There’s something about longline denim skirts that street stylers and designers just can’t get enough of. Yes, both itty-bitty shorts and super-long skirts are trending simultaneously. Take that Hemline Index.

The reign of the denim midi-to-maxi skirt began during the Spring 2023 season with designers like Burberry, Balenciaga, MM6 Maison Margiela, GCDS and Masha Popova showing various iterations of the style. Some über high waisted, some distressed, some ruffled, some genderless. The trend was solidified on the Fall 2023 runways (of Alessandra Rich, Victoria Beckham, Nina Ricci, Rick Owens, Stella McCartney, Rokh, Y/Project and Coach to name a few) and outside the Spring 2024 shows where guests donned chic, formfitting, often floor-grazing styles.

Perhaps we’ve the general Y2K resurgence to thank. Lord knows every 90s and early aughts kid has the image of a denim-clad Britney Spears or Jennifer Aniston permanently etched in their brain. Or maybe knee- and maxi-length jean skirts re-entered the fashion zeitgeist by way of the #Westerncore trend, which is all about dismantling classic Western tropes. Rebranding toxic male Americana. Making a statement through cowboy boots, big-buckled belts, fringed accents, prairie dresses, denim shirts and skirting.

Or it could be the simple fact that calf- and ankle-grazing denim skirts elongate the body and cut a dramatic silhouette thanks to the material’s rigidity. And, like their close cousin the classic jean, they’re easy to style with just about everything, but far more dynamic, elegant and polished, far less “expected” than the aforementioned pant.

Most likely it’s all of the above.

So, what to wear with your new favorite jean substitute? Up top, any crisp button-down, slouchy knit, well-cut white tee or matching denim jacket will do. As for footwear, take your pick. Loafers, ballet flats, knee-high boots, sneakers with ankle socks — all will have you looking put-together yet laissez-faire.