Pencil Skirt Fashion Advice

"Everything You Need to Know about Looking Good in a Pencil Skirt"

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A pencil skirt is quite versatile and with the right accessories and coordination, you can easily transform it from a typical, basic librarian look into something more chic and sleek!

What I really love about pencil skirts is that they're flexible enough to team up with most types of tops and shoes. Especially the black pencil skirt which can be worn as a part of a conservative office work outfit or for parties.

You can dress it up for work or parties, or dress it down for casual everyday wear. Just put on your sophisticated dress shirt at daytime and take it off and put on a slouchy tee and you're good to go to the movies later that evening! You can also wear it with a basic tank top and a long cardigan for a cool and casual look.

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It has (almost) everything you can ever wish in a skirt, and that's why I consider a pencil skirt to be one of your most important wardrobe essentials.

Mini pencil skirts are also a great way to show off your legs and look sexy, but please, try to find a skirt that is at least a bit longer than your middle finger when standing straight with your arms to your sides. Yes, I'm in my 20's and love experimenting with clothes but I cringe when I see young girls and women around my age wearing a skirt that is way too short for their proportions... screams tacky to me..

What you will learn & discover about the black cocktail dress (LBD) on this page:

How to Pick the Perfect Pencil Skirt

How to Wear it -- from tucking in your top to wearing a belt with it

Creative ways to Wear a Pencil Skirt

How to Choose the Right Pencil Skirt

Have in mind that you should select a style that will flatter your best parts without overdoing it. Fit and length are two of the most vital factors when buying a pencil skirt that suits your body shape and height.

Fit and Length

The wrong fit for your body looks funny and the wrong length make your legs look stubby.

Learn more about choosing the right skirt for your frame and height.

Right Design and Style

So do you think your butt and hips are the best parts of your body? Then I say flaunt it with light colors and interesting skirt details.

If you don't want to draw too much attention to that area, you can still wear a pencil skirt but stick to the classic pencil skirt in solid black without any embellishments that might highlight the area. You might also want to consider purchasing an A-line skirt instead because the shape of the hem draws the eye away from your curves and make you look leaner.

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So How Do You Wear a Pencil Skirt?

Pencil skirts suit most body shapes. However, if you have a pear shape you must be careful because of the narrow hemline. It can really, reaaaally enhance your curves. Just take a look at BeyoncÃ© ;-)

Beyonce in black pencil skirt

Courtesy of Steve Sands/Bauer Griffin

No matter how luscious your curves are it might not be appropriate for the occasion. My tip is to try to balance it out by adding more volume to your upper part with a white blouse or eye-catching earrings.

Learn more about how to dress a pear body shape.

Tip: If you want your hips and legs to appear leaner, go for a pencil skirt with two darts in the front.

Tuck or Untuck?

So should you tuck or untuck it?

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If you're wearing a high waist pencil skirt or a skirt with a thick waistband, then you should tuck it in as it complements the look a lot better than wearing it untucked.

Tucking it in will:

Add a more sophisticated (looks cuter, in my opinion) touch to your look
Elongate your legs if they're short
Create a trimmer looking waist

The drawback is that it can split your frame in two, making your waist look shorter (not good if you already have a short waist).

But you can still tuck it in without shortening your torso by wearing a top in a similar color or nuance as the skirt.

So basically, you can look longer and leaner by for example wearing a black skirt and black top. But you might want to add a bit of color with a couple of accessories like a dark brown skinny belt around your hips, necklace or scarf.

Tip:

However...

Angelina Jolie in a pencil skirt
Courtesy of Bauer-Griffin

If you wear it untucked, it will give a completely different feel to your outfit.

Untucked will:

Create a more relaxed and fun look
Elongate your torso

Leaving the top untucked is more fail-safe than tucking it in, because usually, people look at tucking as a fashion statement.

Tip:

Belt or No Belt?

A belt can definitely be the icing of the cake and I highly recommend adding one when wearing a semi-fitted/loose top with a pencil skirt to add some structure to the outfit.

Now for a pencil skirt you can either:

Create a trendy look by wrapping a belt around your waist -- with either the top tucked in or not. This will define your waist as well. If you have a thick or short waist, opt for a medium wide (not skinny) belt in solid dark colors like black or brown.
Or add a subtle change, try a skinny belt around hips (around the waistband of the pencil skirt). In my opinion, wide belts don't look good slung around waistband of a pencil skirt.

Courtesy of Gettyimages and Paulsmith.co.uk

Note:

On the other hand, if you place a belt right below your bust or around your waist, your legs will appear longer. The only drawback is that the belt can chop your waist in two, making it look shorter (and sometimes thicker).

If you're shortwaisted this might be a bad idea. But the trick here is to wear a belt that matches the top. It will cinch in your waist without shortening it.

How Do I Create Different Outfits with a Pencil Skirt?

The classic pencil skirt look has to be the white blouse Ã¡ la librarian look. Take a look at how Hayden Panettiere does it with the same black skirt!

Celebs in classic pencil skirt

Courtesy of Gettyimages, Wireimages and Celebutopia
But a pencil skirt doesn't have to be that sophisticated (or plain, as most women would say). By adding the right accessories and mixing it with the right top, you can go from blah to stunning!

One of the best things about pencil skirts is that you can wear it with all kinds of shoes -- a great thing if you want to show off a pair of killer legs!

Let's have a look at 10 different pencil skirt outfits that you can put together yourself:

Sexy and Sleek

Perfect for: Slightly formal work environments, cocktail parties and if you want to exude sex appeal without overdoing it.

Celebs in classic pencil skirt

1. Dress shirt. A pretty classic and plain look by Jessica Alba. But I prefer..

2. Feminine blouse. A cute top adds that little extra something. Hayden Panettiere looks classy and feminine at the same time. However, you can swap the plain white with a..

3. Floral top. For a cheerful zest of colors (especially when spring is arund the corner) a floral top will spice it up a little.

4. Black from top to toe. Very basic monochromatic outfit. But make sure you add something interesting like America Ferrera is doing here; wide belt around the waist and sexy, strappy shoes.

5. Light colors. An absolutely gorgeous color combo worn by Reese Witherspoon. Light colors like white and cream/beige will enhance a nice tan.

Trendy and Simple

Perfect for: casual office work, parties, anything casual really.

Celebs in classic pencil skirt, casual outfits

1. Tee with mini pencil skirt. A basic casual yet sexy party look. Top it off with a leather jacket. If you want something more glitzy try a..

2. Sequin pencil skirt with a plain tee. Whitney Port does it perfectly with a basic white tee tucked in with a beautiful black sequin skirt -- highlighting her long, lean and tanend legs. Simple and chic. Have in mind that an eye-catching skirt will draw attention to your lower part.

3. Flats and cardigan. For a more laid-back everyday, wear a pencil skirt with flats and cardigan. Alexa Chung combines it perfectly with a mix of feminine silk top, short pencil skirt and toning it down with a cardigan and girly ballerina flats.

4. Black t-shirt. A very sleek yet trendy outfit worn by Eva Mendes. Team up a basic black t-shirt with a red hot, eye-catching pencil skirt.

5. Leather pencil skirt and blazer jacket. For a little edge swap up your regular black cotton skirt with leather. Tone down the biker look with a basic tee and tights. And to smoothen the edges, top it off with a sophisticated blazer.

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