Black and Blue Pencil Skirt

I am not a mall shopper. I am not against shopping malls, I just like to find original items of clothing that at least 1 other people will not be wearing. I like to be different. However, I am very enamored of Swedish retailer H&M. Were the nearest H&M store not 5 hours away, I would be there rummaging through clothing every day.

Recently H&M opened up their US website where anyone can order online. Heaven. However some items are still pricey for even me and I admit, I use their site for clothing inspiration. When I came upon this funky black pencil skirt with a denim band at the bottom, I was in love.

Love, love, love! And how easily this could be made! I started with some black knit fabric and used a simple McCall's skirt pattern. I then sacrificed a Gap denim skirt of the same size. The bottom of the denim skirt must be the same width as the bottom of the black skirt. I used a seam ripper to open up the bottom hem of the denim skirt so that I could get the rough edged look. 

I was quite pleased with the finished result and paired the skirt with a black, silver-studded cardigan that I found on the clearance rack at Target. So very H&M looking.

The total cost of this project was less than $10 as the black knit fabric was a remnant in my stash. The H&M skirt retails for $39.99. I feel so Swedish! 

Happy thrifting from your friend in the north, desperate for spring!