Goodbye, Pleated Skirts—This Retro Trend Is Making a Significant Comeback This Winter

      I am a big fan of pleated skirts and practically live in them. I own a multitude of them, yet I continue to buy more. This trend is popular among many, from Mrs. Prada to the trendiest individual I spot on the subway platform. Recently, however, Lili Reinhart made me reconsider floral pencil skirts as an interesting alternative to my usual choice.

      Pencil and midi skirts remind me of the 2010s, and I won’t deny that, like many millennials, I've worn pencil skirts with blazers to clubs. It’s a look I wouldn’t repeat, particularly in that scenario, and the thought of it does make me cringe. Nevertheless, Reinhart's take on the pencil skirt was actually quite adorable and evoked a completely different set of feelings for me.

      Reinhart donned Tory Burch's Cotton Velvet Skirt (currently discounted for the Black Friday event) paired with a green Tory Burch cardigan. The ruched floral midi skirt created such a lovely silhouette alongside the cropped, fitted cardigan. Had I worn something like that in 2010, I would have looked back on it with pride instead of embarrassment.

      As trends tend to cycle back around, pencil skirts are likely to make a resurgence any day now. Thus, in 2026, you can still find me in my pleated skirts, but I might also incorporate a floral midi from time to time.

      Here are some skirts to consider:

      - Tory Burch Printed Cotton Velvet Skirt in White

      - Banana Republic Mesh Midi Skirt

      - Erdem Garden Satin Pencil Midi-Skirt

      - Reformation Layla Silk Skirt

      - Ted Baker Floraas Belted Midi Skirt

      - Alice + Olivia Maeve Floral Satin Midi-Skirt

      - Milly Rory Velvet-Floral Maxi Skirt

      - Ungaro Remy Floral Lace Pencil Knee-Length Skirt

      - Staud Angela Floral-Embellished Midi-Skirt

      - Shushu/Tong Floral-Appliqué Pencil Skirt

      - Vince Blurred Poppy Column Skirt

      - Damaris Bailey Celeste Skirt