Apencil skirt is a slim-fittingskirt with a straight, narrow cut. Generally the hem falls to, or is just below, the knee and is tailored for a close fit. It is named for its shape: long and slim like apencil.[1][2]
The pencil skirt may be worn either as a separate piece of clothing or as part of asuit. A pencil skirt usually has avent at the back, or less commonly at the sides, since its slim, narrow shape can otherwise restrict the movement of the wearer. Sometimes akick pleat, which exposes less skin, is used instead of a vent. Pencil skirts made from stretchy knitted fabrics do not normally need vents or pleats.
Typical shoes for wearing with a pencil skirt arepumps, orhigh heels, with sheerstockings ortights. Back-seamed hosiery recalls the classic pencil-skirt era of the 1950s. Pencil skirts can also be worn with flats for a more casual, youthful appearance that echoes the 1960s. Pencil skirts andloafers are classicpreppy wear.[citation needed]
Narrow-fitting skirts have a long history in Western fashion. The predecessor to the pencil skirt is thehobble skirt, a pre–World War I fad inspired by theBallets Russes. This full-length skirt with a narrow hem seriously impeded walking.
The French designerChristian Dior introduced the classic modern pencil skirt in his 1954 Autumn Winter collection.[3]
Along with theminiskirt, the pencil skirt quickly became very popular, particularly foroffice wear. This success was due to women's desire for new fashions in the wake ofSecond World War andCold Warrationing, coupled with the austere economic climate, when fabrics were expensive.
Media related toPencil skirts at Wikimedia Commons