The pencil skirt boom occurred in the early 80s, when women, wanting to show their strength in a male-dominated business world, began to wear clothes inspired by men's suits (so-called Power Dressing), yet still emphasizing the assets of the female silhouette. Examples here include skirt suits consisting of a blazer and a fitted skirt or the still fashionable women's suits worn with high heels. In this post, we will show you how to wear a pencil skirt!
Which silhouettes will look best in pencil skirts?
A pencil skirt looks excellent on silhouettes with a defined waist, long legs, and curvy hips and buttocks. Of course, it can also be chosen by plus-size figures, which just as often have a beautifully defined waist and curvy hips. Figures with narrow hips and no strongly defined waist should become friends with tailored blazers, which add a bit of volume around the hips and also great for building the waistline. Combining a tight pencil skirt with a blazer effectively distracts from boyish body shapes and will certainly add chic and class.
How to choose the perfect pencil skirt?
Certainly, before buying, we must think about how to wear a pencil skirt and which skirt will suit our lifestyle. Should it be a typically business option in a muted color (black, gray, brown, bottle green, burgundy, dark purple, navy blue) made of an elegant smooth fabric, or perhaps a more casual skirt made of elastic knit with a pattern (e.g., floral/geometric), with which you can even wear sneakers. Currently, in stores, you will find many pencil skirts made of natural leather or its imitation. They are a feminine and modern twist on elegance in a modern edition - they will match both a white shirt and a printed t-shirt. When trying on a pencil skirt, pay attention to whether it fits well at the waist (if not, I recommend using tailoring alterations that will perfectly adjust the garment to your silhouette), and whether the material from which the skirt was sewn is not too thin, otherwise, your underwear and flaws that we would rather hide will be visible to the naked eye… Choosing a thicker pencil skirt material will not only make the styling look aesthetic but also extend the durability of the clothing. Thin materials deteriorate much faster. The ideal pencil skirt should reach slightly below the knee and have a slit at the back to facilitate efficient movement; an additional advantage will certainly be a wide waistband, beautifully exposing this slim area and hiding the belly. Narrow waistbands are usually used in lower-quality skirts; moreover, they are very impractical because they can roll up when sitting and moving.
How to wear a pencil skirt so it looks stylish?
A skirt, just like our t-shirts, is a great wardrobe staple from which you can conjure up plenty of outfits in various styles and degrees of formality. If your work requires elegant, business attire, pair a pencil skirt (e.g., in black) with a white shirt, black high heels, and a fine houndstooth blazer, adding a touch of nonchalance to the styling. Under shirts, I recommend wearing an ANSIN invisible undershirt so that nothing undesirable shows through. You can also wear a pencil skirt in a semi-formal style (Smart Casual) by putting on, for example, a basic white MISS SIMPLE top, a denim jacket, and white sneakers. A non-obvious combination will be a striped pencil skirt and a polka-dot shirt, i.e., a mix of patterns while maintaining the classic cut of the clothing.
As you can see, it is a seemingly simple classic item, yet it offers so many possibilities. I hope I have helped you understand what the phenomenon of the timeless pencil skirt is all about, which is definitely worth having in your wardrobe. I also hope that you now know the answer to the questions: pencil skirt for what figure. Let me know in the comments what you most often wear pencil skirts with; I am curious about your solutions and ideas. We invite you to read our other post, in which we reveal the recipe for stylish minimalism.
Anna Ochman Stylist
