It’s True, Micro Shorts Are Back, and Kate Moss Has Found the Most 2024 Way to Style Them

When I was a teenager my mum would tell me never to throw any clothing I bought away, assuring me that I’d be buying the same item all over again—it was just a matter of time. Whilst my teenage self rejected this idea, it’s now 10 years later and it seems like she was on to something.

The 2020s have so far seen a revival of late noughties/early ’10s style that I honestly didn’t think possible. The latest of which to be blessed with the 2024 touch being the micro shorts and tights combination. Once heralded as the cool-girl outfit of yesteryear, the mini-shorts-and-tights look epitomised the Indie Sleaze aesthetic heralded by style icon Kate Moss, and spoken to on every Tumblr page that mattered. Worn with grubby plimsolls or Doc Martens in an attempt to do our best Alexa Chung impression, the formidable outfit became something of a go-to look we’d wear everywhere, from attending lectures to sipping on sugary drinks in the student union.

Conveying the nonchalance energy that encapsulated the 2010s, micro shorts and tights served as an evergreen outfit solution that young Brits wore all year round. Whilst The Strokes’s were enjoying their heyday and smudged eyeliner was the only beauty hack worth trying, nothing provioded the same satisfaction as pulling on a pair of impossibly small denim cutoffs over a fresh pair of Boots 40 deniers. As Indie Sleaze slowly fell out of favour, so too did the styling combination that dominated the street-style scene.

Fast forward and the ten-year fashion cycle began working its magic. Whilst Prada’s viral satin mini skirt pioneered the return of the mini skirt in 2021, more recent seasons have seen the brand’s playful younger sister push the boundaries of a summer staple we hadn’t been giving much attention to. In the major fashion cities, longline “jorts” were trending, all the while the Miu Miu team were hard at work making the case for shorts so micro they resembled underwear. Blending the risqué with the risk-adverse, the Miu Miu A/W 2023 runway saw bum-flashing shorts layered over sheer tights and styled with modest cardigans—igniting a revival of each clothing item during the process.

Since Miu Miu gave the shorts-and-tights outfit its new-season makeover, it seems like the runways can’t get enough. Dolce & Gabanna, Lapointe and Max Mara all showcased their own takes in their A/W 2024 collections, whilst Chloé and Buci have backed mini shorts sans tights in theirs.

Seeping off the runway and back into real-life, some of our favourite pioneers are back for another round. Recently styled by Kate Moss, the model took a more pared-back and sophisticated approach, opting for leather shorts and sheer tights, finishing her look with pointed-toe heels and a roomy knit.

Influenced by a growing preference for minimalist style and easy elegance spearheaded by brands such as The Row and Celine, this season’s take on the formiddable pairing has been nothing short of elevated. Plucking an outdated silhouette and reviving it with a very current aesthetic, the ensemble is set to be everywhere once again.

Since the shorts-and-tights combination’s original heyday, the way we (and by “we” I mean those of us who wore it first time round) express ourselves through fashion has changed drastically. Whilst the Indie Sleaze aesthetic encouraged an undone, messy and laid-back approach to getting dressed, the 2020s and our social-media-first lifestyles call for more finesse—and our clothing choices reflect this. Thus, it’s not surprising that some of our favourite nostalgic trends have received a grown-up glow-up to adhere to our new set of polished, quiet-luxury-age expectations.

As someone who would wear a shorts and tights outfit at least once a week throughout my teens, I’m not just ready for another go—I’m completely here for it. With a growing soft spot the leather iterations I’ve been seeing everywhere this season, coupled with my unwavering love of ’00s trends, read on to discover my edit of the best shorts and tights on the market right now.

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