Knit Skirts for Winter

Knit Skirts for Winter

Knit skirts in grey, cream, camel and black, the sweaters and cardigans to wear on top, and the boots and ballet flats that suit them.

A knit skirt feels like wearing a sweater on your legs, which is exactly what I want when it is cold. It moves with you, it does not crease, and it looks far more put together than it feels.

The two things to get right are weight and length. A thin knit clings, so I look for something with enough body to skim rather than stick. A midi or maxi length looks the most elegant and works with boots.

St. Agni's pointelle skirt in grey marle, at $159, is the cheapest and a pretty flared shape. Haight's ribbed Ivana maxi is $270, and Allude's drawstring wool and cashmere midi in charcoal is $420. Toteme's crinkled knit in black is $560. For something special, Khaite's cable-knit Ziva is $2,200 and Nili Lotan's Nika in ivory is $1,190.

Proenza Schouler White Label's Magnolia cable knit is $550 and Le Kasha's Sunnie in camel pointelle is $790. Check the waistband before you buy. A wide ribbed band or a drawstring holds the skirt in place and sits flat under a sweater, while a thin elastic can roll and show through.

Mood grid of folded knits, knit skirts on models, brown boots, a ballet flat and a snowy Paris street
A sweater, but make it a skirt.

Knit skirts

The easiest way to wear a knit skirt is with a knit on top, in the same colour or one shade apart. Cream with cream, grey with grey or camel over black all look calm and considered.

Nili Lotan's Ezren in ivory, at $790, is a cable knit that matches the Nika skirt beautifully. St. Agni's cashmere sweater in grey marle is $599 and Nili Lotan's Julius in grey melange is $690. Khaite's Sabina in black, at $1,280, is the one I would wear with the Toteme skirt.

Cardigans are softer. Khaite's Tansy in sand is $1,680 and St. Agni's wool cardigan in taupe melange is $399. For colour, Extreme Cashmere's Please turtleneck in camel is $750, and Joseph's Lily in a deep brown is $945.

Keep the top a little shorter or tucked so the skirt still has a waist. A long, loose sweater over a long knit skirt can swamp you, so I either tuck in the front or choose a cropped cardigan and button it up. Khaite's Tansy with the Ziva skirt is the most luxurious pairing here, and the St. Agni grey pieces are the most practical.

Sweaters and cardigans

A knit skirt needs a shoe with a bit of shape, because the fabric is so soft. Tall boots are my winter choice, especially ones that slide under the hem so no leg shows. Khaite's Nevada boot in dark brown nappa is $1,680 and the Valerie mid-calf boot in chocolate is $1,690. St. Agni's Soft Boot in black is $529.

Ankle boots work with a longer skirt. By Far's Sofia in brown suede is $490, St. Agni's Suede Ballet Boot in coffee is $319 and Nili Lotan's Joplin in black is $990.

On milder days, a ballet flat looks lovely with a midi. Mansur Gavriel's Dance Ballerina is $445 and St. Agni's Classic Ballet Flat, at $229, is the softest.

Tights make all the difference in winter. Opaque black or brown tights under a knit skirt look neat, keep you warm and let you wear ballet flats well into December. Nili Lotan's Joplin is a Chelsea boot that works with a midi or a maxi.

Boots and flats

Our honest take

If you take one thing away, let it be that a knit skirt should have enough weight to skim, not cling. We would wear it with a sweater in the same colour and a boot that meets the hem. We would skip very thin, clingy knits and short lengths, which look more like loungewear than winter clothes. St. Agni's pointelle skirt with their cardigan is an inexpensive way to try it, and Khaite's Ziva is the investment. It is the most comfortable way to look dressed up in the cold.