Long Live A Leather Mini Skirt
On Jesica Wagstaff's Jil Sander dream of a find
I find the greyness of January comforting, like a prescription to do less and draw a bath. Winter has always appealed to me. It’s easier to layer. Bundling up in a parka for a walk and a podcast is a particularly heavenly outing. Plus, the cashmere and wool I curse every time I try to stuff it back into my closet comes into use for the first time all year.
If you’ll believe it, I haven’t purchased any clothes yet this year—new or otherwise. It could be the aforementioned overflowing closet or getting just a tiny bit older, but I feel content with the closet I’ve curated. Recently, I’m finding joy in wearing pieces from years ago, some from thrift shops in Iowa, that have cemented themselves as staples in my wardrobe.
This week’s guest, Jesica Wagstaff, is a fashion expert. She’s a content creator, a cultural commentator, and writer of the Substack, A Sunday Journal. I’ve featured her in a WSJ story, Vogue, and an upcoming InStyle piece. And when I was starting to explore Tiktok as an outlet, it was her content that pushed me over edge into creating for myself.
How long have you had this piece?
About two years now. I consider it a “newer” piece in my wardrobe considering roughly 70% of my closet is seven to ten years old. It takes a lot for me to add to my closet. I will deliberate for months and bore my poor bestie in the process.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Where did it come from?
I bought it on a whim from The Real Real after striking out on a pair of leather pants. It was early spring and I was thinking about transition pieces that would give my classic wardrobe a little edge. I don’t wear a ton of color so I opt for texture to keep my look interesting and not so stuffy.
What I thought would be something I pulled out maybe a few times a year quickly became a staple. I am not a huge fan of skirts and I live in Horse Country – not exactly a place where you’d think to pull out a black leather mini often. But actually I wear it once a week, maybe once every two weeks in the spring and fall. It’s just so easy.
How much did you pay for it?
$40 USD. Unbelievable, right? This is why I love the secondhand and vintage designer markets. You can find incredible pieces for far less than their new counterparts and often get a superior product. This skirt is 100% lambskin leather, fully lined, and fits perfectly. Plus designers in the 90s understood the ease of an a-line skirt – nothing pulling at the hip,creating a slight flare away from the body to allow the greatest flexibility with both tops and shoes. Brilliant!
How do you wear it?
With everything. I wear it as I would my favorite pair of jeans, but find it’s most impactful with preppier or super casual pieces. On lazier days, I will wear it with a gray sweatshirt, plain white tee (or steal a graphic one from my partner) and throw on my Chucks. If I want to look more pulled together, I’ll wear it with a striped button down or a men’s crewneck sweater. If there’s a preppier vibe up top, I almost always put on my Alexander McQueen Rave Boots. It’s also the perfect black skirt to pair with navy. It just looks so sumptuous!
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
What does it represent?
Good question – I am not sure. I have always had an incredibly classic, preppy-adjacent style yet felt compelled to complicate it. I have a shaved head, several piercings, and visible tattoos, but it’s all wrapped up in this very conventional presentation. However, as we get older what once felt very chic can feel stuffy. A lot of people panic and feel they have to throw out their entire wardrobe and rebuild themselves when really an unexpected item can revive one’s perspective. Perhaps this skirt serves that function for me.
Archived Outfit
Inspired by Jesica, here are some second-hand leather mini skirts I found.
A simple little Proenza leather mini on TRR for under $100.
This Aritzia skirt on eBay has a great shape and is $26!
$55 for a super classic shape on Noihsaf.
Wilson’s Leather abounds on eBay and in your local thrift store! This one is under $20.
Honorable Mentions
These boots are a b**** to break in, but I love clomping around the city in them.
Back to the basics and this is best moisturizer for a reason.
Slathering myself in this, per usual.
Omega Farm—A memoir set on the author’s childhood farm during the pandemic.
Bright Young Women—Jessica Knoll’s latest based on Ted Bundy's horrific crimes.
Deep Work—Ignore the cover. Change the way you think about productivity and work.
Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can shop my favs here, follow along on Instagram + Tiktok, shop my Notion template, and as always, respond to this dispatch for my direct line x
I love Cal Newport’s book on Digital Minimalism! 🤌🏻 I do home visits for toddlers in my new job, so my skirt days are gone during the week.
I just mentioned Bright Young Women in my letter this week too. ugh! So good! Also, have been on the hunt for a leather mini so this popped into my inbox at the perfect moment.