Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend.

Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend.

      If you find that skirts are a limited part of your wardrobe in 2026, particularly when compared to pants, shorts, and dresses, let me highlight the essential silhouette you should invest in to appear fashionable this year. Pencil skirts have dominated the skirt category, appearing on celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid, as well as models on the runways of Toteme, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Khaite, and more. Everyone prominent in fashion is either creating or sporting pencil skirts at the moment, but to wear them successfully, you need to know one crucial detail. No fashion authority is pairing pencil skirts with flats; that's simply not happening. Instead, they are opting for heels, with one style in particular taking the lead: heeled mules.

      This combination was recently showcased by actress Camila Morrone, who is currently promoting her new Netflix horror film, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. On Thursday, Morrone was seen in Midtown Manhattan wearing an all-black outfit (her favorite color choice throughout her film press tour) designed by Max Mara, featuring a cropped mock-neck sweater with elbow-length sleeves paired with a matching pencil skirt from the Italian brand's spring/summer 2026 collection. To complete her pencil-skirt look, she and her stylist, Emma Jade Morrison, chose a pair of high heeled mules with a delicate peep-toe detail from Black Suede Studio.

      What makes heeled mules the perfect complement to pencil skirts is their ability to elongate the foot and leg, which is essential when wearing a skirt that hits at the knee. While it’s easy to appear tall in a miniskirt, pencil skirts can make anyone look shorter if the wrong shoes are worn, regardless of their height. Heeled mules are the ideal answer, with tall options like Morrone’s looking just as elegant and stylish as kitten-heel versions that may offer more comfort and ease of wear. Below, you can recreate Morrone's look and explore the best pencil skirts and heeled mules available this season.

      Pencil Skirts + Heeled Mules Outfit

      Get Camila's Look

      Commando

      Ballet Body Cropped Crewneck Tee

      MANGO

      Wool-Blend Midi-Skirt

      BLACK SUEDE STUDIO

      Shania 100 Satin Mule

      Shop Pencil Skirts

      Willy Chavarria X Zara

      Wool Blend Pencil Midi Skirt

      KHAITE

      Kendra Denim Skirt

      NOUR HAMMOUR

      Paneled Leather Pencil Skirt

      English Factory

      High Waist Column Midi Skirt

      MANGO

      Croc-Effect Midi-Skirt

      Shop Heeled Mules

      Tony Bianco

      Sicily Pointed Toe Mule

      Jimmy Choo

      Brigitte Peep Toe Mule

      Shopbop

      Staud Brigitte High Wedge Sandals

      Anne Klein

      Cassia Kitten Heel Mule

      The Row

      Liiisa Pointed Toe Kitten Heel Mule

      Aquazzura

      Secret Peep Toe Mule Heels

      Explore More:

      Mules

      Heels

Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend. Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend.

Other articles

It's a fact: Fashion enthusiasts are trading in their loafers and ballet flats for this controversial sneaker trend. It's a fact: Fashion enthusiasts are trading in their loafers and ballet flats for this controversial sneaker trend. They've never appeared more stylish. Chic New Yorkers Avoid Pairing Pencil Skirts with Flats—Opting Instead for This Heel Trend. Chic New Yorkers Avoid Pairing Pencil Skirts with Flats—Opting Instead for This Heel Trend. Apologies, but flats with a pencil skirt simply don't resonate in 2026. On the other hand, heeled shoes complement the silhouette flawlessly every time. It's a fact: Fashion enthusiasts are replacing their loafers and ballet flats with this controversial sneaker trend. It's a fact: Fashion enthusiasts are replacing their loafers and ballet flats with this controversial sneaker trend. They've never appeared more stylish. It's only March, yet I'm already purchasing these bikinis for the summer of 2026. It's only March, yet I'm already purchasing these bikinis for the summer of 2026. The trendiest bikinis for summer 2026 are already being released—and are quickly flying off the shelves. Here’s what to purchase now before they’re all gone.

Chic New Yorkers avoid pairing pencil skirts with flats—they only style them with this heel trend.

Apologies, but pairing flats with a pencil skirt just doesn't resonate in 2026. On the other hand, this heeled shoe trend complements the silhouette flawlessly every time.