Pants? No—This Specific Skirt Style Is Officially the Stylish Default

Pants are dead... or so it seems if you look at Prada's S/S 27 collection. Accurately titled The Skirt, the show featured 63 looks with pretty much every variation of the staple possible: pencil, pleated, and so on. Of course, we should note that it's not the first time in fashion history we've seen pants being pushed aside for a more stylish default. Beyond Miuccia Prada's personal penchant for skirts, we've seen this piece amass its own cultural cachet. Who, after all, could forget the famous monologue from The Devil Wears Prada? The moment Miranda Priestly announced "I need 10 or 15 skirts from Calvin Klein" had an indelible impact on the psyche of fashion people, inadvertently cementing skirts' place in culture and everyone's closets.

Over the years, we've seen different skirt styles trend, but one silhouette is sure to be big this fall: the pencil skirt. Groundbreaking? Hardly. However, few other silhouettes have managed to outlast the trend cycle. That phenomenon continues today. The spring/summer 2026, fall/winter 2026, and even spring/summer 2027 collections have reinvented the classic staple in new ways, giving a whole new generation the chance to finally lay their pants to rest (at least for a little bit). If you can't imagine a world in which pencil skirts are your default piece, keep reading. Ahead, we're sharing examples of the trend on the runway and in real life to guide you on how to wear skirts. Plus, we've rounded up the 33 best pencil skirts to buy at every price point. Pant people, start grieving because you're about to become a skirt person.

About the Skirt Trend

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First popularized in the '90s, the slim-fitting skirt became a closet staple championed by fashion houses like Jil Sander, Calvin Klein, and, of course, Prada. While the pencil skirt's popularity can be partly attributed to its outsized presence on the runway, its long-lasting impact can be attributed to an even more pivotal change happening in society: women entering the workforce in record numbers. The political equity movements of the '60s and '70s, paired with the unprecedented economic inflation of the '80s, drove the share of women in the workforce to 71% by 1985. That dramatic societal shift was best reflected in women's fashion choices at the time, as they were drawn to minimalist aesthetics that prioritized neutral colors, clean lines, and capsule wardrobes.

Undoubtedly, that era gave us some of the best trends that still influence fashion today, including pencil skirts. But we'd argue that the heyday of the pencil skirt is far from over. Recent runway collections have revived the staple. One of the first examples of this tailored skirt coming back from the dead came in the S/S 25 shows of Ferragamo, Saint Laurent, and Versace—where the staple shape arrived in luxe leather. Since then, we've seen countless fashion houses release versions of pencil skirts with reworked tailoring, unexpected textiles, contemporary styling, and vibrant prints and colors to bring the style into the future. With so many new ways to wear pencil skirts, it's no wonder they've become popular among the in-the-know crowd.

How to Wear Pencil Skirts

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Fashion people have shown that this staple has just as much styling versatility as, if not more than, any pair of pants. When you're tired of wearing trousers to work, swap them out for a leather pencil skirt styled with an oversize sweater, flannel shirt, or tailored blazer. Outside office hours, try styling your pencil skirt with a simple tee and heels or sandals for a polished off-duty look. When all else fails, lean into the principle behind Prada's spring show: Treat your skirt as the focal piece, not just another staple. Whether you opt for a statement skirt with a calf-hair finish, a low-slung leather version, or even one with a sweeping floor-length hemline, you can rest assured that wearing a pencil skirt this fall will be a decision you won't regret.

Shop the Best Pencil Skirts