Yay or Nay: Leather Pencil Skirts

A while back I got an email from a reader, answered their question, and promptly forgot to post it on my blog (hey, at least I answered them, right?). Anyways, the question was about leather pencil skirts - trashy or potentially classy, with the right outfit? Or are they forever relegated to Halloween costumes and dominatrix apparel?

Now, any piece of leather clothing that is not a jacket can be tricky to wear - there is fine line between looking sleek and sexy and looking well, cheap. First of all, "fitted but not overly tight" should be your mantra; besides the fact that ultra-tight clothing flatters almost no one, you need to be able to walk in your skirt! Second, let the skirt be your va-va-voom eye-catching piece and keep the rest of your outfit on the tailored side. Crisp button downs, simple turtle-necks, and even basic tees all work.


Third, this is not the time to go for the mini - keeping it around knee-length is much more elegant. Last but not least, rich neutrals and jewel tones are easier to pull off than black or brights, so think chocolate, cognac, and burgundy, perhaps with interesting details like an embossed crocodile print.

Shop for this leather pencil shirt and more with Shopzilla.