The pencil skirt was first designed and introduced by Christian Dior in the late 1940s. Dior was inspired by the provocative shape of the hobble skirt (a long skirt with a rope tied around the knees), but wanted to give women the ability to move. The pencil skirt and its design represented a shift for Dior, as previously most of his dresses and skirts were designed with an A-line skirt, which is a full skirt with a fitted waist allowing for greater movement. The pencil skirt represented Dior’s launch of the H-Line skirt, trimming his A-line designs to proportions that fit the female body and balanced the shoulders with the hips. With his iconic ability to create shapes and silhouettes, the form-fitting pencil skirt (le jupe crayon in French) and the sexy silhouette it created following the curve of the leg to the knee, became a fashion icon. Initially, the pencil skirt was worn as part of a suit, but eventually they began to be styled with blouses and sweaters on its own.
The pencil skirt is powerful, sensual, confident and exudes femininity. It is a staple of any woman’s wardrobe. I believe that it works on women of all shapes, sizes and proportions, but, in the words of Christian Dior:
“The simpler your skirt, the better fit it must be. A slim skirt should never be so straight that you cannot move in it. That would be ridiculous. Like everything in fashion your clothes must give you the feeling that they are easy to wear.” Christian Dior, The Little Dictionary of Fashion
Here are a few tips to picking one that is right for you. If you are petite (like this Rebel), then one that sits high on the waist (about 2 inches above the belly button) will add height and elongate the body. If you are curvy on the bottom (a/k/a junk in your trunk), then stick to solid colors, and perhaps pair it with a top with ruffles or a v-neckline to create a slimming silhouette. Also, tighter is not better. If the skirt is pulling and creating bulges or rusches in the front, then try a larger size. It is imperative that the skirt fit you at your widest point of the hips and then go straight down to the hem.
With respect to the hem, it can depend on purpose of the skirt and overall personal preference. But, petite women should have it fall at about the knee to give the illusion of long legs. For others, some suggest that the hem hit you at the smallest part of your leg which is above or directly below the knee. Pencil skirts worn to the office should never be higher than about an inch or two above the knee.
Pencil in pencil skirts to your everyday wardrobe.
Xoxo. Me
