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Let us not avoid this question-short skirts seem to have gone back in time, joining the ranks of low-rise jeans and velvet sportswear. As the main venue for tennis courts, it is not surprising to see popular sports and leisure brands such as Athleta, Adidas, Outdoor Voices and Girlfriend Collective currently own them. However, nowadays, brands including Spanx, Anthropologie and Tory Burch also offer their own style versions-with more text decorations in the latter two cases.

Skip the best skirts for shopping in 2021

Short skirts are a mixture of skirts and shorts, with a long and somewhat shameful history-as Atlas Obsura recorded in 2017-providing women with opportunities for modesty and exercise. Before the pandemic began, it also appeared suddenly as a trend. For example, Refinery29 played a slideshow about short skirts in 2018, and Jezebel advocated bringing short skirts back in 2019. In the first few months of last year’s pandemic, Google’s search for short skirts also increased — and then increased again in the past few months.

This may be an undeniable weird time to buy clothes-store shelves are empty, because some retailers are more focused on online orders and face supply chain challenges during the pandemic, while other companies are trying to predict that with me​​ As we move towards normalcy, what shoppers will want-whether it means dressing up or dressing up. Coupled with the reappearance of Y2K fashion (some of the trends of this decade are repeatedly called mistakes by older millennials), especially because of TikTok, it may be confusing why short skirts are making a comeback soon. Therefore, we turned to experts to learn more about short skirts and why it was so popular before this summer.

As mentioned above, although short skirts are usually associated with aughts, their existence is much longer than decades. When it comes to modern culottes, you usually see two styles. "Short skirts combine the coverage of the skirt (usually with a piece of fabric on the front of the clothes) and the silhouette of the shorts. Sometimes the shorts are covered by the skirt drape, and sometimes they are exposed at the back." Jessica Richards explained.

Short skirts as we know them became popular in the late 1950s and 1960s because “sports and outdoor recreation have become common recreational activities for women,” explains Monica Sklar, assistant professor and coordinator of historical costume and textile collection at the University of Georgia. Sklar Add that, then in the 1990s, culottes became particularly popular again, as well as motorcycle shorts (another trend that has recently reappeared), and as women became more involved in sports. This trend did not fade in the 2000s-like many trends, skirts are now undergoing a renaissance.

You can think of short skirts as a small trend related to two larger concurrent sports-according to the experts we interviewed, one of them is the popularity of sports and leisure. Although sports and leisure existed before the pandemic (think sports bras and shorts that are popular outside the gym), the needs during the pandemic are different-it's not just an option, it's for many people The only meaningful option is for some people to take off their pants for sports pants. Since comfort has surpassed almost everything else, there has even been a so-called "sports and leisure boom". Of course, this may change-shoppers seem to be looking for styles that can be seen in these days.

But this may not mean that sports and leisure will disappear. Richards explained: “It’s almost impossible to expect consumers to rebound to more tailored dresses.” “As a result, we see a lot of mixed shapes to help simplify the transition: comfortable elements combined with more refined objects and silhouettes. ."

Let us be realistic: Aughts fashion is flashy, not necessarily ambitious or even likable, but it has the spirit of good times.

Jessica Richards, Trend Forecaster, JMR Design Consulting

Part of this style mix includes socks and sandals, which give us "a little comfort when we return to platform shoes and high heels", pants and jeans "a little bit more forgiving" and short skirts "when we are not ready to give up shorts It’s comfortable, but it needs to feel updated and dressed more beautifully," Richards said. In addition, another reason for the return of culottes may be simple-they are better. Michal Strahilevitz, a marketing professor at St. Mary’s College in California, said that nowadays, skirts have been “improved” and there are more choices, which look the same from front to back, making the short part of the skirt less obvious. Consumer psychology. Richards agrees with this view, saying that today's short skirts feel more advanced, more refined and more wear-resistant-offering longer or shorter lengths, and are made from a variety of materials from denim to jacquard.

Another bigger trend is the fashion of the 2000s. Richards pointed out that, generally speaking, "the trends of a particular era usually cycle in about 20 years, unless something in the zeitgeist can inspire them earlier." Therefore, the time to return is on the right track. But more deeply, the pandemic has indeed changed the lives of many of us-and it is difficult to say exactly how we will feel after the pandemic. "There is a general feeling that we have experienced a year of'lost'. Therefore, we have seen a lot of trends in accessories and ready-to-wear, making us feel young," Richards told us. "Bright beaded jewelry, smiley faces, bucket hats, because we are preparing more for this world than ever, our dress is full of fun and youthful elements. Skirts naturally fit this trend." Richards said that the nostalgia for the pre-pandemic era has surpassed several generations-Gen X and millennials have experienced this trend, and Gen Z can find it new.

Frugality is a particularly important part of the culture of Generation Z. Sklar explained that the slow fashion and sustainability movement helped some people "find more ways to upgrade what they found." "Gen Z has unique opportunities that most other people don't have: the ability to research and view old trends cataloging on the Internet, and the ability to discuss and present their explanations on social media," Richards explained. "Other generations always refer to past times and trends when they wear them, but the in-depth exploration and access to images is undoubtedly the advantage of Generation Z."

