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Tube Pencil Skirts Transporting Straight 90s

Think Gwyneth Paltrow in the mid-1990s: tube and pencil skirts are having a moment.

They say that everything comes full circle in fashion. And so it is proved by our current collective full-scale nineties nostalgia moment – and if you’re not there yet, we can highly recommend getting involved. There’s nothing like a sing-along to a spot of Britpop while donning a bucket hat for a happy wander down memory lane. But the 90s were not all about sitting in muddy fields at Glastonbury wearing nylon Adidas jackets. The flip side was a pared back elegance as espoused by Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani and worn beautifully by the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow. (Kate Moss, meanwhile, married the grunge and the simplicity to perfection.) It was a time of camel tones, simple slip dresses and – crucially – the pencil or tube skirt, back then typically paired with camisole tops. For a modern take, we recommend wearing them with oversized graphic tees, sloppy sweaters, big sunglasses and chunky/ ugly trainers. We love these ones to sashay back to Cool Britannia in.

By Nancy Alsop
June 2023
Emma Wallace

Emma Wallace

Mariposa Skirt, £255

Anthropologie

Anthropologie

Plissé Pencil Skirt, £80

The White Company

The White Company

Knitted Wool Midi Skirt, NOW £77.40

Cos

Cos

The Tailored Midi Pencil Skirt, £115

Reiss

Reiss

Brooklyn Stud-Embellished Woven Midi Skirt, £198

Pleats Please

Pleats Please

New Colourful Basics Red Pleated Straight-Cut Skirt, £280

Sezane

Sezane

Felicia Skirt, £150

Kitri

Kitri

Delphine Green Stripe Knitted Midi-Skirt, £120

Mango

Mango

Striped Knitted Skirt, £35.99

Anthropologie

Anthropologie

Satin Lace Midi Skirt, £75

Sezane

Sezane

Mattia Skirt, £125

Jigsaw

Jigsaw

Linen Knitted Midi Skirt, Ivory, £125

Cos

Cos

The High-Slit Maxi Pencil Skirt, £150

H&M

H&M

Jersey Pencil Skirt, £9.99

Zara

Zara

Striped Chenille Skirt, £22.99

Nancy Alsop

Editor

Nancy is a magpie for the best in design and culture.

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