Jersey Maxi Skirts, and How to Wear Them

My BFF Elise emailed me the other day to tell me she just found "the softest, stretchiest maxi skirt" (if you know Elise, you know that she is an expert at finding fashionable things that are also soft & comfortable). The skirt is a marled gray, and although she's made some expert outfits with her new skirt already (a citron sweater, a black lace top, and tees) she says, "I don't know what to wear it with!"

She wanted some options that weren't, as she put it, "predictable." Personally, I think the citron and the black lace are awesome ideas that I wouldn't have necessarily thought of. And I'm not just saying that because she's my BFF. But, here are few other ideas that could work well, along with some general guidelines for wearing jersey maxi skirts: 

• Because jersey maxis tend to have a closer fit, you can get away with something looser on top -- try a cable sweater, or even something more glam like a slouchy sequined raglan. 
• Elise suggested trying it with a plaid shirt, and I think that'd be really cute -- tucked in, probably with a belt.
• The close fit of the skirt would also lend itself to matching well with tailored jackets. I recommend going for a cropped denim jacket or a blazer -- cropped, because you don't want to overwhelm the already long and statement-y maxi skirt. Plus a shorter jacket will keep the waist defined and the overall outfit silhouette clean.
  

• Similar to the plaid... try a bright colored button down or chambray. Since the skirt is gray, you can't really go wrong. Add some fun detail with a patterned belt (leopard print, anyone?).
• Also... stripes: rugby (thicker stripe) or breton (thinner stripe) would both work well. The striped tee above on the end is a shorter, boxy top -- another good silhouette match for the maxi skirt, since it's long and lean. 
• You can always add personality and up the unpredictability of your outfit with accessories -- depending on the shoes (I recommend ankle boots, flats, wedges) and/or belts (try a skinny animal print belt or something wide in brown or black) that you pair any of these outfits with, you can change your whole look. 

There you have it... Elise, let us know if you find any combinations you love!