Given their long and interesting history in fashion, you should learn how to style a skirt. Wearing skirts has been a symbol for everything from masculine strength to royalty. Their current association, however, is with style; ravishing, stunning style.
It doesn’t even matter what type of skirt you’re wearing; it can be a leather skirt or a cotton pencil skirt. The only thing that matters is that you’re doing it justice.
But what does “doing justice” mean in this context? How to style a skirt the right way? And how much room do skirts have for innovation and personal flair? Let’s find out.
What To Expect In This Article?
How to Style Skirts
If your experience with skirts is limited, you might think that skirts are restrictive with very few ways of styling them. The reality, however, is quite different. So different, that the answer to “how not to style a skirt?” would be much shorter than “how to style a skirt?” Suffice to say, skirts are easy to style with hundreds if not thousands of different ways to do so.
It will be difficult to find a situation or style that cannot be conquered with a combination of the right skirt, shirt, and pair of shoes. Here are a few of the best examples of how to style a skirt with ease.
With Jeans
Yes, you read that correctly; you can rock a skirt on top of jeans without this combo looking awkward. Having this outfit in your arsenal will allow you to dress up in snow cold winters with your favorite skirt without getting your legs frozen.
There are two tricks to pulling this off with success. First is to wear a short skirt, something along the lines of a box pleats skirt, over a pair of skin-tight jeans. This will create a physical separation between the skirt and jeans which is the key to this style.
The second trick is contrasting the color and pattern of the skirt with the jeans. So, if you’re wearing a pair of black jeans, make sure that your skirt has a lot of white or other color in it.
With A Sweater
You can pair skirts with almost every type of shirt out there. Most of them look great, while a handful are leagues above the rest. One of these top-tier shirts for skirts is a fluffy, furry sweater. It echoes the comfort part of wearing a skirt and makes your whole outfit as cozy as it gets.
A great example of such an outfit would be an A-line leather skirt with a mustard sweater on top. Finish this look with a pair of black fishnet leggings and high-top boots, and you’re ready to be the front cover of a fashion magazine.
Alternatively, you can also go for a cutesy look with a white woolen sweater and a tan maxi skirt. The trick with this outfit is to wear an oversized sweater for maximum charm.
With Sneakers
Most skirt outfits tread the line of traditional feminine clothing, with cuteness and charm being the focal point. These are also the outfits you will see on most guides on how to style a skirt. However, skirts can be used for a tom-boy look as well.
All you need for that is a mono-color gathered skirt (something dark like black or charcoal), a blue denim shirt, a pair of low-top sneakers, and a matching zipper hoodie.
Wear the shirt over the skirt, but make it shorter by closing the top few buttons and making a knot at the bottom. Keep the hoodie open at the front for a droopy unstructured vibe.
Lastly, try to match the color of the sneakers with the hoodie, but you don’t have to go one-to-one. For example, if the hoodie is black with a handful of red stripes, matching this outfit with red sneakers would be a valid choice.
What Shirts to Wear with Skirts?
As we briefly discussed earlier, skirts work with almost any shirt you can think of. That said, there are a few shirts that are a must-have for anyone looking to dive deep into how to style a skirt. Here is a list of shirts that should be a part of your capsule wardrobe alongside the skirts.
White Button-Up
White button-ups are the true neutral of women’s shirts. They look fantastic with everything and different skirt styles are the same. The biggest reason to wear a white button-up, however, is to show off the skirt.
If your goal with an outfit is to put the focus onto your fancy skirt without making the rest of your ensemble look boring, wear a white button-up. They will divert the attention towards the skirt while also being interesting in their own right.
Another outfit you can try with white shirts is black and white, where you pair a plain white button-up with a plain black high-low skirt.
Boxy Crop-Top
For many women, classic crop tops are the default shirt for their skirts, and it is easy to see why. This combo is quick to pull off, and you don’t have to put much effort into matching colors.
However, did you know that swapping out the classic crop top for a boxy one is better in most ways? The straight angles of this shirt contrast beautifully with the rounded shape of a panel skirt and give your whole outfit a distinct personality.
Ruffled Blouse
Most shirts try to put the attention away from themselves and project it all onto the skirt. The ruffled blouse, however, is the complete opposite. It’s fancy and flamboyant with tons of color and a striking semi-transparent fabric.
So, the best way to rock this shirt is with a plain pencil skirt. This skirt, in particular, will negate some of the glamor from this shirt, preventing your outfit from going overboard with the luxe.
Hooded Sweatshirt
Skirts are part of women’s fashion for their comfort as much as they are for their style, and wearing them with a hooded sweatshirt proves that. An oversized hoodie combined with patterned yoke and flowy skirts makes some of the most wholesome outfits you can wear as a woman.
