We all feel safe slipping on a black pencil skirt but things are looking much brighter this Spring if the signature styles of the designers curated on cult etailer Octer.co.uk are anything to go by.
The Paris, New York and London catwalks were jam-packed with brighter shades for Spring, from fun yellow right through to bold magenta, while shapes harked back to the bold silhouette much-loved in the Eighties and Octer’s collections have effortlessly mirrored the trends of the times.
Octer beautifully fuses High End and High Street labels from Etro and Rag & Bone to Papaya and Dorothy Perkins and this season their skirts say it all.
American Apparel’s black leather pencil skirt might be muted in colour but the snake skin finish has the Eighties written all over it – perfect as a day-to-night number to take you from the office to drinks or dinner. Style it down with a tucked in white T-Shirt or cashmere knit, depending on the weather.
Monsoon’s Anna-Lisa skirt in teal is equally bold and begging to be paired with a crisp white shirt to offset the sparkly disco vibe.
For something bright but less sparkly, the Dorothy Perkins red mini is another winner with a pair of opaques to see you through from chilly Winter to Spring.
Once the weather warms up, or if you’re brave enough to go on-trend and bare-legged, Octer stocks some amazing midi skirts in pretty blues, which go perfectly with the colour of the season – yellow.
Pair the beautiful Jolie Moi tulle midi skirt with a lemon yellow blouse for a pretty Spring lunch look with tan accessories.
If you’re budget stretches to it, Victoria Beckham’s georgette-trimmed pleated midi skirt in white and royal blue is divine. Style it down with a grey t-shirt and flats or up with a cami and heels.
So who should wear what, skirt-wise? If bare legs are involved, mini-skirts are a bad idea unless you have perfect pins and are in your teens or twenties. Midi skirts, on the other hand, are a winner for pretty much all of us. Just make sure that if you’re short you lengthen your legs with heels or wedges.
Shape wise, a clean pencil skirt works for most figures if it fits properly. Curvy girls can slim down with plain colours and matte fabrics while skinny minis can add shape with patterns and embellishment. It’s a win-win.
Maxi skirts, unless they’re from a petite range, should mostly be avoided by anyone hovering around the five foot mark and only worn by leggy ladies if they fall well below the ankle. Luckily, with skirts, there is a shape, style and fabric for all of us and Octer has it, and us, covered.
