I’ve always been a fussy shopper and these days, I’m more mindful before adding anything new to my wardrobe. In being fussy, I’m a serial returner and will always take things home with me to try on with other pieces in my wardrobe before making a call on whether to keep it or not. It takes a bit more effort but it’s part of my decision making process.
Having worked in a corporate environment for over 10 years, I’ve worn many pencil skirts (including this grey one which is on constant rotation) – the pencil skirt is a major workhorse in my wardrobe. In the process of building my skirt collection, I’ve bought and returned many pencil skirts, only keeping a handful that have satisfied my pencil skirt criteria!
The checklist
With time, I’ve finessed my checklist and I’ve narrowed it down to these 5 elements that I look for when shopping for pencil skirts.
Here they are:
- The hemline: should fall below the knee – I’m partial to a midi length skirt
- The waistline: high-waisted – I like how it elongates my petite frame
- The fit: snug, but never too tight
- The fabric: preferably a wool mix (so it’s breathable and can be worn all year round) and also with a bit of stretch to make it easy to sit and walk in
- The finer details: a vent (to make for easier movement), colour/pattern – I’ll usually assess these depending on trends at the time
I’ve been after a camel coloured pencil skirt for the longest time and I’m very pleased with this one I’m wearing from Marks and Spencer. It has the perfect amount of stretch, a centre back vent which makes it easy to walk in and wear all day in the office, and the colour is a perfect warm toned brown which matches effortlessly with my corporate staples.
As always, thanks for visiting!
Shop my outfit
Skirt (Marks & Spencer) – here (gifted)
Silk shirt (Lilysilk) – here (use the code VEE12 for 12% off) (gifted)
Mules (Tony Bianco, here | similar here, here and here)
Bag (Celine, here, here and here)
