The Best Sweater and Skirt Combos for Fall

ImaxTree,Courtesy

Attention, all—we've found your fall uniform! Individually, sweaters and skirts are both closet staples, but when combined, the two are unstoppable as the perfect season-to-season transitional pairing. We took the duo to the next level with ideas from the fall/winter 2014 runway.

At Karen Walker, the designer charmed with a chunky turtleneck knit and a ladylike floral midi-length skirt (above). Conversely, designer Alexander Wang hit a futuristic note with a sporty textured sweater and an edgy leather mini. Meanwhile, Andrew Gn injected a dash of whimsy with robot-embroidered knit that he elevated with an elegant jacquard pencil skirt.

From girly-tough combos to white-on-whites, consider all 23 ways to wear sweaters and skirts for the rest of the season (and worn with tights, next season, too).

Start Slideshow

1 of 23

Chunky Knit + Floral Midi

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Karen Walker
Let the city slickers have their sleek graphic lines. For a charming rustic vibe, seek out a chunky turtleneck sweater (Wilfred, $165; aritzia.com) and a ladylike rose texture midi (Topshop, $96; topshop.com).

2 of 23

Prints + Prints

Skirt sweater combos: Diane von Furstenberg

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Diane von Furstenberg
Master print mixology with abstract pieces (O'2nd sweater, $425; otteny.com)-as long as they both find commonality in the same color family. Still too dizzying? Keep one of them subdued for less of an impact (Helmut Lang, $265; helmutlang.com).

3 of 23

Fluoro Texture + Leather Accents

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Alexander Wang
Experiment with different textiles, from a sporty bubble-like textured sweatshirt (HampM, $60; hm.com) to an edgy leather-lined mini (Alice + Olivia, $330; aliceandolivia.com).

4 of 23

Open-Weave Knit + Full A-Line

Jemal Countess/Getty Images, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Delpozo
An all-white look is, admittedly, a hard one to pull off. The key is to gravitate toward off-whites (think: cream, ivory, ecru) and pair them with textured pieces. We did that here with an open Rebecca Taylor sweater ($475; rebeccataylor.com) and a full ivory Whistles skirt ($255; whistles.com).

5 of 23

Sporty Sweats + Asymmetric Mini

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Isabel Marant
Nothing about this combo screams gym wear. For an edgy-chic take on the material, pair a graphic print (Sandro, $275; sandro-paris.com) with a cool cross-over skirt (Alice + Olivia, $253; saksfifthavenue.com).

6 of 23

Boucle Jumper + Marled Pleats

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Celine
Mix and match cool-weather materials, like a fuzzy knit topper (Topshop, $72; topshop.com) with a marled jersey bottom (Dorothy Perkins, $27; dorothyperkins.com).

7 of 23

Chunky Sweater + Striped A-Line

Skirt sweater combos: Elizabeth and James

Courtesy

Runway inspiration: Elizabeth and James
We love this pairing for its laid-back ease and prep-inspired aesthetic. Couple a chunky knit (3.1 Phillip Lim, $660; farfetch.com) with a striped A-line skirt (To Be Adored, $327; bonadrag.com) and tie the two together with complementary colors.

8 of 23

Fanciful Print + Leather Patches

Courtesy

Runway inspiration: Coach
We're starry-eyed for this look! Give a whimsical intarsia sweater a grown-up spin with a tough leather mini (Rag & Bone, $350; rag-bone.com). The Milly top ($172; revolveclothing.com) we picked out even boasts glow-in-the-dark graphics.

9 of 23

Neutral Top + Metallic Bottom

Arun Nevader/Getty Images, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Hugo Boss
Ground a high-impact, statement-making bottom, like this gilded crinkled lame Tome design ($755; saksfifthavenue.com) with a modest top (Equipment, $288; shoplesnouvelles.com).

10 of 23

Soft & Sweet + Tough & Edgy

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Christopher Kane
Offset a cloyingly sweet knit, like this Tibi pullover ($295; tibi.com), with a sharp no-nonsense skirt (T by Alexander Wang, $595; saksfifthavenue.com).

11 of 23

Fitted Turtleneck + Leopard Print Pencil

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Carven
Take a walk on the wild side with an animal print, but err on the side of conservatism with a pencil silhouette (Boden, $71; bodenusa.com) and a neutral top (Mango, $40; mango.com).

12 of 23

Chunky Stripes + Pencil Thin Lines

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Balmain
Strike a graphic note with directional lines. While Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing added interest with a chevron-like pattern, we chose to layer stripes on stripes for higher wearability. But be sure to diversify-pair chunky stripes (Nicholas, $298; intermixonline.com) with pencil-thin ones (Apt. 9, $20; kohls.com).

13 of 23

Cozy Knit + Floral Mini

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Tory Burch
The designer took inspiration from the medieval times for her fall 2014 collection. Follow suit and arm yourself with a tapestry-like floral print mini (Forever 21, $15; forever21.com) with a soft relaxed turtleneck (La Garconne Moderne, $450; lagarconne.com).

