The day of the Chanel haute couture show, I passed a flea market and spied a calf-length light pink corduroy skirt. I thought, that could make an interesting silhouette for spring, and promptly didn't buy. Should have, since later that day, it seems Uncle Karl had the same thought. His latest couture collection starred mid or calf-length skirts a-plenty.

The new length is a welcome break from knicker skimming long-sleeved shapes that leave you wondering what to wear when you're off to meet the queen or have tea with nana. Hemlines these past few seasons have been sneaking up around the neckline, making any sense of modesty and the ability to take stairs two at a time but a memory.

The new mid-calf skirt with cropped top silhouette that Karl showed will give you your modesty back. Harking back to the seventies, and the forties it's made for proper ladies. What's fresh about it this time around is that it combines our new love of cropped tees and tops, which you must surely have a stack of by now.

So how are you going to wear the mid-calf skirt and where can you get one?

It must be A-line, not too loose, and should fall between the knee and lower calf. It should start at your natural waist, which is quite high, then be fitted over your tummy and hips, with not too much floucne down to your calves. A thicker fabric like wool, ideally the Chanel tweed, will hold this shape superbly.

Add a cropped top, like a T-shirt, a chopped off Alexander Wang or American Apparel jersey piece, or a cropped jacket that also hits your natural waist. The A-shape of the skirt and crop of the top will give you a wasp-like middle.

Shoes are crucial. Wear with flats and you'll look like a frump. Choose a pair of wee ankle boots or fitted high boots that hug the ankle. Order the new Chanel ones if you can, and get me a pair too.

Your first stop to buy a skirt like this is eBay. I've found some for you, in grey skirt with white lace applique, tan suede, light pink corduroy, more corduroy, and worsted wool just right for winter. Place an order with Arnsdorf now for one of their mid-length skirts for spring, or wait for the chain stores to go ripping of Uncle Karl's latest style.