Zara box pleat skirt
Skirt, Zara; blouse, J. Crew (via consignment); necklace, J. Crew; shoes, Ivanka Trump

I mean, obviously, that is a slight exaggeration, but c’mon – how lovely is this skirt?

Zara box pleat skirt
who needs a pencil skirt?

I used to be a die-hard pencil skirt fan, but after returning to work from my last mat leave that started to change. I think a big part of the reason is that, unless a pencil skirt fits perfectly, it can be such a fussy garment. My weight has fluctuated quite a bit in the last 6 months and, well, you can start to understand my frustration with the old standby silhouette. Enter this Zara number. I’ll be honest: I paid way too much money for it (full retail price!) … aaaand I have no regrets. It’s incredibly flattering, notwithstanding the high waist and the past-the-knee hemline. It has a lovely, almost bell-like shape, but without any extra pouf around the mid-section (on the contrary). It is, quite simply, a skirt I could wear every week. And I plan on doing just that.

Zara box pleat skirt
textures and prints, oh my

I was a little concerned at first about how the skirt would work with blazers given its silhouette (high waist, midi length, full skirt), but I think I’ve hit on a good pairing. This J. Crew Factory tweed blazer nips in at the waist just enough to give the outfit some structure and help me avoid looking like I’m wearing a sack. Agreed? .

Zara box pleat skirt
blazer, J. Crew Factory

24 Comments on This Skirt is Everything

  1. Adina, the skirt IS everything! What a stunning silhouette… A quick question: I may have missed it in the archives (forgive me if this is the case), but I’m wondering where you take your outfit shots. And, if I can ask a follow up, do you have someone take them or do you use a timer?

    Gorgeous!

    Rhonda

    • Hi Rhonda! I usually ask a co-worker to take my OOTD photos in my office. The weekend OOTD ones are taken by my husband (as we’re leaving the house, LOL!)

  2. I have a BR black midi skirt that is very similar but I have not worn it yet. I don’t have an office job so I’m having a hard time styling it for a trip to Target ;o) Yours looks great! I love the top you’ve chosen. You glow in that color green.

    • Thank you πŸ™‚
      I can definitely see how this skirt would be difficult to style to casual wear, unless we’re talking a date night type of situation (or another dressy-casual event). Maybe try pairing with a cropped denim jacket? It’s such a nice style, it would be a shame not to wear it whenever you can.

      • How funny! When I saw your office-spin on this skirt (which I LOVE, by the way), I immediatley thought of more casual ways to wear it!

        -Slouchy striped tee, tucked in. Brown wedge sandals. Bright-colored cross body.
        -White tank top, tucked in. Simple flat sandals. Large, printed envelope clutch.
        -Coral crop top (with very little, or no, skin shown). Statement earrings. Simple wedges.

        • P.S. Sorry if all of the sandal talk makes you envious! I live in Phoenix and we’re already experiencing pre-summer weather (you know, the “cool” 90F temperatures before our real summer hits). I’ve been in sundresses for weeks now!

        • I think those would all be lovely options for any dressy casual event (like, anything that doesn’t involve a playground or a grocery store, which is a rare thing in my glamorous weekend life). The beauty of a navy skirt is that it goes with pretty much anything.

    • LOL! I have trouble opening up Zara’s website, so I can’t confirm if it’s still available online, but I think I bought mine 3 (ish?) weeks ago, so it should still be available in stores I would think. You know, in case you decided to see if for yourself in person πŸ˜‰ #NotEnabling

  3. HOW DID I NOT ENVISION YOU IN A MIDI SKIRT SOONER!? this is the perfect look for you! i’m so happy you bought it in navy because it’s such a perfect neutral for your closet. Next I want to see this paired with:

    – yellow paisley blouse
    – your navy/purple floral dress from your last capsule
    – your red bow shoes
    – your burgundy cardigan (i wonder worn tucked-in vs. out with a belt?)

    i also think it would look so gorgeous with pink, but Canada has too much winter for me to get back to your spring/summer archives and find your pink pieces.

    as a side note, i, too, struggle with the blazer + full skirt conundrum. i have a particularly short torso and just can’t pull it off, unfortunately, though i think you’re rocking it flawlessly here!

    • Hahaha! Yes, ma’am!

      It sounds like you need a cute little cropped blazer and then you can hop aboard the midi, full skirt train with me πŸ™‚

  4. That’s a great skirt! I’ve vaguely wanted to add a full/A-line type midi skirt to my wardrobe for a while, but never looked too hard for one. (Lack of extra poufing at the waist is probably key for me as well – most of the midi skirts I’ve tried have some poufing at the waist and it just does not work for me.)

    • The non-pouf factor is key! It’s what makes a skirt like this both more flattering and more comfortable than a typical pencil skirt.

  5. Love this outfit! It’s feminine yet work appropriate at the same time. I really like the blazer with it – I think I actually like it with the blazer best, actually. I may have to go look for my own midi skirt as pencils don’t really do it for me either. (But I did just buy a cute tweedy A-line skirt from LOFT for $10!)

    • That sounds like a steal! The only think I’d caution you with respect to midi skirts, is that they tend to look best with high-ish heels (or longer than average legs, LOL!). Although, come to think of it, you did find some cute heels at the swap, so maybe now is a perfect time for a midi skirt πŸ˜‰

      • Well, I definitely don’t have longer-than-average legs, so heels it is. πŸ™‚ I also picked up some cute heels in Vegas a few weeks ago as well, so the midi skirt is calling!

  6. That is the most romantic office-outfit I have ever seen. The blazer makes it behave, but the blouse and skirt together…beautiful. You pull it off very well!

    • Thank you! I guess it is a little on the romantic side – there is a bit of swish to the skirt. All the more reason to love it.

  7. What a great skirt! It’s fun to see something a little different (though you do rock your pencil skirts). I can imagine the many different ways you can remix this skirt, and can’t wait to see them!

  8. Well don’t you look fancy?! (In a good way, I swear). Love that pretty green blouse on you. Hope your week is going well πŸ™‚