Our Favourite Red Pencil Skirts Right Now Handpicked by Claire

A red pencil skirt is not a shy piece of clothing, so the ones worth owning are the ones that commit properly to the colour rather than apologising for it with a muddy, brownish tomato tone. Look for a true red or a red with a hint of blue in it, something closer to a lacquered cherry than a rust. The fabric matters more than people expect. A skirt with a small percentage of stretch, wool blends and structured cotton sateen both work well, will sit close over the hip without pulling at the seams when you sit down, which is the actual test of whether a pencil skirt fits. Anything that gapes at the waistband or creases sharply across the front the moment you bend is cut wrong, no matter how good the colour looks on the hanger.

The best versions hit at or just below the knee, with a rear vent or kick pleat deep enough to let you walk properly.

A skirt this striking does not need much competition, so the styling instinct should be to calm everything around it.

A plain white shirt, tucked in and left slightly loose through the body, is the obvious pairing and remains the correct one. For colder months, a fine merino jumper in black, navy or grey does the same job with more warmth, and a tailored blazer thrown over either turns the whole thing into something you could wear into a boardroom or out to dinner without changing. Where people go wrong is matching the skirt with another loud colour or a busy print, which turns a strong piece into a costume rather than an outfit.

Shoes are where you can have an opinion. A pointed courtshoe elongates the leg and keeps things sharp, while a loafer or a low block heel pulls the whole look slightly more relaxed and daytime appropriate. Trainers, generally, undercut the point of the skirt rather than modernising it.

This is a category built for moments that need a bit of visible effort, client meetings, dinners, parties, any occasion where a plain black skirt would do the job but not make the same impression. Red carries its own energy into a room, so the rest of the outfit only needs to hold it steady, not compete with it.