J.Lo Just Wore This Highly Controversial Trend in the Most Elegant Way Possible

Arguably no trend from the last three years has proven to be more controversial than hot pants, which were brought back from the fashion grave with Miuccia Prada's F/W 22 Miu Miu collection and went on to be designed by just about everyone, including Saint Laurent, Jacquemus, and Gucci. Though I was on the pro side of the hot-pants debate, many weren't, finding them far too short and impractical to actually wear. After a while, the trend's popularity began to wane, showing up on the runways less and less. Then, a photo of a certain influential celebrity began circling, and just like that, teeny-tiny short shorts shot right back into the zeitgeist.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 03: Jennifer Lopez is seen in Chelsea on November 03, 2024 in New York City.

(Image credit: Getty Images/TheStewartofNY/GC Images)

On Jennifer Lopez: Gucci Jewel Padded Cardigan ($3298) and Ribbed Wool Shorts ($890); Saint Laurent Vendome Boots ($1950)

On Sunday, Jennifer Lopez was spotted in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood wearing a minuscule pair of Gucci knit shorts with a matching cardigan. Both were chestnut brown. Keeping with the autumnal color scheme, she added a pair of matching Saint Laurent patent-leather knee-high boots, a burgundy shoulder bag, and tortoiseshell oversize sunglasses.

All that's to say, anyone who wasn't on the side of hot pants when they popped back on the scene a few years ago should think again now that J.Lo's displayed an undeniably elegant way of styling them. Below, get on board by shopping some of the chicest pairs on the market right now, including a $50 alternative for the singer's $890 Gucci bottoms.

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Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.