The best part about hooded shirts, however, is that they work in most casual situations, from mundane stuff like grocery shopping to hanging out with your friends over the weekend.
How to Style A Tennis Skirt?
There is a good chance that tennis skirts are the easiest skirt to style on this planet. So, if you don’t know how to style a skirt, get started with these, and you will master the basics with ease.
As for what things to wear with skirts, start with a plain t-shirt. A classic crewneck white tee over a plain black tennis skirt will get you the sporty look that tennis skirts are known for, especially when combined with a pair of white tennis shoes.
If you’re looking for a cozier, chic vibe, then pair a white tennis skirt with a brown cardigan. The cardigan, in this case, would act as the shirt, and you don’t have to wear any shirt under it.
Another fantastic example of how to style a skirt of this type is with a fall leather jacket. You will have to spend some time picking a shirt, but the end result is worth the added effort.
How to Style a Long Skirt?
Many women struggle with how to style a skirt that goes way below their knees. The length of these long skirts can also vary from mid-calves to ankles, further complicating the styling process. Lucky for you, there are a few tops and tips that you can try to master long skirts.
The best top by far, for long skirts, is a crop top. It further accentuates the length of your skirt and makes it to the center point of your ensemble. This also presents the perfect opportunity to wear maxi skirts with interesting floral patterns. Satin skirts, in particular, are an ideal match for this type of outfit.
Another way of conquering long skirts is with the power of layering. All you need for this is one high quality jacket to wear with skirts. It can be anything from a shiny leather biker jacket to a sophisticated blazer.
One type of outfit that you can only rock with a long skirt and layers is wearing a plain black skirt with a matching black top that’s tucked into the skirt and held with a leather belt. The star of the show in this outfit will be colorful (red, pink, yellow, or orange) coats to wear with skirts.
How to Style Different Colored Skirts?
Unlike many other garments, skirts are not affected much by their color. However, this does not mean that you can wear anything over any color skirt; there are still a few guidelines to follow.
For example, if a guide on what to wear with black skirts mentions a specific shirt, you can wear the same shirt over navy blue and charcoal skirts as well. But you cannot pair that shirt with a baby pink skirt, for example.
There are, however, so many unique colors of skirts out there that recommending the best outfits for each is far beyond the scope of this guide. What we can do instead is give you a rule of thumb that can be applied to almost every color of the skirt and its outfit.
Look for A Relation
The key to pairing any color of the skirt with the right shirt is to look for a relationship between the colors. Let’s say you picked a color for the skirt and one for the shirt at random.
Now put these colors together and ask yourself, “Do these colors complement each other like white and pink, or yellow and blue?” and “Do these colors contrast each other such as black and white, or red and cyan?” If the answer to both of these questions is a no, then you have to pick some other color.
As a side note, this rule does not apply to color combos that are already iconic. For example, blue and brown, or red and black.
Stylish Outfits To Wear With Skirts
Here is a quick list of skirt outfits that you should try.
Jeans Skirt
This ensemble consists of a blue jeans skirt and a white well-fitted tank-top. It’s simple and to the point, yet artistic to the maximum.
Floral Skirt
Pair a black floral skirt with a baby pink crop top to achieve the ultimate feminine vibe.
Checkered Skirt
A white and blue checkered godet skirt combined with a tight-fit black turtleneck can be the perfect contrast between cute and sexy.
Pencil Skirt
Do you want to wear a skirt to the office? Pair a black pencil skirt with a white ruffle front shirt and a matching black leather blazer.
FAQs – How To Style A Skirt
Yes, they are in style in 2023. In fact, skirt and skirt outfits never went out of style in the first place.
The key to styling a tight skirt is to be minimal. Wear plain flat shoes and top them with a clean-cut shirt. You can also find outer layers like leather jackets to wear with skirts and add some depth to tight skirt outfits.
Line skirts work great with colorful t-shirts and patterned button-ups. They are also the perfect skirt for things like fishnet leggings and high-top boots.
Any skirt that sits at least two inches below the knees and anywhere above the ankles is called a midi skirt.
Skirts that sit just below the knee or the calf muscle are considered the most flattering by most women. On the other hand, skirts that are too short or too long are considered unflattering by most standards.
There are two major considerations in matching tops with skirts. First is the silhouette and design of the skirt and second is the color/pattern. You can start with plain tops in muted colors to make matching easier and work your way up from there.
Final Words
There are hundreds of unique and varied types of skirts out there, each with distinct length, design, color, and pattern. However, the thing that almost all of them have in common is that they are a vital part of women’s fashion.
Styling skirts and finding the right tops to go with skirts can be a hassle at times. But, this hassle can be turned into a massive arsenal of gorgeous outfits with the right understanding of skirt-wearing rules and by injecting some personal creativity into the mix.
