Pencil skirts make a great wardrobe basic and, since they can be made with almost any fabric, they can be the starting point for a variety of looks. Best of all, pencil skirts are fairly straightforward to sew, so you can make a few and create endless styling options.
Defined as straight skirts, pencil skirts typically have minimal seaming, front and back darts for shaping and a waistband. Of course, there are lots of variations within that theme — pockets, pleats, seaming, etc. — but to start, a simple skirt with a side or center back zipper closure is a good choice.