This summer, many of us may be ready to dress up, because more than 100 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. In the days of social isolation, “many of us don’t pay much attention to the clothes we wear under the zoom camera – let’s face it: sweatpants are hidden, but they are making a comeback),” Strahile Wiitz said. As we saw again from head to toe, “it’s not surprising that short skirts will become part of what we wear,” and they are fun when many people “want to go out and enjoy life,” she said.

Richards also added: “Now, the fun and frivolity of fashion feel good, when we can finally catch our breath after the pressure of Covid and the overwhelming 2020. Let us be realistic: Aught fashion is flashy, not necessarily. Ambition is even likable, but it has the spirit of good times."

Considering the reader’s interest in fitness equipment and clothing, here are the short skirts you can wear as sportswear or sports casual wear. These skirts come from the favorite brands of shopping readers, such as Outdoor Voices, Patagonia and Athleta.

This skirt is made of Outdoor Voices' Lightspeed fabric, which is a lightweight performance material that dries quickly and is suitable for sports from running to walking. The shorts in the skirt have a cell phone pocket and leg clips designed to hold the underlay in place when you exercise. The skirts are available in sizes from XS to XL and six colors including earl grey and navy blue.

Athelta's culottes are designed for trail running, long-distance running and sprinting. It is made from the brand's Featherweight Stretch fabric, which uses recycled polyester fiber. It has a back zipper pocket and split design for easy movement. It is available in sizes from XXS to 3X, and is available in four colors: red cedar blue, black, agate purple and bright white. Those looking for more coverage can also find skirts that are slightly longer in length.

These popular high-waist sports culottes are made of Girlfriend Collective's compression-resistant fabric, which has the function of wicking sweat and is designed from recycled plastic bottles. The lower shorts have mesh pockets for storing essentials. It is currently available in sizes from XXS to 6XL and 11 colors including plum blossom, moss and horizon (orange). The dress has more than 2,600 reviews-however, Girlfriend Collective did not publicly disclose the average star rating of its products.

These Patagonian culottes are made from a blend of recycled polyester and spandex. Its front uses an artificial wrap design to make it more elegant, with a drawstring design on the waist, and two drop-in pockets on the front, one of which has a zipper pocket in it. The skirt comes in sizes from XS to XL and three shades: kale green, black and Shengwei blue. It has an average rating of 4.6 stars out of more than 120 reviews.

Spanx's culottes are designed with four-way elasticity, with moisture wicking and quick-drying functions. It has a 50% UPF sun protection function, and the brand calls it a short lining and double-layer smooth waistband to prevent abrasions. This skirt also has a back zipper pocket and perforated side pockets. It comes in sizes from XS to XL and three colors, including black, white and North Atlantic (blue-green).

This skirt is mainly made of recycled nylon. It has moisture wicking function, UPF 50 sun protection and waterproof finish. There is also a back zipper pocket and an elastic waistband on the skirt. It is currently available in sizes from XS to 3XL and three colors: TNF Black, Agave Green and Misty Jade.

This highly acclaimed mid-waist culottes have UPF 50 sun protection and the brand’s own Omni-Shield premium waterproof function, keeping you cool and dry while wearing.

It has an average 4.6-star rating of more than 3,600 reviews on Amazon. It is currently available in sizes from XS to 3X, as well as colors such as Nocturnal (Navy), Black and Tusk (Khaki).

Vineyard Vines said the culottes are "our most popular performance culottes." The culottes are designed with a blend of polyester and spandex-moisture wicking and UV protection (but the brand does not publicly provide a protection number). It also has a scalloped hem and two back pockets with stitched zippers. Culottes are available in sizes from 00 to 16 and are currently available in three colors (the fourth is called a white hat, and all other styles are sold out except for one size): Stone (beige), Deep Bay (navy blue) and Marlin (Periwinkle).

This culottes style uses the brand's ReZion fabric, which includes UPF 50 sun protection and wrinkle resistance, as well as quick drying. It also comes with elastic waist, front and back pockets (with hidden zippers to store essentials). You can choose from XS to XL sizes and four colors: Embark Brown (more mustard), Dark Iron (gray), Deep Stellar (blue-green) and Evergreen.

According to LLBean, this A-line skirt is designed to lower the waist. It is made of polyester and spandex, with two-way elasticity. Quick-drying, moisture-wicking culottes provide UPF 50 sun protection effect, adjustable labels on the inside to customize the waist fit and multiple pockets. You can choose sizes from 4 to 20 and three colors: gray (brown), black and iron. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars out of more than 200 reviews.

If you are looking for skirts, the following retailers offer a range of styles and sizes for you to consider, including those from the favorite retailers of shopping readers, such as Nordstrom and REI. When shopping for shorts, you will usually find them sorted together with the shorts.

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Ambar Pardilla is a former reporter for NBC News Select. 

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