Dressed down pencil skirt

pencil skirt denim jacket

J.Crew no. 2 pencil skirt in double serge wool (taken in), Signorelli tee c/o, H&M; girls jacket
J.Crew strappy mirror pumps in metallic blush

I rarely wear pencil skirts outside of work, but packed this since it wasn’t getting enough love in frigid Boston. Although the thick wool material is suited for winter, the mustard yellow color has me stumped with opaque tights pairings (okay with gray, so-so with navy, and a bit bumblebee with black). For a warmer climate, a graphic tee and worn denim jacket toned the skirt down for weekend wear. Adding strappy heels made it dressy enough for dinner without being “business.” I’d try substituting in neutral or leopard print flats for running around.

left outfit from this post

pencil skirt for work and weekend All the sunshine must’ve gotten to my head, as I picked up a bright sleeveless dress in the middle of winter. I really love this dress – it comes in 3 colors with all sizes available (black would make a sharp LBD), and I ordered as soon as I saw my favorite color chartreuse. The fit and flare shape is universally flattering. This dress is a keeper but I did want to point out a few things.

ASOS Skater Dress in Bonded Fabric (in black, pink, or chartreuse) – sz UK4 / US0, on sale

neondress
This dress is from ASOS regular (if only they made this in this in petite sizing, versus the interesting sheer jumpsuits and cutout dresses that’s been dominating that department as of late!) and the torso was slightly long on me. The waistline and bust darts again fell an inch below my ideal spots. Not bad so this may not even be an issue for ladies my height (5 feet) but a little bustier. I’ll be bringing this to my tailor for the usual “lift by the shoulders” job. Aside from the torso length, I thought the US 0 was nice and fitted like an H&M; sz 2.
neondress1My one concern is that the back zipper does not lay completely flat on me. From the stock photo I was hoping its an invisible zipper, but it is exposed – just in the same color as the dress so a little less noticeable than metal. If the zipper wrinkle is due to poor construction, I hope it’s a one-off issue because I examined the “runway” video (not easy to photoshop) for this dress and the back zipper looked nice and straight. I’ll ask my tailor if he can fix/replace it, but if not this dress is still a keep for me.
neondress2Please note that the material of this dress is stretchy and neoprene-like. I like this as it has good weight and helps the dress keep its structure, especially at the pleats. You see a lot of higher-end designers using this material now for their full shaped pieces. The torso is lined in a same-color jersey, and the skirt is unlined so you see the white neoprene backing.

Measurements of sz UK4 / US0: 15.5″ from top of shoulder to waistline, 17″ from waistline to skirt hem, 12.5″ across the waist, 14.5″ across the armpits, 40″ across the bottom hem when skirt is extended (full skirt). 95% poly, 5% elastane. The vibrant chartreuse color, true to its name, is more lime yellow than a sunny yellow.
pencil skirt denim jacket1
pencil skirt denim jacket2

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54 Comments

  1. Cecilia wrote:

    When it comes to o pencil skirts, what is the best length for petite girls? It looks like yours covers the top of your knee or right above your knee. It looks cute! But I’m curious, would you think a pencil skirt will also looks good if it calls a tad above the knee? Thanks!

    Posted 12.27.21 Reply
  2. Anonymous wrote:

    Hi Jean,
    I bought a similar dress to your yellow one. I too have the same problem, with the waistline hit below my waist. Is there another way to raise the waist up, beside shortening the shoulder strap? Hope to hear from you soon.
    -Ann

    Posted 8.14.14 Reply
  3. Jean wrote:

    I really love the H&M; one. Please note that I slimmed the sleeves tho for the fit shown b/c kids items in general run a little wide. I think Gap has great ones too…tried one on and it just had a little too much detailing for me.

    Posted 5.21.14 Reply
  4. Amy wrote:

    I'm also in the market for a new denim jacket. Are you liking the H&M; one? I think I would take the same size as you (I am 5' 1", 100lbs.) I was also going to look at Gap kids and Old Navy.

    Posted 5.16.14 Reply

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