"The pencil skirt has the perfect shape to highlight a print because it's a really clean surface, " said designer Joseph Altuzarra of the high-waisted, nipped-in style to which he returns season after season.

WSJ: Rethink: Pencil Skirts | Off Duty Spring 50

Donna Karan was one of the numerous designers who featured this molded shoulder, which, paired with a slim pencil skirt, creates an inverted "V" shape, explains Morrison.

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