Get your heritage check midi skirt before Traitors starts - these are the 7 on trend skirts to know, from £28

For years, a heritage check skirt largely meant one thing: a kilt. This autumn, while the kilt is still very much present (I mean, it wouldn't be autumn without Claudia Winkleman stomping around The Traitors in one), heritage checks have broken free from traditional pleats and been spun into the sleek, modern skirt shapes we're already wearing.

To prove my point, this edit of seven skirts doesn't feature a single kilt. Instead, there's a sleek A-line midi at Boden, a fluid slip skirt at Levi's, an elegantly draped asymmetric style at Next, silky and ruched designs at M&S, and even a relaxed corduroy version from Seasalt Cornwall.

The heritage prints, think tartan, Prince of Wales, windowpane and dogtooth, remain unmistakably classic. The silhouettes, though, are fresh, modern and, above all, require almost zero effort to work into your existing wardrobe.

So whether your style leans classic or minimalist, polished or sporty, feminine or boyish, there really is a checked skirt that will slot seamlessly into your look.

Styling one couldn't be simpler, either. Wear one now with a T-shirt and loafers. Even a cinch-waist utility jacket will work. Later, swap in a Henley or a fluffy knit, a cropped jacket or blazer. Then add knee-high boots, surely the natural marriage partner to a checked skirt, and you've got one of autumn's chicest outfits.

That's all you have to do because the heritage check, whether you choose green, grey, burgundy or a multicoloured plaid, does all the fashion talking for you.

This season's crop of skirts is one of the strongest I've seen in years. If you buy just one thing to refresh your entire autumn wardrobe, I honestly don't think you could go wrong with any one of these.