The Pleated Skirt: A Surprising Cold Weather Staple

Hi there! We just had our first snow of the season here in DC! I tend to gravitate towards jeans and pants during this time of the year to keep warm, but I also love pleated skirts in the winter. So, if you’re looking for a pleated skirt that you can wear right now, you’ve come to the right place! Most of these skirts also work really well for spring, summer, and fall too. There are a few exceptions, of course, like the leather pleated skirt!

pleated skirt cold weather outfit

Why I Love The Pleated Skirt

I highly recommend a pleated skirt for so many different occasions. Given its versatility, a pleated skirt is the perfect piece for a winter capsule wardrobe. I love how you can dress up a pleated skirt for work, or you can wear it casually for a weekend brunch, a shopping trip, or a vacation. Midi pleated skirts are the perfect length to wear with all types of boots during the fall, winter, and early spring. I typically go for a solid neutral color skirt that you can mix and match with different types of tops, sweaters, and shoes.

Below are a few of my favorite pleated skirts available right now!

Pleated Skirt Outfits

Let’s look at some outfits for pleated skirts! I included outfits I’ve worn before as well as outfit ideas with pieces I love. While these outfits are meant to be looks to wear right now, you can wear most of these skirts all year by changing your shoes and your top.

Pleated Skirt and Combat Boots

First up is the outfit from the top of this post. My skirt and boots are exact, and I linked some sweater options I love that are similar. You can shop my exact sunglasses here, but I think these black square frame sunglasses would also look cute with this outfit – and many others!

Gold Pleated Skirt for Special Occasions

This skirt is so much fun! I’m sitting here trying to think of an occasion I have coming up that I could wear it for! I think the skirt is perfect for a birthday brunch or dinner, an engagement party, a bridal shower, a bachelorette party (with a fun top), or even for your baby’s first birthday party. You could also wear this to a milestone birthday for yourself. I think this would be such a cute look for turning 50!

I put together this exact look below for dinner at a nice restaurant. Of course, this skirt is a no brainer for the holiday season, but I think it has a life outside of the holidays too! Pair with ballet flats in the spring and fall.

pleated skirt cold weather outfit idea

Pleated Skirt and Shirt Jacket

This look is one of my favorites! While my exact shirt jacket is super old from Mango, I recreated this outfit with pieces that are available. The shirt jacket I linked is sitting in my shopping cart – tan and gray are just so pretty together.

Anyway, while I still wear this look today, it’s also perfect if you’re pregnant! As you can probably tell, I was pretty pregnant in this photo. I loved wearing this look when I was pregnant because I was warm, comfortable, and still felt very chic. I mostly wore this with sneakers or flat chunky boots to help me keep my balance.

Pleated Skirt and Shirt Jacket

I linked two pairs of sunglasses that are similar to the pair I’m wearing in the photo. I’m so sad the pair I was wearing broke! They were by Mango. I own the first pair I linked, and you can see them on me here. The second pair of square sunglasses are an affordable alternative also by Mango!

Black Pleated Skirt and Cozy Sweater Outfit for Weekend

You can make so many outfits out of a black pleated skirt, so here are a few. This sweater would be perfect to wear over this pleated skirt for a super comfortable and warm outfit. I love this with combat boots so you can wear it for a winter day out for errands, shopping, or a meal! The skirt, sweater, and bag together are such a polished look, and the combat boots will give you a cool girl vibe. You can also take your pick from puffer jackets to layer over this look to be ultra cozy! Click here for the Celine belt.

Pleated Skirt and Cozy Sweater Outfit

Faux Leather Pleated Skirt for Girls’ Night

I love this faux leather skirt with this fuzzy cardigan sweater. The different textures makes for a pretty chic look! Faux leather will never go out of style if you ask me. Okay, this fuzzy cardigan is incredibly warm, and you can also wear it with jeans. Click here to see the navy and white version on me. You can wear the other cardigan I linked all year, but it’s perfect with this skirt in the spring and fall. I own it in beige.

You can wear both of these cardigans by themselves or use layering pieces to wear under them. I love how they look on their own, though!

Girls' Night winter outfit

Faux Leather Skirt for Work

If you aren’t sure about wearing a faux leather skirt to work, I encourage you to do it! I’ve always incorporated leather pieces in my work wardrobe, and a faux leather skirt is actually one of them. (I also love a leather blazer). Anyway, this look is perfectly suitable for the office, whether you’re spending most of your day at your desk or in meetings.

Winter skirt work outfit

Pleated Skirt and Shearling Jacket Outfit

This rust color skirt is described as a long pleated skirt, so I paired it with short booties that I’ve been eyeing myself. I love how the rust looks with the different shades of brown and camel. This look is definitely work appropriate. It will also go with any type of camel or ecru sweater.

Pleated Skirt and Shearling Jacket Outfit

PS – this cardigan is on sale and would look super cute with jeans or trousers! I also linked other sweaters that would be cute with this outfit.

Brown Skirt and Cashmere Sweater for Work

I think it’s obvious that pleated skirts are versatile, but I’ve always loved them for work. It’s a way to be work appropriate, comfortable, and still feel put together. I always say yes to mixing and matching neutrals! The different textures and tones here look so nice together.

Okay, this cashmere sweater is gorgeous. I love the details on the shoulder that set it apart from a plain cashmere top. I picked these suede knee high boots for two reasons. First, they’re just so pretty! But, second, the heel height on them is perfect for work.

Brown Skirt and Cashmere Sweater for Work

This bag is likely not your go-to work bag, but this look is cute enough to wear out after work – so perhaps you want to change from your bag to this one for dinner!

Denim Pleated Skirt

This denim pleated skirt was a surprising find for me when I was looking for skirts! This would be perfect with a pair of knee high leather boots. I’d go for brown or cognac boots, but black would also work well. I love the contrast of the suede boots with the denim in this outfit below. I would wear this look to work or for a girlfriend’s birthday brunch or lunch. I also love how Aritzia styled the skirt with a chunky sweater and heels.

Denim Pleated Skirt

Early Spring Event Outfit

This bright skirt is a unique way to wear a pleated skirt when it’s still cold. Pair it with boots and a cardigan for an early spring event, but you can wear it with sandals once it’s warmer! I love this bag for work or for the weekend. It comes in tons of colors.

Early Spring Event Outfit
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