Styling A Black Leather Skirt

Image via Who What Wear 

My mother was the ultimate working-mum. She would wake up at around 6am and cook for the day, get my brother and I ready for school and then she would get ready for work herself. I still have vivid memories of how put together and professional she always looked. One of the outfits she would have on high rotation was a dark grey leather suit (jacket and skirt) -a present from my dad. On our last trip to Spain this Summer, my mother gave me a little surprise: the leather skirt is now mine! After more than thirty years it still looks like new. 

After a fair amount of research, I came to realize that not only is the leather skirt a timeless must-have item, but also it's one of the most versatile pieces any well-dressed woman could own. I'm breaking down here some of my favorite ways to style a classic black leather skirt: 

With blouses:

1, 2, 3, 4

This would be the most obvious choice to achieve a polished look. But no matter how conservative the top is, the leather skirt will always bring a rock-and-roll vibe to the outfit.

With T-shirts:

1, 2, 3, 4

Nothing dresses down pretty much anything like a good cotton t-shirt. When paired with a leather skirt, the result is unapologetically chic and effortlessly cool. Up the ante by adding some red lips or a statement necklace. 

With Sweaters: 

1, 2, 3, 4

I'm a sucker for chunky, cozy sweaters. While I usually wear them with jeans or leggings for a casual look, they work just as well with a leather skirt. The juxtaposition of textures softens an otherwise too dark-ish look, without losing a bit of sophistication. 

With denim, stripes and more:

1, 2, 3, 4

In case you were not entirely sold on the skirt's versatility by now, here you have a few more examples of how this skirt can elevate some of our most beloved basics: denim or buffalo shirts, striped or vintage t-shirts, and more...

I couldn't be more excited about styling my mother's skirt, which represents not only a reminder of everything she has done and still does for all of us, but also a reference of the type of woman I want to become.