This Once-Dated Skirt Trend Is Back From the Dead, and I'm Wearing It 24/7

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(Image credit: @emnitta; Victoria Beckham; @ellymcgaw; Max Mara)

Nineties fashion has been dominating the trendscape for years now, resuscitating formerly outdated items like fitted-waist blazers, sock boots, and corsets in the process. One silhouette from the era that I didn't expect a fashion renaissance for, however, was the pencil skirt aka the often-drab skirt genre that's not quite maxi or mini and has long been associated with "professional office attire." Constricting and rarely flattering, the style fell out of favor for anyone outside of the C-suite years ago—and for good reason. But now that Miuccia Prada and Victoria Beckham have taken them under their wings, pencil skirts are gearing up for a comeback of epic proportions. And this time, I can't say I'm mad about it. 

In their spring collections, Prada and Beckham as well as Peter Do, Courrèges Artistic Director Nicolas Di Felice, and longtime Max Mara Creative Director Ian Griffiths played with midi- and knee-length pencil skirts in unexpected and surprisingly enticing ways, designing them in leather with matching boatneck jackets (Prada) and adding eye-catching details like oversize cargo pockets (Miu Miu) and fold-over waists (Victoria Beckham). The result? A spring selection that deserves attention as well as a spot in our actual wardrobes. Below, see how pencil skirts were displayed on the runways last September and the street style looks that followed. And while you're at it, shop the skirt trend that's about to be everywhere. 

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(Image credit: @sylviemus_)

French women like Sylvie Mus have mastered the difficult art of styling pencil skirts in ways that feel elevated and exciting as opposed to blasé. 

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(Image credit: Max Mara)

At Max Mara's S/S 23 show, Griffiths made a case for camel pencil skirts, and let me tell you—it stuck. Expect to see similar styles dominating the quiet-luxury trend. 

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(Image credit: @ellymcgaw)

Any time I need inspiration to try out a new trend, I go to stylist Elly McGaw's Instagram feed, and nine times out of 10, she has a photo wearing it. The same goes for pencil skirts, which she styled here in leather with a matching distressed jacket and knee-high socks. So chic. 

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(Image credit: Victoria Beckham)

For an NSFW take on the pencil skirt, look no further than Victoria Beckham's spring show, where models paired folded-over pencil skirts with sheer bras and peekaboo hosiery. 

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(Image credit: @emnitta)

Paired with a simple white tank and a hyper-cool pair of thigh-high sheer socks, a pencil skirt takes on a whole new persona. 

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(Image credit: Courrèges/Launchmetrics Spotlight )

At Courrèges, the office took a day trip to the beach. Models donned low-rise pencil skirts with crop tops and thigh-high boots on a sand-covered runway. 

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(Image credit: @anoukyve)

Don't be afraid to venture outside of the classic office colors (i.e., navy, black, and gray) when it comes to pencil skirts. This off-white version is arguably the chicest one I've seen to date. 

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(Image credit: Prada)

It's been roughly seven months since this leather pencil skirt debuted on Prada's S/S 23 runway, and I haven't quite found a way to shake it from the forefront of my brain ever since. 

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(Image credit: @devapollon)

Give your pencil-skirt look some much-needed edge by pairing one with an oversize leather moto jacket and knee-high boots. They're just what the silhouette needs.

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(Image credit: Miu Miu)

Miu Miu went rogue with its suiting selection for spring, with Prada leaving sleeves intentionally unattached and hems purposely raw. In the pencil-skirt arena, she added large utilitarian pockets to the front, something that could've felt frumpy, but since it's Prada, it looked irresistibly cool and chic. 

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(Image credit: @sasha.mei)

Post-work, pencil skirts are continuing to be a viable going-out option, with playful options that include sequins and belt details proving to be just as chic as classic office-appropriate picks. 

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(Image credit: Peter Do)

Peter Do's spring show during New York Fashion Week was a lesson in unexpected ways to style basics, from a button-down shirt to jeans to a pencil skirt. 

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(Image credit: @olympiamarie)

J.Crew is leading the pencil-skirt charge, with its head of womenswear design, Olympia Gayot, offering up plenty of styling inspo on her Instagram account. 

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Coming up next: It's Not Spring Yet, But I'm Already Dreaming About These 24 Skirt Outfits

Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is a New York City based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and Replica Handbags . She joinedBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.