Things we love: Spring 2012 Essentials – colored pencil skirts

Good afternoon kids and welcome to part 2 of my spine-tingling “Spring 2012 Essentials” series. I know you’ve all been waiting with bated breath since the first installment.*

*And if you haven’t been don’t tell me – let me be delusional. Makes me feel loved.

Today’s essential = colored pencil skirts.

Trust me when I say a brightly-colored pencil skirt is more versatile than you think. Now it’s true that a stay-at-home mom of young children probably won’t have as many opportunities to wear one as someone who works in an office everyday, like myself. But I think that’s because most people can’t see a pencil skirt paired with anything other than a conservative button-up shirt.  Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box – a brightly-colored pencil skirt would look totes adorable with a striped t-shirt and flats for a baby shower or church on Sundays.

So to get us started, here is the designer inspiration:

Versace – $700

So, SO fab. Between the color, shape and texture, this is one amazeballs skirt.

But the $700 price tag is also so, SO unrealistic. So here are my picks for colored pencil skirts that will brighten up your wardrobe this Spring:

J Crew No. 2 Pencil Skirt – $110

I absolutely love this skirt in every color. I’m only featuring the yellow one here because it is my favorite at this very second. But given how much I love the blue, green and pink ones, that is subject to change any minute now.

Milly Tweed Pencil Skirt – $295

Such a pretty, Spring-y green! I also love the texture of the tweed and the super-cute tab details at the waist.

Express Ultimate Double Weave High Waist Pencil Skirt – $70

Lately purple has seemingly become my fave color without me even realizing it. Yoga mat = purple. Yoga towel = purple. New peacoat = purple. Purple is really the stealth ninja of the color family. And I don’t even mind because it’s so pretty and versatile. Bring it on purple!

Trina Turk Ashton Tweed Pencil Skirt – $228

Whether you call this color ‘salmon’ (like I would) or ‘watermelon’ (like the designer does), I think we can all agree it’s gorge. The front slit is a fun little detail, too.

I hope these awesome examples of colorful pencil skirts have convinced you that you need one (or two) – I’ve convinced myself that I need them all. I’ll be back later on in the series with some suggestions of how to wear these, but in the meantime, here are my tips for buying pencil skirts:

– Pencil skirts really can be flattering on just about any body. It’s all about finding the right proportions.

– The right proportion for most people means a hem that stops about an inch above the knee. You can go a little higher if you’re petite, or a little longer if you’re leggy, but one inch above the knee is the safe zone.

– Don’t be afraid of alterations. It is rare to find a perfect fit right off the rack. Find an overall shape that’s flattering and the hem can easily be adjusted.

– That overall shape should be tighter than you think. Most curvy (i.e. normal) women’s instinct is to avoid anything that’s too snug on the hips or heinie because they think it will make them look bigger. Now I’m not advocating a skirt so tight that you waddle like a penguin, but a pencil skirt that fits snugly on the hips and tapers SLIGHTLY toward the knee is the most flattering. A boxy pencil skirt is no one’s friend. Isn’t that right, Joan:

image credit

Happy Wednesday, kids and stay tuned for Part 3 coming soon!