If you need any more proof that fashion moves fast, just look at the high-low skirt trend. It probably doesn't take scrolling too far on your Facebook timeline to discover that you, too, once favored a hemline that let you show off the front of your legs, while the back was swaddled in a fishtail of fabric. And then, the style kind of disappeared. Recent renditions have veered toward subtle, circular shapes, or all the way into completely weird territory, and last night we saw a whole new cousin of the mullet-skirt: the half-moon hem.
The Stella McCartney dress seen on Ruth Wilson (one Mrs. Alison Lockhart, for fans of The Affair) looked completely different when viewed at different angles. Instead of the 2011-festivalgoer’s high-low hem that usually came in a fabric so light it flew about as you swayed to Arcade Fire, this thigh- (and heel-) grazing design has a clean, fuss-free arch. In addition, while most mullet dresses are innately party in the front, gala in the back, this frock's two-tone, faux-sweetheart neckline created a vibe that was more like 9-to-5 on top and 5-to-9 below. It's multifunctional to say the least.
If you've had trouble accepting that dramatically uneven hemlines are now somewhat passé, this understated, curved version makes them once again okay — adult, even. We can all dress another day without committing to either short or long.