Find the skirt's actual shape
Midi describes a length, not a single silhouette. A pleated skirt, a narrow knitted skirt and a full cotton skirt can all finish below the knee while asking different things of the clothes around them. Start by noticing where the fabric has volume and whether it moves freely or stays close to the body.
Put the skirt on with the shoes you expect to wear. Its apparent length changes when the shoe covers the ankle or leaves it visible. If you are considering an alteration, do not judge the hem while barefoot and assume it will behave the same way with boots.
Give the waist a deliberate treatment
A full skirt and a loose top can look good together, but the meeting point may become unclear. Try a shorter top, a light front tuck or a jacket that ends near the waistband. These are ways to reveal a line, not obligations to make the waist look smaller.
With a narrow skirt, a roomy knit can provide contrast. Check the side view: the knit may catch at the hip rather than fall cleanly. A small adjustment to its hem can help more than tightening it with a belt. If the fabric keeps riding up, choose another layer rather than accepting a day of pulling it down.
Make room to walk
Pleats and slits need to work when you take a normal stride. Walk across the room, climb a step and sit down. A skirt that looks calm in a mirror can behave quite differently once you move. Pay particular attention to buttons, wrap fronts and any part that opens with movement.
Choose the shoe for the ground you will cover. A trainer can work with a skirt that leaves enough clearance around it; a boot can create a continuous line beneath a longer hem. Neither needs to be treated as a trick. The important thing is that the hem does not catch and that you like the visible space between the pieces.
A final layer should allow the skirt to move. A coat may sit beyond the hem, above it or somewhere in between. Try it open and closed. If two hems compete at almost the same point, changing the outer layer's length may settle the outfit without changing the skirt at all.
