I Found a Genuine Leather Skirt I Can Wear All Day

While I was pursuing Sézane’s new fall offerings, I found a treasure trove of leather-skirt options. While I initially wanted a straighter silhouette, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to give a more relaxed A-line skirt a try, since I have a nearly ten-inch difference between my waist and my hips and I thought the fit would be a bit less tricky. Unfortunately, I misjudged the sizing anyway and ordered the Soelle skirt in a size too large. I am happy to report that Sézane’s sizing is generous, but you might want to go down a size if you’re in between like I am. Even after I pinned it, I realized it was just too voluminous for the look I was going for — I felt like I was drowning in the fabric.

I really, really liked the look of the built-in belt on the brand’s Yasmin skirt, but once I tried the skirt on, I realized it wasn’t super-functional. And while I thought the skirt was going to be a rich chestnut brown, in person the leather was a much lighter shade than the product pictures showed on the website. The fit was better than the Soelle skirt above, but I realized I wanted something a bit more formfitting.

This led me to try on the Sézane Magalia, which is a column skirt. The Magalia did come in the richer shade of brown I was after, and I really liked the more figure-skimming cut, but I did notice some pulling around my stomach. Not a deal-breaker, and I will still happily wear this skirt out, but I think I could do better.

After striking out with the A-line skirts at Sézane, I didn’t have much hope for this burgundy number from Mint Velvet, but I was surprised by how much I liked it. Of the A-line skirts I tried on, it was by far my favorite. The skirt was full but I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the silhouette, and the rich burgundy color was gorgeous — it actually looked better in person than it did on the website.

The Elle Skirt from Thomas and Lourdes was almost perfect. The fit was fantastic, and the 100 percent lamb leather was supple and thick but not too constricting. However, the skirt did have a major pet peeve of mine: an exposed silver zipper. The zipper disrupts the skirt’s sleek, all-black design, and I wish it had been concealed in the seam so that the back panel remained smooth.

This was definitely one of the best-fitting skirts I tried. The leather itself was quite soft while still being tailored correctly (with an invisible zipper!), so it really hugged my body with no waist gapping. I also appreciated that there is a slit in the back that makes it easier to walk in. However, while this is a very comfortable pencil skirt, it is still a pencil skirt, and I can see myself wearing it more for events than to the office for a full day of sitting. But I am really looking forward to breaking this out for my calendar of holiday parties come December. The dark red is just right: festive, but not so Christmasy that it can’t also be worn the rest of the year.

I’ve been eyeing the A.L.C. Marta skirt since last fall, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it when it was brought back this season. The silhouette is a slightly more generous column design, so it gives me a bit more much-needed room through the hips while still fitting snugly at my waist. The leather is also the right weight — soft enough to lay nicely against the body but not so soft that it lacks structure. I also really loved the dark-brown shade I tried on that feels a bit warmer on my skin than true black, but it’s also available in dark red and black.

It probably comes as no surprise that the Tibi skirt was one of my favorites. The construction is different from all the other skirts on this list — true to its “trouser” name it has belt loops, a front zipper, and back pockets to resemble a pair of pants. I like the styling potential the belt loops add and it feels like this skirt has more versatility since it can be worn at either the high or mid waist. I also felt the most excited to style this skirt — it played well with others and looked equally great whether I added a blazer, sweater, or tee. If you’re looking for a true investment piece, this is the winner.

However, on the other end of the affordability spectrum, is this very nice option from Nordstrom, which also hit it out of the park. I was extremely impressed overall with the quality. It fits well with no pulling and sits somewhere between a pencil and a column skirt, so while it hugs my curves it isn’t so narrow that I can’t sit in it comfortably. While the leather is a bit thinner than the other skirts on this list, it looks just as good for half the price, which I think is a more than fair trade-off.