14 of 23

Graphic Top + Sweet Maxi

Skirt sweater combos: Creatures of the Wind

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Creatures of the Wind
Counter a too-harsh all-over graphic print (Cos, $89; cosstores.com) with a soft, flowing maxi (Oasis, $49; oasis.andotherbrands.com), ideally in a pastel color palette.

15 of 23

Playful Sweater + Jacquard Pencil

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Andrew Gn
Inject a dash of whimsy to your look with a fun knit, like this doe deer jumper from French Connection ($118; frenchconnection.com). Elevate it with a dressy jacquard pencil (Jonathan Simkhai, $395; net-a-porter.com).

16 of 23

Gym Sweatshirt + Textured Skirt

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Reed Krakoff
Lend some edge to your casual gym-inspired sweatshirt (J. Crew, $40; jcrew.com) with a tough-girl skirt with an asymmetric cut and texture-like print (Rebecca Taylor, $325; rebeccataylor.com).

17 of 23

Color-block Cable + Draped Skirt

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Prabal Gurung
A fluid asymmetric piece, like this one by Zara ($40; zara.com) blends sexiness and comfort. Dial down the drama with a resilient top, like this chunky color-block cable-knit from Vince ($345; vince.com).

18 of 23

Cowl Neck Sweater + Jacquard Peplum

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Oscar de la Renta
Make the tried-and-true skirt-and-sweater combo work for an upscale evening event with a cowl neck silhouette (Alice + Olivia, $330; aliceandolivia.com) and jacquard flared pencil (Topshop, $76; topshop.com).

19 of 23

Waffle Sweater + Fringe

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway Inspiration: Michael Kors
Unite two unlikely textures with one look: a chunky waffle knit (Hope, $375; lagarconne.com) and a playful fringe skirt (Moschino Jeans Vintage, $275; farfetch.com).

20 of 23

Sequins + Feathery Ruffle

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Jenny Packham
Got an event on the horizon? Upgrade your pairing with sparkle and fancy detailing. Our pick? These two party-ready pieces: Reiss sequin jumper ($180; reiss.com) and tiered chiffon Isabel Marant Etoile mini ($435; lagarconne.com).

21 of 23

Graphic Accent + Graphic Accent

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Dries Van Noten
Streamline your look by carrying the same color accent from your top to your bottom. In this case, it's the yellow found in the geometric Kenzo pullover ($565; otteny.com) and the asymmetric panels from the Cut25 by Yigal Azrouel skirt ($275; saksfifthavenue.com).

22 of 23

Cozy Knit + Slip Skirt

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway Inspiration: Chloe
To fashion a substantial look out of a delicate slip skirt (La Garconne Moderne, $195; lagarconne.com), a rich counterpart is needed. Enter this porcelain Joie sweater ($258; joie.com).

23 of 23

Oversize Pullover + Sheer Skirt

ImaxTree, Courtesy (2)

Runway inspiration: Wes Gordon
Break out of your comfort zone with a semi-sheer knit and a semi-sheer skirt. The key to pulling it off? Wearing a slip underneath. We chose an oversize mohair knit by Acne Studios ($570; lagarconne.com) and a sweet poplin skirt by Cos ($115; cosstores.com).

Replay gallery

Account

More

Ace Your Fall Uniform with These 23 Sweater-and-Skirt Combos

1 of 23

Chunky Knit + Floral Midi

1 of 23

2 of 23

Prints + Prints

2 of 23

3 of 23

Fluoro Texture + Leather Accents

3 of 23

4 of 23

Open-Weave Knit + Full A-Line

4 of 23

5 of 23

Sporty Sweats + Asymmetric Mini

5 of 23

6 of 23

Boucle Jumper + Marled Pleats

6 of 23

7 of 23

Chunky Sweater + Striped A-Line

7 of 23

8 of 23

Fanciful Print + Leather Patches

8 of 23

9 of 23

Neutral Top + Metallic Bottom

9 of 23

10 of 23

Soft & Sweet + Tough & Edgy

10 of 23

11 of 23

Fitted Turtleneck + Leopard Print Pencil

11 of 23

12 of 23

Chunky Stripes + Pencil Thin Lines

12 of 23

13 of 23

Cozy Knit + Floral Mini

13 of 23

14 of 23

Graphic Top + Sweet Maxi

14 of 23

15 of 23

Playful Sweater + Jacquard Pencil

15 of 23

16 of 23

Gym Sweatshirt + Textured Skirt

16 of 23

17 of 23

Color-block Cable + Draped Skirt

17 of 23

18 of 23

Cowl Neck Sweater + Jacquard Peplum

18 of 23

19 of 23

Waffle Sweater + Fringe

19 of 23

20 of 23

Sequins + Feathery Ruffle

20 of 23

21 of 23

Graphic Accent + Graphic Accent

21 of 23

22 of 23

Cozy Knit + Slip Skirt

22 of 23

23 of 23

Oversize Pullover + Sheer Skirt

23 of 23

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery