checked designs, and proves there's a real appetite for the print. It's no surprise then, that Uniqlo's seersucker skirt is heading the same way - so shop now, before it sells out too.
Shop: The Matching Gingham Blouses
Uniqlo www.uniqlo.com
To go with your gingham skirt, Uniqlo also has a matching blouse. Wear the full monochrome gingham outfit with a rattan bag and chunky sandals.
Uniqlo www.uniqlo.com
Of course, the blouse also comes in a blue to match the navy skirt too.
Main image credit: Instagram/@lau.maree
Gemma Lavers is a fashion commerce writer at Grazia, where she tracks down viral pieces and is as comfortable navigating the M&S new-in page as she is dissecting the latest celebrity look - yes, she can tell you exactly where a specific coat is from. When not writing, shopping or scrolling Instagram (find hers here), Gemma will likely be dreaming up her next holiday (and what she's going to wear).