Hot pants, Daisy Dukes, cut-offs.
Whatever you call them, micro shorts are back — but for some, it’s their worst nightmare.
In the latest take on Kendall Jenner’s panties-as-pants trend, the teeny, tiny denim trousers are projected to be this spring’s hottest trend (if only New York finally would warm up).
New York stylist Catherine Bibeau told The Post that a “micro short boom” is likely upon us as more brands and A-listers hawk the controversial garment, which she called “a must-have fashion piece.”
“Micro short popularity went mainstream during the ’70s disco due to its greater sign of liberation and women’s freedom,” Bibeau said. “Seen on many celebrities in the past, they are coming back because designers are offering a new take on the garment for the modern age.”
On spring/summer 2024 runways, skin-baring shorts took center stage, with Miu Miu’s sparkling skivvies, Gucci’s corporate cut-offs and leather hot pants from Khaite and Coach.
Most recently, “Madame Webb” actress Sydney Sweeney put on a leggy display in New York this month, stepping out in a mini leather romper, then some leather shorts with sheer black tights underneath.
Meanwhile, “Love Lies Bleeding” star Kristen Stewart sported two different pairs of pin-bearing pants, one cream knit and one athletic cut while promoting her new flick.
While fans lauded their favorite bombshells for their ’70s-inspired Daisy Dukes, others grimaced at the resurgence of such a controversial garment being sold at the likes of fan-favorite Free People.
Earlier this month, the women’s clothing brand took to Instagram to announce its new arrivals: denim micro shorts.
“We are wearing micro shorts this season,” the apparel company wrote in the caption under a carousel of images featuring different pairs of barely-there cut-offs.
But not everyone was ready to slip on (read: squeeze into) a pair of the hip-hugging hot pants that bared more skin than customers preferred, calling them “denim diapers” and, more coarsely, “chaps for your flaps.”
Meanwhile, gynecologists joked they would be booked and busy “after these dark denims have sold out.”
“Who is ‘WE’? We are not,” commented one aghast user.
“As a general rule, if I have to shave my pubes to wear a pair of shorts, I’m not buying them,” another flabbergasted critic quipped.
“You’re supposed to free the people, not the labia,” someone else scoffed.
The so-called “jundies” — jean-undies, for the uninitiated — caused a stir on TikTok, where customers bought a few pairs in jest to test run, resulting in some accidental NSFW content due to the lack of fabric.
While Free People can laugh at themselves, Libby Strachan, the company’s director of brand marketing, told Glossy that the sales don’t lie.
Despite the swift backlash at the revival of the denim minis, the company saw a 33% increase in demand in their shorts category, and several styles and colors of the viral shorts are now sold out online.
Meanwhile, according to Glossy, the term “micro shorts” soared 974% in reach.
Apprehensive fashionistas may be divided over the controversial garment, but there are ways to style a pair of the viral hot pants to make them “less shocking,” said Bibeau.
She recommended pairing the mini shorts with an oversized top — think: sweaters and jackets — to create balance and craft “a classy, fashion-forward look” that women can wear with “pride and confidence.”
“It’s OK to dress fashionably,” she said. “It’s fun if you do it right!”
