It's not just skirt hems that are shrinking. The return of Y2K nostalgia, some seasons ago now, has resurrected an old faithful wardrobe staple: the capri pant. As the Southern Hemisphere basks in summer, we're casting off our cargo pants and showing a little shin.
Recently, the runway seems fixated on skirts – pleated, micro mini, knee-skimming – and internet trends like balletcore have glued them to the zeitgeist. But do you know what pairs well with ballet flats? Capri pants. Audrey Hepburn proved that.
The last time capri pants were out in full force, Carrie Bradshaw was still a sex columnist and Marissa Cooper was alive and well. Nor were they as slim as the iterations beloved by 50s and 60s screen queens Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot. Rather, they came in technical fabric with bobbly drawstrings, knickerbockers, denim and – if you were a Disney child star, a little mini skirt layered over the top.
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Now, the nostalgia is there, but in an updated way, offering a middle ground between corporate and casual. As we've witnessed with names like Devon Lee Carlson, Anaa Saber and You can take it full Y2K kitsch, with leather disc belts and pointed mules, or you can lean into a cleaner look with crew neck cardigans and ballet flats. The point is, capri pants are an easy sell for people who still refer to pants-and-a-nice-top as their formula for getting dressed.
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The origins of capri pants
German fashion designer, Sonja de Lennart, is credited with inventing capri pants back in 1945, after she wore a pair of trousers on a beach in – yes, Capri and got them soaked, thus modifying them to be shorter and fitted. Her first collection, comprising of capri pants, was subsequently named after the Italian island as it represented peace, freedom and good times after six years of war.
Shop the trend
Love and Nostalgia Big Bully Capri Drawstring Pant
Mode Mischief Lila Capri Pants
Posse Effi Capri Pants
Guizio Caria Capri Pants
Flore Flore Josephine Trouser
Reformation Petra Linen Low Rise Pedal Pusher Pant
Faithfull Valeria Capri
Jacquemus Le De-nimes Capri
Images: @palomawool @doubl3xposure @fanci.club
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