The Simple Styling Trick That Turns Pencil Skirts From Corporate to Chic in 5 Seconds or Less
As much as fashion has tried to push pencil skirts on us for the last two years, many people I've polled still aren't falling for it. They simply can't separate the silhouette from its corporate reputation, often calling them boring or stale. Fortunately, after seeing what I just saw, I have a good feeling that public perception around pencil skirts is about to change. All it took was Hailey Bieber and a great (and simple!) styling trick, most likely brought to life by her stylist Dani Michelle.
In a photo posted to Bieber's Instagram Stories last week, and later to Dani Michelle's IG feed, the Rhode founder can be seen sporting a very '90s sleeveless turtleneck with tiny sunglasses, a Bottega Veneta Falcon clutch, and yes, a pencil skirt. But it wasn't just any old pencil skirt that you'd wear to the office.
On Hailey Bieber: Bottega Veneta bag
What makes Bieber's pencil skirt different from the ones you'd find at a bank or law office is the belt—or rather, belts—that she wore on top of it. On her black skirt were not one, but two black belts that added a touch of coolness and intention that's certainly not guaranteed when it comes to pencil skirts. Her look, as a result, leaned more '90s fashion girl—decked out in Calvin Klein, Prada, and Narciso Rodriguez—than corporate boss, and for that, I thank her and her stylist.
Follow in Bieber's footsteps by shopping the belted pencil skirts below. Though none feature her double-belt feature, you can re-create it easily by adding a belt of your own.
Get the belted pencil skirt look:
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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