This spring you won`t want to be without two items in your wardrobe-short shorts (aka hot pants) and clogs. These two blasts from the past are hot again and stores are stocking up on them big time.
”Short shorts are definitely a big trend, especially in denim,” says Gina Tovar, fashion director for Nordstrom`s Illinois region. ”We believe in them strongly, especially for our Brass Plum junior department,” Tovar adds. This explains Nordstrom`s many short short offerings including styles in bright colored denim, stretchy prints and patterned rayons.
And to wear with your hot pants this spring are clogs in a ton of new styles that didn`t exist in the `70s, including colorful nubuck suede and sling-backed leathers. While the trend brings something refreshing and new to post-Boomers, it`s deja vu all over again for those closer to 30.
Comfort and versatility
”I wore them in the `70s when I was about 10 years old and was so excited to see them back in the stores again,” says 25-year-old Abby Ripes, manager of the Betsey Johnson boutique in Chicago, who likes to wear clogs with babydoll dresses, shorts and jeans and finds their slip-on style comfortable for standing all day at the shop. ”I found a great black nubuck pair at Fell Shoes in Highland Park and I had to have them. My mom thinks I`m nuts for wanting to wear them again but I like how they remind me of when I was little,” Ripes adds.
But don`t look for a truly literal revival. Today`s clogs have shed their down-to-earthy image and have taken on new spunk with kicky colors and materials-like lime nubuck, purple suede, even red patent leather.
Another thing that makes hot pants and clogs so different this time around is their versatility. Hot pants at the beach or club are a given, but now with tights and a jacket or sweater, they`re perfect as streetwear, too.
The French look
In Paris, women are already taking hot pants to the streets, pairing them with black opaques, fitted blazers, poor-boy ribbed shirts and ankle boots.
The resulting coordinated, sophisticated look takes short shorts everywhere from offices on the Champs-Elysees to cafes in the Latin Quarter to funky discos like Les Bains or Scheherazade.
Though barely reaching mid-thigh-indulging the Parisian urge to break social mores-today`s hot pants aren`t as form-hugging as bicycle shorts. Still, whether in denim or black Lycra-blend, the short shorts on Paris streets have an inimitable flair that makes the pants truly ”hot.”
