Mini Skirt and Knee-High Boots, Styled for Grown Women

The exposed leg between hem and boot is the whole outfit. Too little and you look encased; too much and the proportion tips young. Four to six inches of visible thigh is the range that reads deliberate on most heights.

Opaque tights close the gap entirely and are the single easiest way to make a mini work in October.

A fitted skirt and a fitted top with tall boots is a lot of body-con. Break it with an oversized knit, a relaxed graphic sweatshirt, or a longline blazer that hits just below the hem.

If knee-highs aren't in the budget, an ankle boot with the same skirt and a tall sock gets you 80 percent there. The lace-up boot is the workhorse version, and a pleated skort gives you the mini silhouette with none of the sitting-down anxiety.