OK, this might be slightly long and a ridiculous level of overthinking for a $80 skirt, but writing this out is helping me consider. Feel free to read and give your two cents if you are so inclined.  

For anyone who saw my earlier skirt-shopping posts, I almost forgot that I ordered this AFRM skirt in two different prints, and it arrived the other day. I previously posted about the reptile print skirt, and also the Topshop horse-print skirt. I'd like a couple of new skirts that will be wearable in summer, especially anything I can casualize with simple sandals and a tee. Ideally, anything I get can also dress UP, and be worn year round with tights and boots. 

So, the AFRM skirt: I like the zebra print, but I think I prefer the reptile print. The cut of both is easy and flattering if not exactly trendy or exciting. I would wear either one with black or white tops and black or metallic footwear, plus perhaps adding a color in a bag or jacket. 

(A caveat for anyone thinking of this skirt: the zebra print version is, oddly enough, about an inch smaller in the waist than the reptile print, even though they are the same size. They both fit -- the zebra just sits higher on my waist.) 

I love the print and the slits in the Topshop horse-print skirt, but I don't like the pleats in front, and in trying it on again, I think it's ever so slightly big all around, but I think a size down might be too small. The buttons in front, combined with the bulk of the sewn-down front pleats, tend to make the front not sit flat on the tummy, which is annoying. I *like* the zebra print, just not as much as the darker, more unique horse print. I wish I could just find some of that horse-print fabric and make a skirt from it!  

My rather limited skirt inventory at this point is:

- neutral print Maeve skirt that I wear a LOT (in Finds below)
- solid black jersey Athleta with a sort of A-line/tulip hybrid cut 
- solid black lined Altuzarra skirt with ruched front that dresses nicely up or down, year-round
- old denim BlankNYC pencil skirt (a little snug at the moment)
- Hinge wrap front skirt that isn't terribly versatile because it's a two-color print, neither one of which is neutral, but it still gets some wear in summer
- very old, long boho printed skirt in black and rust that my mom bought me years ago -- it's sentimental and somehow fits me no matter where I am in my weight range. I still wear it from time to time.
- patterned Maeve skirt from Anthro from a few years ago - abstract purple, white, and black print. It's a little thick for summer wear and it's not a good fabrication to wear over tights, so doesn't get a ton of wear, but I still like it. 
- I'm pretty sure I'm keeping the blue print Preen skirt I previously posted.

I tend to overbuy when I find something that works, and then one piece goes underused. So I'm trying to be smarter about duplicating an item before I even know I'll wear it. I'm inclined to keep the reptile print -- I love the fit and the drape, and the print feels just a tad edgy. The zebra print feels a bit more expected, or is that just me?? I'll return the horse print skirt -- it just doesn't feel great.

I am thinking I'll hang onto the zebra print for another couple of weeks to see if I reach for it, since I want to try Angie's formula from today's blog post, and I suspect that I'll try a version with one of these skirts, combined with moto, tights, and boots. 

If you've stayed with me this long without dozing off, I welcome reactions and feedback.