I’ve always had a particular thing for black (fake) leather. My liquid leather leggings from H&M (in another post to come) are one of my favorite items of clothing I’ve ever owned. I have several pairs of leather pants. I own tops with leather trim. I even have a pair of cuffed black leather shorts that are appropriate enough in cut and length to wear to work. Safe to say that black pleather is a wardrobe staple of mine.

But I’ve been missing one thing in particular – a great black leather skirt! So many of the black leather skirts and leather dresses I come across are a liiiittttle too dominatrix-y for me, especially if the skirt is a pencil skirt. However, this short, flippy miniskirt I found for just $6 at Forever 21 fits my leather skirt bill perfectly!

This skirt is so versatile. I love the material – the pleather is super soft and comfortable. The cut is great. It hits a little higher on the waist, so that you can tuck in tops. The A-line cut flares out, making it cute, flirty and overall appropriate. The key to black leather is not to go too tight – or you risk looking like a wanna-be rockstar, someone stuck in the 80s or a hooker. This skirt screams fun and fashion-forward way more than it screams hooker. This makes it a win in my book.

Because the skirt is already so funky, I’ve dressed it with this solid-colored bright blue t-shirt from H&M. I wanted the focus to be on the fun skirt. I’ve also worn this skirt with my favorite gray “Yes, I’m an Actual Cat. Meow. Now Go Away” long-sleeved crop top from Forever 21. The shiny black is the perfect compliment to the casual gray t-shirt. For nighttime, I’d pair the skirt with a simple black halter top or tank top, or perhaps even a white top. I’d still shy away from wearing a shiny or sparkly top, though, because the skirt is already so out there.

When winter hits, I’ll pair the skirt with a tucked-in slim-fitting black long-sleeved shirt, or perhaps a long-sleeved shirt in a dark solid color, like blue or purple. Again, nothing too flashy or oversize.

And here is the most important rule to keep in mind when wearing leather clothes: Never, never, NEVER wear it with boots. Ever. We are going NOT-dominatrix, remember?

What is your favorite piece of leather clothing? How do you dress it to be fun and not scandalous? Let me know in the comments!