Whenever we approach the turn of the season, I find myself looking towards the chicest French women for a sense of what’s worth investing in now. The perfect barometer for the months ahead, I’ve been paying close attention to the warm-weather staples emerging on the streets of Paris over the past few weeks, and one sleek ’90s skirt trend keeps appearing in the wardrobes of the city’s best dressed.

A noticeable shift from the voluminous white skirts that dominated last spring, this time around, the chicest Parsians are stepping into the pencil skirt trend instead. Clean-lined and cut to just below the knee, the ’90s-inspired pencil skirt feels chic and streamlined without veering into severe.

Polished yet unfussy (as the best French outfits always are), this retro staple brings structure in ways few other garments could. I’ve seen it styled with fine-gauge knits, pared-back tanks and softly tailored blazers, all resulting in a distinctly French balance of elegance and ease.

While the silhouette may feel particularly relevant right now, its roots lie in the ’90s, and it’s that same spirit of effortlessness that makes the pencil skirt resonate again today.

And it’s not just a Paris phenomenon. The knee-length pencil skirt is steadily gaining traction across the Channel, too. From elevated high-street iterations at Zara and H&M to polished designer takes—Prada’s checked version is especially chic—the market is brimming with elegant options.