The perfect skirt

I've found my ideal garment - but will my consumer conscience let me buy it in another colour?

I’ve got this skirt in three colours – and it’s taken every tiny crumb of self-discipline I possess not to buy it in a fourth one. Black.

What’s so great about it? It’s a classic swingy bias-cut midi by Ghost, in the heavy viscose which is their signature – along with that bias cut.

Those are the twin motifs of the brand and the reason for its continuing cult status. Put together they create garments which are uniquely flattering, with a very special femininity – and also supremely comfortable.

They have elasticated waists.

Quite literally, what’s not to love?

The first skirt I bought is the most marvellous kingfisher blue, a colour I don’t own a single other garment in, yet it seemed to go immediately with everything I already own.

And along with working as a look with other bits of clothing, this skirt has a very particular quality (as well as the elasticated waist). It feels romantic.

As someone who normally wears almost exclusively what in previous eras would have been considered men’s clothing – jeans, chinos, combat pants, trouser suits – it feels so nice to have slinky fabric swishing around my upper ankles.

It’s just lovely to wear.

So I bought the kingfisher, loved it, then bought the charcoal, which is the absolutely perfect silvery dark grey.

It looks wonderful with navy and black, which is fortunate, because most of my clothes are those colours, but it also works with shocking pink, which is my other of my feature shade.

I have worn it practically every day since I bought it.

I love it with sandals and with feature trainers and I know it’s also going to look absolutely tip top with my chunky Chelsea boots, once it gets colder and wetter around these parts. I’m going to work it back with a cowboy too. I’m really feeling that.

Which is how I justified buying it again in navy.

It just seemed a no brainer. As about 60% of my wardrobe is ‘soft black’, as I think of it, the Ghost skirt in navy would make it possible for me to get dressed in the dark and still look put together.

So I bought it.

I wasn’t sure when it arrived, as it’s from the autumn/winter collection and in a slightly heavier weight of viscose and a bit shiny.

I nearly took it back, until there was an oddly chilly day and after trying it on again to see if I liked it, I accidentally left it on and felt like one of the Bronte sisters (I spent all day up in the garret where I do the fiction writing), but warm.

Off came the tags. It’s a keeper. Now I wear that one practically every day.

So you can see why I’m starting to itch to get it in black.

What’s stopping me? The knowledge that the most new garments any of us can buy in a year without significantly contributing to the destruction of the planet is six.

With those three skirts, two pairs of pants and a blazer, I’ve had my six. Actually seven if you count a practical waterproof parka-thing I really, practically needed and I suppose you do have to count that.

I’ve thought about dying the kingfisher one black, but then when next spring comes around I’ll feel sad that I only have drab old black, navy and grey. I’ll long for a pop of colour.

Because I really do think I’ll still be wearing them on an almost daily basis then. Already, after just three months of wafting around in these skirts, I really can’t bear the thought of putting trousers on again.

So I’m going to keep looking on Vinted and eBay and hope one comes up.

But, on the other hand, as I really don’t buy many new clothes and I keep what I have for literally decades – perhaps I could allow myself to by one more new garment?

My and my conscience need to think this over. What would you do?