September 16, 2019
I love skirts – they’re well worth considering as an alternative to relentless jeans and pants. With opaque tights and comfy shoes, they can be as comfortable as anything else you wear…
And if I was in the market for a skirt right now, this would be a leading candidate:
tweed skirt – Coohem
When you choose your skirt (or pants, if you prefer), make sure that it is lovely with most of your shirts and sweaters; in a simple, neutral-colored, timeless design…
A denim skirt can be appropriate in a lot of places…
navy water-resistant vest – UGG; scarf – Missoni; burgundy hooded sweatshirt – Lands’ End; denim skirt – Lands’ End; mittens – CuddlDuds; boots – Dansko
This dark brown skirt could be a perfect base for sweaters and tops in all shades of brown:
earrings – Kendra Scott; scarf – Polo Ralph Lauren; caramel sweater – Banana Republic; brown skirt – Ming Wang; resin bangle bracelet – Kenneth Jay Lane; flats – Dansko
A matching skirt and sweater can be the base for all kinds of interesting accessories…
blue earrings – Trifari; scarf – Claire Gaudion; mushroom sweater – Banana Republic; taupe tote – Sole Society; taupe shoes – Eileen Fisher; cappuccino brown skirt – Ming Wang
Your black cashmere turtleneck is perfect with a black tweed skirt; a black tee shirt, black blouse or black shirt would also be an easy morning outfit…
earrings – Kendra Scott; black cashmere turtleneck – Halogen; scarf – ImageDiary; bag – Madewell; flats – Trotters; tweed skirt – J.Crew
This could be a nice warm, but dressy, outfit for a winter work day…
earrings – Lois Hill; scarf – Nordstrom; slate sweater – L.L.Bean; boots – LifeStride; bracelet – Lois Hill; skirt – Joseph
And if you absolutely NEVER wear skirts (and I know there are some of you who feel this way), you can always dress up with fabric. I have velvet pants that I adore, and that I wear a TON in the cool weather… (although I do NOT have a bag like this!)
earrings – Poppy Finch; blouse – Banana Republic; ring – Mizuki; evening bag – Rosantica; metallic trim flats – Patricia Green; velvet pants – Jen7 b 7 For All Mankind
When the streets are really slushy and wet, a skirt can make more sense than pants; you can’t splash the hem quite as easily, right?
love,
Janice
p.s. 2 years ago I was packing for Paris… It seems that I’m always packing, doesn’t it?
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Hola Vivienne, me encantan tus publicaciones, aprendo mucho.
Estoy particularmente interesada en esto de una prenda por semana, es tan útil. Siento que nunca supe vestirme.
Pero hago una consulta o una sugerencia en los ejemplos de conjuntos, podrías considerar un ejemplo para tallas grandes. Solo un na idea, para orientarnos.
Gracias por tus conocimientos. Saludos desde Argentina
Climate is a big skirt driver, and so are one’s legs. There are hardly any settings or occasions where, in these times, a skirt is the only acceptable option. It’s fun to see these choices- such a lively tweed.
Love that pink and black tweed skirt! I’m a big fan of wearing skirts especially with boots in the winter.
As I’m sure many of your readers know, a skirt is about the easiest garment to sew. A sewn skirt gives back many wearings for the time invested in sewing it. It’s one of my favorite garments to wear.
I love skirts-especially the ones that can be dressed up or down. If you can wear a chambray shirt and a pullover sweater/tights/boots…it’s a fun fall & winter look in a small city where people lean toward casual for luncheons out… and the same skirt can go with a blazer and cashmere sweater for a dressier occasion…or a silky blouse & dressy cardigan or a beaded top for cocktail attire! And did I mention that a skirt thrown into a suitcase with a casual top/a dressier top/a dressy top and the appropriate accessories can really stretch that travel wardrobe!
BTW..that Ming Wang skirt in brown cappuccino also comes in Navy…and that’s a color I love to wear. Looks as if the fabric weight will go right through winter and into spring! Maybe even summer.
Janice has really helped me find the links to clothing I love and to clarify my thinking about what I really need to add to the wardrobe.
Just this weekend I tossed a skirt into my Goodwill bag and vowed to never buy another! (I do have 2 skorts for walking). I am definitely a dress girl. I just find them so much easier to throw on and go! Let me add that I am pretty “low maintenance” and wear scrubs to work. That said, your selections are beautiful, as always! I especially am drawn to the matching mushroom toned top and skirt… perhaps something to consider as an alternative to a dress?
Truly a case of each to her own. I have a bunch of skirts that I regularly wear (including dressy ones for formal occasions) but I find it hard to get in the “wear a dress” mode! I’ve been trying to recommit to dresses, though. – nancyo
LOVE love love the tweed skirt and of course the shout-out xoxoxox
Your final comment is so true! When I worked an office job, I would often make sure to wear a skirt and tights on wet or slushy days, because my tights dried much faster than pants would!
I love to wear skirts and dresses but hate the “bare legs” look that seems to be the current norm. Do you wear hose or just resign yourself to only wearing dresses and skirts in the cold months when tights are appropriate?
I go bare legged, but you can always wear lightweight, sheer hosiery. They’re finally more readily available, now that younger English princesses wear them…
hugs,
Janice
I love the navy and burgundy ensemble! The gray is lovely, too. Living in a smallish town in the Pacific northwest, I find that athleisure wear dominates this area. Your discussion of casual skirt outfits have given me a lot to think about. Thank you!
(I wish I had more occasion to wear skirts… *sigh*)
Gray is the one for me. My body shape doesn’t get along with pencil skirts. The gray skirt is Annie Hall for this millenium, easy to.move in, longer, and almost as easy as wearing pants. Can you tell I’ll always be a pants girl?
I love those fleece lined tights and a skirt. Nothing is warmer in the winter.
Culottes are a great alternative to skirts. I hope they never go out of fashion.
Great post as always. Even down here in New Zealand with seasons reversed and the exact clothes not easily available I can still ideas and inspiration even if just to pin for future reference.
Found an older post the other day based on the painting Yellow Tree by Linda Jacobson and wonder did you ever revisit it with the less muted tones. I just loved the colour ways in it and would love to see it looked at again.
Ladies-I just checked and that wonderful Ming Wang skirt in cappuccino AND in navy is no longer available except in Xsmall and X-large. Note how quickly those styles that are classic and really useful sell out fast everywhere! Meantime the pieces that lack versatility linger and are in greater supply. I’m taking Janice’s advice. I’ll be patient and only get what really works. And the advice offered by sewing librarian is spot on if you have a machine and the know-how: making your own!!!
Ugh – I decided not to do any shopping until after-Christmas sales (except for bras, I really need new ones…), and this post features so many lovely items! Those Dansko flats are especially tempting, but I really do need to save money, and I intend to take it as an opportunity to better assess what I need/don’t need in my wardrobe.
I agree that skirts are often a better choice for rainy days: wet pants sticking to your legs isn’t the best feeling. I used to have a (fake) leather circle skirt that got a lot of wear for this reason, but I made unwise laundry choices and it got irretrievably ruined… I’m still kind of mourning it! Due to that incident and changes in size, I’m now out of skirts that are suitable for colder days, but I’ve found that wearing dresses (even floral ones, if the fabric is suitable) under sweaters is also a good way to liven up depressing weather.