Via Prada, Calvin Klein and Fendi, the pencil skirt has exited the boardroom this season. Taking a left turn out of the office, this corporate stooge has found a little wiggle room to become spring/summer 2018’s power player.
Courtesy of Victoria Beckham and Gucci this narrow (read: fitted, not tight), silhouette has been remodelled to find a fresh new appeal. It’s been a two-pronged process, first its fabrication was revamped. Out went the stuffy business-like cotton and stiff polyesters, in came graphic prints, organza panelling and a romantic palette. Secondly, it's become a slacker. Literally. Slouchy and softly tailored, its upright credibility has been seduced by a relaxed softness, which makes it the perfect counterpart to this spring’s comeback shoe, the kitten heel.
This modern revision of a pillar of the 80s wardrobe is just one way that the decade has been reconsidered for 2018. Along with shoulder pads, electric neons and animal print, the revival look has been modernized with these slight tweaks. Now the boldest way to wear a pencil skirt is on the weekend. Ignore its ladylike femininity and add sass to it’s every step with a pop sock and a low-heel.