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Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
Here's something we haven't gone on a Hunt for in forever: a hunt for skirts for work. I'm always a bit surprised that there are so many pencil skirts in our most-bought items for each month — the Ann Taylor pencil skirt is a big hit, so is the Calvin Klein one. I'll list some of our favorite basic, classic pencil skirts below — but I thought I'd go on a Hunt for some more fun personality skirts. What are you looking for in a skirt in 2022, readers — pockets? a flared/A-line shape? a mini length? texture?
Some of our other posts that might be helpful to you: the best tights for work, the Corporette Guide to Comfortable Heels, and our discussions on how short is too short for a skirt and dress.
Pictured above: blue flippy / black knit / striped / black / blue abstract / pink marbled
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- Hall of Famers (all pencil skirts): Vince Camuto, Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor, J.Crew, Black Halo, Boss, Reiss, Theory, Spanx
- Under $80 (including occasional sales): Amazon (UrbanCoCo, VFSHOW), Vince Camuto, Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor, J.Crew, Nordstrom, Target (24seven, AllegraK, Ava & Viv)
- A-line skirts for work: Talbots, Lands' End
- Sweater skirts for work: MM.LaFleur (jardigan material), Boden, Banana Republic Factory, Halogen, Polo Ralph Lauren, TSE Cashmere,
- Midi skirts for work: Banana Republic Factory, Amazon (Yige), Boden, Uniqlo, Theory
- Flippy-but-office-appropriate: Susana Monaco (just below knee, 5″ above knee) MM.LaFleur (but the style is being retired!), Loft, Amazon (Vige), Alfani, 24seven, Allegra K, Lands' End, Akris Punto, Hobbs, Betabrand
- Plus sizes: J.Crew, Spanx, Alfani, Halogen, 24seven, Allegra K, Ava & Viv, Lands' End, Talbots, Eloquii, Universal Standard, Calvin Klein (also)
- Petite sizes: J.Crew, Reiss, Talbots,
- Plus-size petites: Talbots, Eloquii
- Tall sizes: Banana Republic Factory,
- Tailored to your body: Rita & Phil, eShakti, Elizabeth's Custom,
- Fun colors: Ann Taylor, 24seven, Dries van Noten, VFSHOW
- Washable: Spanx, Ming Wang, Banana Republic Factory, Amour Vert, Halogen, Hobbs
- Eco-friendly: Amour Vert, Theory, Eileen Fisher
- Work skirts to stalk on resale sites (links go to old Corporette posts): Boden/Martha ($$), Halogen/Pencil ($), Dries van Noten ($$$$), Alaia ($$$$), Philosophy ($)
{related: there are a TON of trendy leather skirts right now — see our last discussion about whether you can wear leather to the office}
The Best Classic Pencil Skirts for Work
Some of our favorite pencil skirts for work as of 2024 include J.Crew,* Ann Taylor, Black Halo, Calvin Klein, Theory, and this Amazon seller) (*plus sizes available – plus-size readers also love Eileen Fisher skirts) (Also: readers love these slip shorts for comfort with bare legs!)
Our Favorite Classic Plus-Size Work Skirts
Trendy, Stylish Skirts for Work
I was a bit surprised to see quite how many flippy skirts there are out there right now — but there are a TON. If you vastly prefer A-line or flouncy skirts to pencil skirts, now is your chance to stock up. This one from Ava & Viv is really cute and, I think, the perfect length — it's $25 and available in three colors at Target in sizes X-4X.
Talbots had a proper A-line skirt, while Lands' End had a bunch of box pleat and other A-line styles — both, amazingly enough, available in regular, petite, plus, and plus-size petites.
In terms of flippier styles, the length (to me) is everything — for example, this one from Susana Monaco at 5″ above the knee on the model is a bit too short, but I'd buy it because I'm on the shorter side so it would probably be fine on me. Loft has a ton of these really-cute-but-possibly-too-short styles right now, too. (Tights would also be great here!)
On the flip side, some of the longer styles or fuller styles can feel a bit ladies-who-lunch, at least on the model — so keep that in mind when you're trying them on yourself — I'd include the tea skirt from Susana Monaco or this almost 50s-style skirt from Amazon seller Vige. Some of the other nice options include this flouncy style from MM.LaFleur, this washable option from Hobbs, and this gorgeous one from Akris Punto. On the more affordable side, this wrap skirt from Alfani is great, and Target sellers 24seven and Allegra K both have a ton of colorful options.
Another style that is rife with options right now: the sweater skirt. These can be tricky because they can be clingy and staticky — a silky underlayer like a slip or slipshorts is essential to make them comfortable, IMHO. (You could also go with shapewear if you want to, or try a static electricity spray.) The primary risk with these is that they may be a bit too va-va-va-voom for work, so know your office and gauge the skirt with that in mind.
The main pro of sweater skirts, though: they are absolutely amazing for adding textural interest, especially to a monotone outfit.
I adore the one from Boden (above, available in green and black for $130; this one from Ava & Viv and this one from Banana Republic Factory are also amazing.
If you love MM.LaFleur‘s jardigan, they now have a skirt in that option (jardigan material). I'm also a big fan of these skirts from Halogen, Polo Ralph Lauren (so OG!!), and TSE Cashmere.
I do not normally think of Natori for skirts (great underwear, though!) — but this fun abstract print is calling my name, possibly because I've been on the hunt for wallpaper like this. Anyhoo: I like how the print is abstract and geometric but not seizure-inducing, and I like that there's a hint of stretch. It's $275 at Nordstrom.
Other gorgeous skirts in this price range include classics from Black Halo and Boss, as well as fun prints like this flippy knit midi from Cefinn, this leopard-print pencil skirt from Kate Spade, this colorful cashmere midi skirt from Paige, and this fun stripey one from Paige (pictured at very top).
I don't think I'd realized quite how many gorgeous prints Dries van Noten has for skirts — they are absolutely pricey (this one is $1,295) but they would be one of my first brands to check if you like beautiful patterns. This marble print pencil skirt with “groovy hues” that is $1,295 at Nordstrom. (Neiman Marcus also has a ton of nice Dries van Noten skirts.)
Other splurge options for skirts include this gorgeous pencil midi skirt from McQueen, flippy one from Akris, this sweater one from Loro Piana, and this asymmetric one from Stella McCartney (and this patchwork knit midiskirt!).
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