The mighty micro shorts

Watching the looks trickle off the catwalks at fashion week and onto my Instagram feed, there was one piece that caught my eye and had me musing for the days following: the micro shorts. As the new creative director of Tom Ford, Peter Hawkins did the legacy proud with his Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection. Upholding the glamour and luxury of the brand’s unique and iconic handwriting, Hawkins updated the garments with nods to the 90’s and early 2000’s, conveying his acute awareness of the trends of the minute. Often paired back with chunky metalwork belts, satin, or poplin relaxed shirts, and matching co-ord blazers. This collection was a real celebration of the blurred lines between office-wear and party-wear. It’s no secret that smart tailoring is being incorporated into all our wardrobes — not only as workwear but as party-wear and casual-wear too.

The pop culture significance of the micro short cannot be overstated. We can’t discuss the micro short without mentioning the icon herself: 90s supermodel Kate Moss. Her famous waistcoat and micro short pairing at Glastonbury in 2005 have since inspired countless major fashion moments, from pop culture to high fashion. Fifteen years later in his SS20 show for Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello dressed Kaia Gerber in an updated equivalent of Moss’ notable look. He traded muddy wellies for a polished leather boot and the relaxed shorts for a cleaner pinstripes look. With today’s IT girls, such as youtuber Olivia Neill, adopting this trend, the micro shorts are sure to make a comeback in spring-summer 2024. I couldn’t be more excited to channel my inner Kate Moss. Somewhat surprising with the drastic turnaround from jorts to micro shorts from one year to the next. I’m left wondering: Will we see a movement away from the baggier dressing and oversized pieces that have become second nature to us?