[Trend] Making a Pencil Skirt work...

photo source

When your body shape resembles absolutely nothing like a pencil wearing a pencil skirt can seem more than daunting. I'm 5 foot 4, and a curvy size 10 - i.e: not somebody who should really be trying to fit themselves into rectangular clothing. But when I spotted this Kenzo skirt at work last week I decided I had to give it a shot.

I realised it's all about balance - as in heel height. Having done a lot of people watching for the last few days, I've noticed that as long as you wear a decent heel (I recently bought these chunky Slammer sandals from Whistles that I think would look good with one, no?) with a skirt, it really doesn't matter that you are straight-up-and-down. In fact, the girls I saw who's outfits I really liked were all sizes 12/14 and made it work with a decent stiletto or ankle boot. 

Fabric is key, particular if you actually intend moving in one. One of the girls in the office was talking about a time she had to get a taxi to work because when trying to walk to the tube she realised she could only move her feet like one of those Chinese dancers... so it would have taken her a day just to get into the station. Ones with a 'peacock push' (new term, apparently designers use it...) at the back like in the first image solve that problem, otherwise you want one with some stretch (avoid lycra, obviously - it shows ALL SINS).

Jenna Lyons / Sarah Ruston - find a few Celine print bits here

Being fairly timid as usual, I'm going to be wearing mine with white shirts and tees (Jenna Lyons' Celine skirt outfit is amaaaaazing - above) and use the skirt as the statement piece - I guess a pattern is also more eye-detracting/flattering than a plain one too. I'm obsessed with all the floral prints at the moment, in case you haven't noticed... They work brilliantly with all the capsule fashion bits I continuously harp on about (here). Here are my favourite pieces from the high street:

1. Hermoine de Paula at my-wardrobe, £162 / 2. Sophie Hulme at my-wardrobe £286 / 3. Topshop, £32 / 4. Alice by Temperley at my-wardrobe, £365 / 5. Amori Oasis Skirt, £38 / 6. Florette Whistles Skirt, £135  / 7. Victoria Whistles Skirt, £110 / 8. Adara Coast Skirt, £75 / 

Firstly, I know I broke the 'pencil skirt' rules with the Coast one - but its so pretty... I tried to stick to budget where I could, but given how tight they are I made an effort to check fabrics were right so we could a) walk, and b) not be showing too many bumps... The Hermoine de Paula skirt is a new name for me - saw a girl wearing a top of hers last week and couldn't not ask where it was from!

Unsuprisingly My-Wardrobe are stocking the majority of her collection, here.  Also love the Kenzo-type print of the Topshop one, and nice to see Sophie Hulme branching out so well with her womenswear collection. Hope I've given people a little bit of confidence to wear a pencil skirt - I'll do an outfit post once I wear mine!