Leopard Skirt + Combat Boots.

Dialing down the pretty on a leopard skirt.

The midi-length leopard skirt is huge right now; it’s everywhere! While the impulse might be to lean into the sex factor leopard brings, I wanted to take a different approach. With combat boots, specifically. You last saw these boots here as part of a KCFW outfit I put together with Rachel Roy (where I also actively worked against the pretty), but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pair combat boots with this leopard skirt. I pulled on an oversized blazer over a crop top, further moving into the cool category and playing with proportion.

Shop the look:

I spent quite a bit of time in the dressing room getting this look just right; I’m only 5’5 and my legs aren’t terribly long, so this skirt length can be tricky for me. I need a shoe with a substantial heel because anything on the kitten or flat side of the spectrum really cuts off the length of my body. I tried on about 12 different pairs of shoes (those chunky sneakers, a ballet flat, and lots of booties) until I landed on these combat boots. They struck the right balance of height for me and edge for the look.

I also had to be careful with the blazer– an oversized and longline piece normally means pairing with high-waisted skinny jeans to lengthen out my legs. But here, I’m wearing something longer line with a midi-skirt that was already actively working against that. I kept the base layer simple and fitted with this black crop top in order to keep the volume manageable. The crop also showed off the higher waist of the skirt, which helped visibly lengthen the look of my lower half.

It goes to show that an outfit doesn’t always immediately come together on the first try– sometimes you have to dig into your closet, make tweaks, and play!

Linking up with Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, The Fashion Canvas, I Do DeClaire, Straight A Style + On the Daily Express, Rosy Outlook + Seeking Sunshine, and Pumps and Push Ups.