Woman seated in a cafe reading a book, in a red pleated one-shoulder top and red leather pencil skirt

Leather and lace · Spring · Autumn

Pleated one-shoulder top with a red leather pencil skirt

Red on red: a finely pleated one-shoulder top tucked into a red leather pencil skirt with a folded peplum at the hip, worn seated with a book.

A tonal red pairing that reads as one piece from across the room. The top is a sleeveless one-shoulder in fine knife pleats, the pleats running on the diagonal from the shoulder to the waist so the fabric wraps rather than hangs. The skirt is red leather, high-waisted and pencil-cut to the knee, with a folded flap at the hip that works like a peplum without adding bulk.

It is daywear with an evening temper. Tuck the top in, keep the skirt smooth, and wear it to the office or to a long coffee with something to read. A pointed pump finishes it; a chelsea boot makes it rainier. Autumn and spring, when leather stops being a question.

The book was good. I still looked up every time the door opened.

the pieces

  • Red pleated one-shoulder toptank top · silk · red
  • Red leather pencil skirt with peplum flappencil skirt · leather · oxblood

similar pieces

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styling notes

  • Keep the whole look in one red family
  • Pointed pump by day, chelsea boot in the rain
  • Nothing at the neck, the pleats carry the line

palette

Red#A2202F Oxblood#7A2230 Burgundy#5C1A2B

details

Leather and laceSpringAutumnDaytimeCoffeeOfficePowerSharpLeatherSilkTank topPencil skirtBarAsymmetricPeplumPleatedOne shoulder

wearabilitycloser to street

get looks like this once a month

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