Bracketing pencil skirts: sit, walk, then decide

A pencil skirt is the only garment in the wardrobe that is fitted standing and worn sitting, and the fitting room only tests the first half. Standing, a pencil skirt looks right in two sizes. Sitting, one of them rides up, pulls across the lap, and makes the wearer tug at the hem every ten minutes. The bracket has to test the sitting half, or it tests nothing.

Bracket two sizes and sit in each one. Put on the smaller size, sit in a chair the way you sit at work, and look at the hem. If it has ridden up more than a couple of centimetres and the fabric is pulling in horizontal lines across the lap, the skirt is too small through the hip, not the waist. Then stand and walk. If the smaller size restricts your stride to short steps, it will restrict it all day. The larger size should let you sit, stand, and walk without thinking about the skirt, which is the whole point of it.

The waist lies, the hip tells the truth

Pencil skirts are sold by waist size, and the waist is the measurement that matters least. The hip and the seat decide whether the skirt works, because the skirt is a tube and the tube has to pass the widest point. A skirt that fits the waist and binds the hip will always ride up when you sit, because the fabric has nowhere else to go.

Check the back vent while you are walking. A vent that sits closed when you stand and splits open when you walk is doing its job. A vent that is already open when you stand means the skirt is too tight through the hip, and the vent is compensating for a size error. A vent that never opens means the skirt is too loose, and the silhouette you bought the skirt for is gone.

The fabric decides how much forgiveness you get

A pencil skirt with elastane forgives a half size. A wool or cotton skirt with no stretch forgives nothing, and the size has to be right on the day, not after a week of wear. Check the fabric content before you bracket, because it changes the decision. With stretch, keep the smaller size if it passes the sit test. Without stretch, keep the size that passes the sit test with room to spare, because the fabric will not give you any.

Wardrobing hides inside this category more than most. A pencil skirt ordered for one event, worn once, and returned looks identical in the data to a bracketed skirt returned unworn, until the inspection finds the mark. The difference is the wear, and the inspection is where the brand finds it. A clean bracket, decided on the sit test, is the version of this story where nobody loses.

The keeper

Keep the size that sits without riding, walks without restricting, and holds its vent closed when you stand. Send back the size that needs tugging every ten minutes. A pencil skirt you have to think about is a pencil skirt you will stop wearing, and a skirt you stop wearing is a return waiting to happen.

Keep reading: Bracketing heels: toe box room against heel height, Bracketing puffer coats: hood and zip fit.

Frequently asked questions

How do I test a pencil skirt properly?

Sit in it the way you sit at work, then stand and walk. The hem should not ride up more than a couple of centimetres when you sit, and your stride should not shorten. A skirt that only fits standing does not fit.

Should the back vent open when I walk?

A little, yes. The vent is there to let you walk. If it is already open when you stand, the skirt is too tight through the hip. If it never opens, the skirt is too loose for the silhouette.

Does stretch change which size I should keep?

Yes. With elastane, the smaller size is often right if it passes the sit test. Without stretch, keep the size with room to spare, because the fabric will not give you any over the day.

What if both sizes ride up when I sit?

The cut is too narrow through the hip for your shape, or the length is wrong for your height. A skirt with a longer line or a different cut will sit better than a third size in the same skirt.