Inspiration Board: Brandi - Sport Up/Physically Fierce

I love the crisp, clean vibe of this black and white winter look from Brandi! She gave the outfit sporty vibe by styling it with a sweatshirt on top – something else I love because blending the athletic attributes of a utilitarian training piece with the fanciness of a skirt feels totally current and fierce. To create Brandi’s look straight up, start with a pencil skirt. She went with a leather iteration, but wool will work just as well. You can also work with a knit, but lean towards polished variations over slinky bodycon ones to maintain the contrast in formality. Add a sweatshirt on top. Simple is stellar, stripes are awesome, graphics 100% fab. Leave it un-tucked a la Brandi or go for a central or side half-tuck.  Gibe it a try in black and white, explore an alternate combination of neutrals or spike the look with a vibrant color. Add black tights, or coordinate with the (or a) color in your sweatshirt. Brandi rounded off her ensemble with on-trend white ankle booties; def consider reaching for those if ya got ‘em! Alternatively, classic black is always your bff. While Brandi chose a streamlined, heeled silhouette, flat booties or a more relaxed heeled style (think combat, moto or hiking-influenced boots) work fabulously with this look! Add a backpack to amp up the athleisure vibe. Knit pom-pom beanie optional :). This styling lends itself to A-line and bell skirts* as well – think the pleated satin pieces that have been taken fashion by storm, a tulle midi or even denim. Same drill applies as above with color and embellishment on the sweatshirt and tights colors. Style your top with a half or full tuck to maintain the balance between relaxation and refinement.  Complete the look with breezily fierce pointy ankle booties in neutral leather or suede, or a coordinating color. Add statement earrings for an extra dash of va-voom. PS If the weather in your area is amenable, both of these looks would work brilliantly finished with sneakers instead of ankle booties. Happy sporty styling!
*This is an awesome example of the bell skirt silhouette.  Note that it curves around the hips, as opposed to flowing outward from them, as in an A-line, which forms a visual triangle.