Pleated Skirt – 3 Ways – Style As Needed

In the past, I’ve always avoided pleated skirts because I felt like they were hard to work with. I didn’t know what to pair them up with and what looked best. I’ve also always stayed away from the midi length as I felt like it was unflattering for my body type. In this post, I’m challenging myself with two intimidating styles : midi and pleats.

In reality, there are a million ways to wear pleated skirts. People have been doing it for years and successfully so. I decided to start on a safer note – aka I ordered a black pleated skirt and started with the color that goes with all. Honestly, I was able to come up with a lot more than just three ways to wear it so I think going with black was the right choice.

I picked up my black pleated skirt from ASOS and you can still find it here. It’s very comfortable, comes with a zipper and I personally sized up so that I can pair it up with sweaters and tuck in other “bulkier” tops into the skirt so I ordered a medium. When it comes to summer time, I’ll be able to throw a belt over the skirt and have no problems wearing it still. I’m already dreaming of throwing a leopard belt with a chambray tie top onto the skirt and wearing my favorite sandals for a Sunday farmer’s market visit 😊

Today, I’ll be sharing the ways to wear the skirt that I found to be the most flattering and easiest to recreate, so let’s get into how to wear a pleated skirt three different ways…

With a Sweater

This one will be the most useful for the upcoming months. A pleated skirt looks great with a sweater thrown over it, whether that’s a bulky sweater or a fitted one. I went with a fitted off shoulder sweater I recently picked up at H&M while I was in Kazakhstan (the exact version isn’t available online but a very similar one can be found here) and stiletto booties. This look would be great for a nicer date night or going out for drinks with your friends. I would throw on a pair of tights when it really gets cold and change the sweater color to something more in the brown category. Why? I don’t know, just the vision that’s in my head screams tan or beige sweater when tights get thrown into the category.

With a Chambray Top

This is the look for brunch with your girlfriends. Throw on a chambray top, roll up the sleeves and add a comfortable pair of flats and voila – you’re ready to go. I did my “Cinderella” flats with this one – aka silver sparkly flats that I’m obsessed with that you can still find in pink and black here! A scarf would look great here as well, but not a bulky crochet scarf – a silk or a chiffon scarf to make the look not scream “winter” quite yet but you know, early stages of fall. My chambray top is from JCrew Factory outlets and is a great staple to have in your closet. It’s available online here as well.

Graphic Tee + Leather Jacket

Saved the best for last. This look was definitely my favorite and definitely the one I plan on wearing in the near future. I took a graphic long sleeve tee from BCBG, threw on a leather jacket and a pair of white Keds and I had the combination of chic and comfort all in one. The leather jacket definitely adds an edge to the look and the Keds definitely bring the look down from dressy to casual. This is perfect for meeting up with someone at a café/restaurant, running errands (but like the kind of errands where you want to run into someone so they see your outfit) or a more casual date night as well.