Last year, the leg-baring mini made its triumphant return, cropping up on the runways of Chanel, Versace, Missoni, and Miu Miu. Now, the leggy silhouette continues to reign supreme; it was so ubiquitous in the spring 2022 collections that it’s almost easier to note which designers chose not to show teeny-tiny skirts.
The miniskirt first gained popularity in the ’60s and ’70s as a playful and even defiant garment representing a shift in societal dynamics. The frisky and errant attitude of the noughties was met with the arrival of a new type of miniskirt—one abbreviated from the top and the bottom and dubbed the low-rise microskirt. In 2021, the appearance of the mini- and microskirt feels like a response to pandemic-caused restrictions. Sure, we’re more than happy to cover our faces, but let us bare our bellies and thighs! Sweats have been shed, skin-baring tops and low-rise bottoms are au courant, and designers like Chanel, Courrèges, Etro, Miu Miu, Prada, Versace, Blumarine, Sandy Liang, Missoni, Balmain, Max Mara, and more are proving the appetite to show off our stems and dive back into the electricity of the outside world.
The mini of this moment features a more structured silhouette, can be low- or high-rise, is more fitted than flared, and isn’t scared of color. Here, shop the minis and micros of the moment.