How to Wear a Slit Skirt

A few years ago Angelina Jolie flashed her leg at the Oscars in her remarkable red carpet gown and dresses with slits became immediately trendy with shoppers who wanted to show some skin.
The truth is that slit dresses and skirts are a classic, especially for formal looks. While the thigh-high slits may resonate on the red carpet, in real life you can get lots of bang for your fashion buck by trying a small slit.
Not only are slits sexy, they are flattering: older women can wear slits to carry off longer skirts and dresses without looking matronly. And shorter women can use the strong vertical element of the slit to make themselves look taller and leaner.
The trick to wearing a slit is to make sure you are showing off only what you want to show off (the last thing you want is a wardrobe malfunction.)
Here's how to wear a slit dress:

• Leave thigh-high slits to the celebrities. All you really need to do is suggest a little skin, not expose it all. It's the idea of the slit that makes it sexy -- just a small slit (like on Paz Vega's dress, pictured) can be a sexy style addition.
• Check your Spanx. The last thing you want to show when you sit down is the leg of your foundation wear, so make sure that any body-shaping gear is well out of range of the slit.
• Wear hose or tights. If you're not comfortable going bare with a slit, don't shy away from hosiery — especially sheer black pantyhose which are chic again — to give you a bit more coverage than bare legs.
• Go long. Love the look of long skirts and dresses but don't love the fact that all that fabric makes you look bulky? Try a longer silhouette with a slit for a simple fashion fix.
• Stitch it up. A too-high slit is an easy fix; simply stitch it up a bit for more coverage.
• Go easy on the rest of the look. Things can easily get out of hand when you add a voluminous top, bulky accessories, elaborate lace-up shoes or any other distracting fashion. Let the slit take center stage and tone down the rest of your look. A simple top and jewelry that doesn't distract work (the slit is the statement here.)
• You don't need perfect legs. Since you won't (hopefully) thrust your entire leg out of your dresses with slits (like Angelina Jolie does), only a bit of leg will peek out until you sit down, and even then you can cross your legs so the slit is on the bottom and less leg shows. This is one time when bronzer and spot-on sleekness count because you may be showing lots of leg.
• Go with heels. Honestly? What doesn't look better than a bit of height. A higher heel will make your legs look longer with the slit. Ankle details (ankle boots, wrap ankle) also work really well with the slit and add to the look.
• Don't take it to work. Unless it's a really small/modest slit, this is one look (like sheer tops or too-short skirts) that's best worn during your time off. If you do dare the slit skirt for work (and honesty, it's a great look for a pencil skirt) pair it with a very conservative top to balance the sexiness.