From Meghan Markle to Marlene Dietrich: who is your pencil skirt icon?

News from the spring/summer 2018 catwalks: according to Prada and Gucci, pencil skirts are back at the sharp edge of fashion. But are you a pencil skirt kind of person?After all, there are pros and cons when it comes to pencil skirts. You couldn’t ride a bike in one. You might not have much luck running for the bus. But as a counterpoint to a voluminous top, or a way to feel more pulled-together in the office, they can be pretty handy, as this quintet of pencil skirt patrons prove.

An early example of the pencil skirt, as designed by Christian Dior as part of the New Look. Dietrich wears it in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1950 film Stage Fright, the peplum on the jacket creating the hourglass shape that was the epitome of the postwar silhouette. Pencil skirts in similar heritage fabrics – wool, checks and houndstooth – were all over the Balenciaga catwalks, paired with striped shirts and plastic-coated blouses.

The fashion industry has no shortage of pencil-skirt icons. Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet deserves a lifetime achievement award for dedication to the cause of outlandish iterations, pairing leopard print with little black tops and leather versions with artfully déshabillé blouses. Type “Carine Roitfeld” into Google images for further inspiration in this category.

Source: theguardian