What a time to be alive in 2003. Paris Hilton was starring in her hit reality show The Simple Life, Destiny’s Child was still together, and, most notably, the micro-mini skirt was a staple in every It Girl’s wardrobe. Italian fashion house Miu Miu teleported us back to that very Y2K era with the runway show for their Spring/Summer 2022 collection on October 5. In their presentation at the Palais d’Iéna in Paris, the brand made a clear statement: the low-rise mini skirt is officially back.

Before we go on, abandon all preconceived notions of what a “skirt” is. Covering your behind is no longer a requirement — we’re talking so short that the pocket linings poke out from the bottom. Miu Miu’s runway was filled with micro-mini skirts that put wearers’ belly buttons, hipbones and upper thighs on display. The boundary-pushing pieces are so teeny that they could almost be mistaken for belts rather than stand-alone items of clothing.

Thanks to Miuccia Prada, the skin-bearing style is no longer just for club-goers or early aughts red carpets. The collection — titled “Basic Instincts” — is Miu Miu’s take on reimagined professional attire with low-waisted and high-cropped office wear. It features khaki midi and mini skirts that have fraying bottoms that look like they’ve been haphazardly fringed with scissors. The collection’s bottoms varied from leather skirts to full-length trousers — all low-waisted, of course. They were paired with cropped (and some full-length) wool sweaters, button-up dress tops and zip-up jackets. Embroidered mini and midi evening dresses also had the rigidly cropped look, with stringy edges.

“Trousers are cut into abbreviated skirts, sweaters and shirts carved out to reveal the body. Edges are left raw, elements of construction exposed in commemoration of the spontaneity of these actions,” explains the brand in a statement. The result is a distressed prep-school vibe that we’re totally into.

Those of us who’ve lived through the OG micro-mini skirt days can recall the fatphobia and “thinspiration” that also dominated the fashion narrative back then. As a result, some are not too thrilled about the return of the 2000s trend and its body-shaming discourse. And unfortunately, Miu Miu’s recent runway show missed an opportunity to show off the revisited low-rise looks on larger bodies, consequently reverting to the untrue idea that only thin people can sport a skin-bearing wardrobe.

Fashion’s current revival of Y2K trends coincides with increased body diversity among media and designers, but we’re still lacking representation on many high-fashion runways. We’d love to see a runway with low-rise and cropped pieces on bigger bodies. Just imagine all the iconic early aughts styles without any of the body-image anxiety. We’ll take that over 2003 any day.

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