The skirt over pants: should we embrace this trend that we love to hate?

This publication is also available in: Français Deutsch Italiano Español

Remnants of the Y2K fashion that we wanted to forget, the skirt over pants has made a convincing comeback on the runways of Fashion Week and in our streets this year. Whether we love to hate it or not, why not give it a try?

We can be seduced by the skirt over pants, as this early 2000s trend is being reinterpreted by Gen Z today, adapting it in an inclusive manner for men. Let’s take a quick tour of this crazy fashion phenomenon.

Yes! We love the quirky vibes of the 2000s

The 2000s and its unforgettable trends are making a comeback in 2023! Among all the more or less joyful fashions of this decade, the skirt over pants is definitely one we thought was forgotten for good. Why do we want to try it? Because it’s so much fun and a bit nostalgic to see the new generation embrace and revisit past looks.

We also love this mix of genres in fashion. Remember, a few years ago, it was unthinkable for a man to wear a skirt!

At Givenchy, the nod to the 2000s is clearly present in the women’s look with studded pants and a rather emo final look.

On the men’s side, the look from Givenchy is very graphic with a skirt + long coat layering that adds an extra dimension to the silhouette.

Men wear skirts well

A trend that resembles a fashion faux pas making a comeback is not new. But a trend reappearing among men is rare, and just for that, we love that the skirt over pants is becoming a mixed trend.

The designers got it right; on the ready-to-wear runways, men shone in skirt-pants combos.

It’s a classic look of a full jeans skirt over jeans at Marine Serre for a result that is as surprising as it is familiar.

Another take at Dior adapts the skirt trend in a more sculptural and asymmetrical way. We see the cyberpunk Y2K theme with a long skirt that only covers one side of the body.

No… there are other trends that are much more interesting

Having fun with fashion and revisiting the Y2K trend is one thing. But copying the worst ideas of the 2000s… really? Let’s be honest, fashion has evolved a lot (for the better) since then!

Looking like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears at the worst of fashion in 2004? What’s the point?

We can be nostalgic for a more carefree era when the Instagram age didn’t exist yet. We can also embrace looks from the 2000s that are of much better taste.

The skirt over pants, a symbol of restraint on freedom?

An ordinance from the Paris Prefecture dating back to 1800 forbade women from wearing pants. The garment was used like leggings by women who refused to wear cumbersome dresses at home. Believe it or not, to have the right to go out in pants, one had to obtain… “a cross-dressing permit.”

Historically, women rebelled by letting a glimpse of pants show under their dresses as early as the 1800s. They fought for the right to wear pants until the 1960s, when its use was fully accepted.

Knowing a bit more about the history of this trend, why adopt a skirt + pants combo that harkens back to a long feminist struggle and is not even comfortable?

featured image ©Unsplash