From sculptural tailoring and bold colour to silk, lace and leather, Sasha Gella of Vintagella Moda shows how to style a vintage Krizia pleated skirt for modern autumn and winter dressing.

Italian fashion in the 1980s was confident, glamorous and expressive. Strong shapes, luxurious fabrics and carefully balanced proportions helped define the decade, and few designers captured that mood quite like Mariuccia Mandelli, the woman behind Krizia.

For the sixth instalment of Vintagella Moda’s Styling Vintage Fashion Pieces series, we turn to a beautifully preserved Krizia skirt from the label’s Autumn/Winter 1986 collection.

Made in Italy from Italian tweed, it combines black and charcoal-grey stripes with subtle pleating, creating texture and movement without sacrificing versatility. It is also a wonderful example of why 1980s Italian fashion remains so appealing today. The decade’s strongest pieces were designed to make an impression, yet many can be incorporated easily into a contemporary wardrobe.

That feels particularly timely now. British Vogue’s guide to the key Autumn/Winter 2026 trends highlights a renewed appetite for expressive silhouettes, rich textures and more adventurous styling.

So how should you wear a structured vintage tweed skirt more than 40 years after it was made? Here are three ways:

Look 1 – Play with proportion

Smart daytime and evening wear

The skirt’s structured tweed and pleated construction give it natural volume, so the first styling trick is to balance the silhouette.

A fitted bodysuit is an excellent starting point. It keeps the upper half of the outfit clean and streamlined, allowing the skirt’s shape to take centre stage without adding unnecessary bulk.

For even more drama, add a metallic silver sequinned blazer.

Metallics are particularly effective with black and charcoal because they add light without disturbing the sophistication of the palette. They also tap directly into the renewed maximalist mood seen on the Autumn/Winter 2026 catwalks. Vogue’s Milan Fashion Week report identified metallics among the season’s strongest themes, alongside lace and thigh-high boots.

If sequins feel too bold, keep things sleek with a fitted black long-sleeved blouse. Vintagella Moda’s D. Exterior blouse by Italian designer Nadia Zanola would work particularly well here, creating a streamlined top half against the skirt’s more substantial texture.

For footwear, choose plain black knee-high or over-the-knee leather boots to create a long, continuous silhouette. Pointed ballerina flats in dark bronze offer a softer alternative and introduce just enough metallic detail to lift the black and charcoal palette.

Finish with simple jewellery and let the proportions do most of the work.

Look 2 – Add bold colour

Casual sophistication with an Italian edge

Black and charcoal create the perfect backdrop for colour.

For a look inspired by Krizia’s confident approach to dressing, pair the skirt with a fine red cashmere crew-neck jumper. Layer a crisp white shirt underneath and allow the collar to sit prominently above the neckline. The contrast between white, red and charcoal immediately gives the outfit more energy while retaining the polish associated with classic Italian dressing.

If you prefer something softer, try a chiffon blouse in black or ottanio, the rich blue-green shade often translated as teal. A fluid blouse also provides a useful contrast with the skirt’s heavier tweed.

Finish with smooth leather or suede loafers for an intelligent, slightly preppy feel.

Bold colour, richer textures and more deliberate layering are enjoying a renewed moment. Vogue’s Autumn/Winter 2026 trend report notes the move towards more expressive dressing, combining wearable silhouettes with stronger texture and unexpected detail.

The trick is not to wear every statement idea at once. Choose just one or two elements – a vivid jumper, a metallic blazer or an interesting shoe – and allow the rest of the outfit to support them.

For more colour inspiration, see Vintagella Moda’s guide to the colour trends shaping 2026 and 2027 fashion.

Look 3 – Mix your textures

Elegant evening and occasion wear

Texture is one of the easiest ways to make a monochrome outfit interesting. Pair the Krizia skirt with a lace blouse or a fluid silk blouse in black, pearl grey or white. The softness and sheen of these fabrics create a beautiful contrast with the skirt’s matte tweed.

Add a black leather jacket for a stronger 1980s feel.

Leather brings structure and a little drama to the outfit, especially when placed against lace, silk and pleated wool. Lace is particularly relevant this season. Vogue’s guide to Autumn/Winter 2026 dress trends highlights its return across everything from delicate romantic looks to outfits styled with heavier leather footwear.

For accessories, try an unstructured metallic-silver leather bag and a pair of traditional Venetian velvet slippers, also known as Friulane, in red or black. Black lace tights continue the play on texture and add a feminine finish.

For evening or festive dressing, complete the look with a velvet, brocade or jacquard blazer. Each introduces depth without competing with the skirt’s pleats.

For more ideas, see Vintagella Moda’s guide to texture mixing the Italian way.

Jewellery and accessories for a vintage Krizia skirt

A skirt like this can take stronger accessories. To capture some of the glamour of 1980s Italian fashion, look for bold sculptural pieces rather than delicate jewellery. Large geometric vintage-style clip-on earrings work particularly well, as do semi-open silver cuffs with a strong architectural shape.

The same principle applies to bags.

Because the skirt itself is structured, a softer leather bag or small mini bag provides balance. Metallic silver works beautifully with black and charcoal, and bronze can introduce a little warmth. A slim belt can also help define the waist. Look for metallic bronze or silver hardware rather than anything overly ornate. And if you really want to channel the decade, add oversized sunglasses.

About Krizia

Krizia was founded in Milan by Mariuccia Mandelli, who opened her first fashion workshop in 1954. Mandelli became one of the leading figures in the rise of Italian ready-to-wear and helped establish Milan as an international fashion centre.

The label became known for experimentation, with sculptural silhouettes, distinctive pleating, innovative knitwear and adventurous use of materials all becoming part of its visual language. During the 1980s, Krizia gained worldwide recognition for precisely the sort of details seen in this skirt: confident structure, interesting texture and clothes designed to look strong without feeling rigid.

That heritage makes this Autumn/Winter 1986 skirt more than simply an attractive vintage garment in that it represents a period when Italian designers were reshaping international fashion and when clothes were increasingly being created for women who wanted authority, femininity and individuality in the same wardrobe.

Why this 1980s skirt still works today

The strongest vintage pieces rarely need to be worn as costume. This Krizia skirt works because its basic ingredients remain so useful: black and charcoal, good-quality tweed, a flattering pleated shape and a design that can move easily between daytime and evening wear.

Wear it simply with a fitted black top and boots and it becomes understated. Or add red cashmere, metallic tailoring or oversized jewellery and its 1980s personality comes back to life. Mix it with silk, lace, leather or velvet and the same skirt becomes the foundation of an entirely different outfit.

That versatility is perhaps the clearest sign of good vintage design.

Mariuccia Mandelli created fashion for the increasingly independent professional women of her era, combining strength with femininity and experimentation with wearability, so a Krizia skirt from the 1980s therefore carries something more than nostalgia. It carries a piece of Italian fashion history.

For personalised advice on styling vintage Italian autumn and winter fashion, contact Sasha Gella, style adviser at Vintagella Moda.