Remember the summer of 2021? We emerged from the lockdown stasis with the promise of a “hot girl summer”, and true to form the runway delivered, making a hero of the “ultra-micro-mini-skirt” (see Miu Miu SS ’22). But given just how teeny tiny this controversial trend was, it wasn’t exactly the most wearable, and although Instagram would have you believe that we were all wearing belts as skirts for the rest of that year, the truth was, we were in need of a skirt trend with a little more longevity.
This year it looks like things are about to get a little more polished, and one of the key buys for spring/ summer 2024 is one you’ll recognise—the pencil skirt. Before you imagine the corporate and boxy skirts saved for the city set, they have undergone a new year makeover, making them sleeker and chicer. Firstly, the hemline is a little longer, so that they are more flattering than those styles that fall on the knee. Secondly, they are no longer just navy or pinstripe grey: the new wave of pencil skirts come in more adventurous prints and striking colours, but evening-ready black is topping the agenda. And then when it comes to fabrications, many designers like Courréges, Khaite and Gucci have loosened up the form by opting for slick, power leather over office-appropriate wool, further proof these skirts are no longer just for work—we’re wearing them for play too.