Pencil skirt and liquid leggings - Yay or Nay

Lavinia

I like it in real life but fear that it doesn't come across as edgy yet polished on camera.

Here are the pics. Hope you don't find them too dark as I had a hard time taking them, because of all the black elements that show up poorly on my Nokia phone camera.

Y/N?

Suggestions for improvements welcomed!

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14 years ago

Urgent

13 replies

Latest reply was from Lavinia

Deborah

Veteran

Lavinia, on first look I wasn't sure. I have spent some time letting my eyes adjust (as Angie recommends) and I think it looks quite edgy. The shoes look good, are they flats, I can't tell. An animal print shoe could work to. Is this the top you would wear?

14 years ago

lyn67

Veteran

I'll listen to this thread.
I like them on you but unsure if I could dress it myself. I so much want to make work a similar outfit, pencil skirt with plain ankle leggings(to my age, and my calves liquids will be too much I think:-(()
But I guess all is in the colours and textures.
Skirt has to be a bit of substantial here, doesn't it?

14 years ago

fern

Veteran

I love the leggings, but I think it's reading, in these photos, as a polished (even conservative) outfit over edgy leggings.
Do you want it to be more balanced? Then more edgy on top, somehow.

14 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I see you aren't getting many actual VOTES. It is partly the picture quality, I fear...and partly that we can't see your head so the whole effect is slightly lost. I THINK I like this, though. The leggings are cool.

14 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I've looked a couple of times, in an effort to let my eye adjust, and I'm not sure about this look. You look so slim and lovely, I just somehow feel like this is hiding your legs.

However, take my words with a grain or two of salt. I am NOT a leggings person, although I can often appreciate them on other people. I'm thinking I would like these leggings in another outfit. Maybe this skirt is too long with the leggings, so I'm not getting the best of either garment. I'm getting an overall bottom-heavy vibe from this, with the dark shoes, dark leggings, and dark skirt, all with the light top. And by "bottom-heavy" I am not speaking of your body at all. It's the visual darkness of every item on your lower half. Maybe the animal print shoe suggestion would help? Something to incorporate the lighter tone from the top with the black?

14 years ago

mamaKate

Veteran

tentative yay - for even more edge (to my eye) try a skirt with an even more feminine (thus contrasting) texture, say lace or brocade / jaquard?

14 years ago

celia

Veteran

a tentative yes from me.I like the combo pencil skirt / leggings but unless you have very dark hair it needs a bit of black on the top.

14 years ago

Anna

Active Member

It's a bit of a conflict for me because the sweater and pencil skirt are so safe/conservative (something to wear to a business office) and the leggings are extremely casual. So it's a disconnect between business wear and casual wear. I would vote for tights instead just to keep with the business wear feel.

14 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Love the leggings with the skirt! Need a more edgy top, though.

14 years ago

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I had the exact same thought as Angie; love the bottom half but the top is kind of a snooze in comparison!

14 years ago

rute

Veteran

I love it!

14 years ago

hillview

Active Member

I agree with fern and angie. I like the leggings and skirt is there a more oomph shirt? Something with some color? Where did you get them?

14 years ago

Lavinia

Active Member

Hey, guys, sorry for being away for so long. I'm still recovering from my last migraine and I couldn't bring myself to be at the computer.
I really appreciate everybody's input! you're so amazing with your observations and tips.
I wanted this outfit to be edgy but not over the top hence the plain top ans simple pendant to balance out the flashy leggings but now I see that most don't like this combo ...
What kind of top would you suggest then?

@Deborah: I agree that an animal print shoes would look cute but unfortunately I don't own any.

@lyn67: Yes, the skirt need to be substantial and perhaps a smidge shorter than mine is.

@fern: actually, I wanted to contrast edgy and polished but it kinda got lost somewhere along the way I love contrasts in outfits: masculine-feminine, liquid leggings with heavy knits, military and floral - yum!

@Suz: yeah, I know - I take lousy photos in a lousy light :-/ Unfortunately, I don't see the situation changing any time soon. BF has a new camera but he's not always around when I'm headed somewhere or am just experimenting with some new combinations. This is why I appreciate your input even more, because you make an even greater effort to help me out.

@Janet: your observation makes total sense, but it was still kinda summery here (though about to change tomorrow) and I didn't want to drown myself in black in 25 + degrees C (eventually, I didn't even wear this combo, since it wasn't received that well).

@KateS: thanks for the suggestion but I don't have any skirts like that, although I love the look of jaquard!

@celia: I have medium brown hair but wear a pony most of the time so the bookending effect gets kinda lost. Plus, I didn't want to be all black :/ Don't get me wrong, I love me some head to toe black but not when there is still summer around

@Anna: Thanks, Anna! I was aiming for the juxtaposition of conservative and trendy/flashy, but I think it didn't come across as I had planned it

@Angie: thanks, Angie! what do you mean by an edgier top? I tried this combo and popped over a cropped motto jacket and I think it really pulled the outfit together. Any visuals, perhaps?

@Jenava: yeah, I didn't want to go over the top, I just tried to juxtapose classic and edgy. Again, it didn't really work, huh? :-))

@rute: High five!

@hillview: Thanks for the suggestion, perhaps some colour would be nice
I got the top a few years ago via a European catalog brand called Quelle, the skirt is another catalog brand Halens, the liquid leggings are a cheapo store called Kik and the shoes are almost vintage (at least 15 years old) and used to be my sister's.

14 years ago

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